Tag Archives: philosophy

Life Is Hard

Recently, I’ve read a couple of books about how you can take greater control of your life, particularly your time and your health. But there are lots of things in life you just can’t control. We all face adversity and … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Health and wellness | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

What We Owe The Future

“Future people count. There could be a lot of them. We can make their lives go better.” That’s the central idea of What We Owe The Future, a provocative book by William MacAskill who’s an associate professor of philosophy at … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Science and technology | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Life Is Simple

Ever heard of Occam’s razor? It’s the principle that says the simplest explanation that fits the facts is most likely the correct one. It’s formally stated as “entities should not be multiplied without necessity.” Or informally as “keep it simple, … Continue reading

Posted in Books, History, Science and technology | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Meditations

Meditations, written nearly two thousand years ago by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, is one of the most influential books in Western philosophy. It deserves years of study. I’ve read it just once. So I won’t be “reviewing” this book … Continue reading

Posted in Books, History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Humans are storytellers.  We tell stories to understand our place in the world and to give our lives purpose and meaning.  Shared stories help bind us together into communities, tribes, nations and civilizations.  We understand stories better than facts. 21 … Continue reading

Posted in Books, History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Socrates Express

How about a little philosophy, just to lighten things up? Over the last few months I’ve been reading serious books about serious topics: climate change, racism, misogyny, injustice at the US Supreme Court, and autocratic threats to our democracy. I … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cosmopolitanism

Kwame Anthony Appiah’s book, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, is about finding ways for different people, and peoples, to live together in our increasingly globalized world. Born in England, raised in Ghana, and now a professor of philosophy … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment