Skip to content
Most Recent:
  • S2E03 Literature Must Be an Unsettling Force for Democracy w/ Elin Danielsen Huckerby
  • Community Supported Agriculture Isn’t Just Another Way to Get Fresh Food
  • S2E02 Fear of Breakdown in American Democracy w/ Noëlle McAfee
  • S2E01 Scientific Knowledge Is Metaphorical w/ Jessica Wahman
  • Damn the Absolute! – The Pragmatist Podcast Returns with Season Two
Erraticus

Erraticus

A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas

  • Culture
  • Philosophy
  • Podcasts
    • Curiosity Manifold
    • Damn the Absolute!
  • Poetry
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • Science & Tech
  • Society
  • About
    • Blog
    • Erraticus Reading Groups
    • Our Pragmatic Values
    • Recommended Readings
  • Submissions

Culture

War and Peace is rooted in Tolstoy’s longing for the infinite and universal. Yet, it reveals our need to focus on the concrete and mundane.
("The Battle of Austerlitz" by François Gérard, 1810)

History Isn’t Made by Great Men

August 12, 2021December 27, 2021 14 min read Henriikka Hannula Essential Reading, History, Literature

War and Peace is rooted in Tolstoy’s longing for the infinite and universal. Yet, it reveals our need to focus on the concrete and mundane.

Read More
Garry Gergich is the true Stoic on Parks and Rec, exemplifying Stoicism.
Parks and Rec expounds a great deal upon the teachings of Stoicism, but it is Garry Gergich—not Ron Swanson—who embodies the Stoic ideals. (Image: NBC)

Garry Gergich the Stoic

June 28, 2021January 1, 2022 15 min read Matthew Downhour Ancient Wisdom, Friendship, Stoicism

Parks and Rec expounds a great deal upon the teachings of Stoicism, but it is Garry Gergich—not Ron Swanson—who embodies the Stoic ideals.

Read More
Sacred Consecrated Spaces Waiting Rooms Places Erraticus
(Martin Lostak)

Consecrated Waiting Rooms

April 19, 2021December 27, 2021 12 min read Derek Parsons Architecture, Emotional Well-being, Essential Reading

Whether we are religious or claim no sense of the spiritual, sacred spaces help us to better confront the transient nature of existence.

Read More
Letters to You Melanie Han Erraticus Korean American Identity
(Jeffrey Howard)

Letters to You

May 7, 2020May 19, 2021 8 min read Melanie Han Family, Identity, Racism

In this epistolary, Melanie Han reflects on her experiences with racism, intergenerational family dynamics, and tensions surrounding identity.

Read More
Existentialism in Children's Film Erraticus Jean-Paul Sartre Batman Begins Lego Movie Babe
(Jeffrey Howard)

Existentialism in Children’s Film

May 6, 2020April 28, 2021 12 min read Matthew Downhour Essential Reading, Existentialism, Film

Children’s films tend to emphasize the role of destiny or chance, but existential themes can be found in a few that highlight the importance of agency and defining the meaning of one’s own life.

Read More
Hope in the time of corona COVID-19 Melanie Han Erraticus
(Lei Jiang)

‘Corona, Corona’: In the Cycle of Grief

April 23, 2020May 19, 2021 14 min read Melanie Han Emotions, Family, Racism, Travel

Finding herself abroad during the early days of corona, a traveler recounts the uncertainties and grief that followed her home.

Read More
  • ← Previous

A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas

An online publication focused on human flourishing, taking a pragmatic approach to ideas. We care about ideas that help us to live well together, focusing on their practical consequences.

 

“Pragmatism, on the other hand, asks its usual question. ‘Grant an idea or belief to be true,’ it says, ‘what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone’s actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth’s cash-value in experiential terms?'” — William James

  • About
  • Damn the Absolute!
  • Erraticus Reading Groups
  • Our Pragmatic Values
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recommended Readings
  • Student Submissions
  • Submissions

Erraticus in Your Inbox

Receive the most recent Erraticus essays, ideas, and podcasts directly in your inbox.
Loading

Copyright © 2016-2022 Erraticus. All rights reserved.