Kierkegaard: The Responsible Philosopher?
Kierkegaard’s ambition is for the self to become itself—even if such a mode of existence will question the moral norms and values of society.
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Philosophy
Haste Makes Waste
Haste becomes waste is intimately tied to the fact that many people have forgotten to inhabit their body, too eager to get somewhere else.
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René Girard’s Map to Meaning: We’re All Victim(izer)s
As we try to align ourselves closely with the true victims, René Girard shows how the ancient scapegoat ruse leads us to meaningful compassion.
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Michel Serres, A Poetic Philosopher
Michel Serres was a life-affirming philosopher whose emphatic style humanized science, encouraged empathy, and accepted our chaotic origins.
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Play Is the Metaphysics of Becoming
Play is a matter of life and death, and it differs from games in a fundamental way—but it is also a metaphysical activity.
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How Medieval Monks Would’ve Managed Digital Distractions
Medieval monks didn’t have smartphones but they had plenty of distractions. Here are a few ways in which they strengthened their focus.
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Wanderlust Is a Vice, Not a Virtue
Critiques of wanderlust by Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Stoics have far-reaching consequences for our ability to lead meaningful lives.
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Ecstatic Experience: How the West Can Find Itself by Losing Control
In the West, we resist ecstatic experience, fearful of losing control—this hyper-rationalistic mindset excludes us from crucial paths to insight and connection. But there is a dark side to ecstasy.
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What is the Sublime? (According to Kant and Schopenhauer)
For Kant and Schopenhauer, scientific understanding deepens our experience with the Sublime, elevating our spiritual strength.
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News-fatigued? Read Stoic Philosophy and Poetry Instead
Reading the news feels awful but ignoring it doesn’t feel right either. A stoic mindset shields us from catastrophy—and inspires action.
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Is ‘Know Thyself’ the Greatest Delphic Maxim We Know?
We’re familiar with ‘know thyself’ as one of the highest commands of philosophy, but we’d be remiss if we ignored the other Delphic maxims.
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Truth Is Not Absolute, but That Which Works
A common view of truth aims for that which corresponds with reality. Left with nothing but our own interpretations of the world, Pragmatists, like William James and Charles Peirce, argue that the best we can do is to hold to that which works.
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