A Theory of Human Dignity, #15–Post-Persons.

This long essay, “A Theory of Human Dignity,” presents and defends a general theory of human dignity, with special attention paid to spelling out its background metaphysics, formulating and justifying a basic set of dignitarian moral principles, and critically addressing hard cases for the theory. “A Theory of Human Dignity” is being made available here … [continue reading]

Aphorisms Toward A Cultural Philosophy For The Present Time, #3: Guilt and Exculpation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Aphorisms 1-11: Social Dictatorship 2. Aphorisms 12-24: State Power 3. Aphorisms 25-38: Guilt and Exculpation 4. Aphorisms 39-52: Confusion and Control 5. Aphorisms 53-61: The Myth of Order Guilt and Exculpation 25. Guilt and destabilization. The staging of a conflict that the State will always win reinforces feelings of guilt and … [continue reading]

Philosophy Talks, With Bob And Scott, #4.

Philosophy Talks, With Bob And Scott is a series of conversations about fundamental philosophical ideas, problems, and topics, from A to Z. The aim of these conversations is to move us beyond the false dichotomy between Analytic philosophy and so-called “Continental” philosophy–as if there were no other relevant alternatives: but in fact, there is at … [continue reading]

Aphorisms Toward A Cultural Philosophy For The Present Time, #2: State Power.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Aphorisms 1-11: Social Dictatorship 2. Aphorisms 12-24: State Power 3. Aphorisms 25-38: Guilt and Exculpation 4. Aphorisms 39-52: Confusion and Control 5. Aphorisms 53-61: The Myth of Order State Power 12. How State power works. First, give people some goodies (say, money, property, social status, adult toys, etc.) and let them … [continue reading]

The Paradox of Distributive Social Justice.

The Paradox of Distributive Social Justice Distributive social justice is the set of moral, social-institutional, and/or political principles, processes, and structures that determine the distribution of benefits and burdens in capitalist, liberal, democratic nation-States. In their Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on “Distributive Justice,” Julian Lamont and Christi Favor quite correctly although somewhat tautologously note … [continue reading]

Aphorisms Toward A Cultural Philosophy For The Present Time, #1: Social Dictatorship.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Aphorisms 1-11: Social Dictatorship 2. Aphorisms 12-24: State Power 3. Aphorisms 25-38: Guilt and Exculpation 4. Aphorisms 39-52: Confusion and Control 5. Aphorisms 53-61: The Myth of Order Social Dictatorship 1. Ideology. By allowing our intellectuals only to quote others who—no doubt—a are also intellectuals, we create an echo-culture, a circular … [continue reading]

Philosophy Talks, With Bob And Scott, #3.

Philosophy Talks, With Bob And Scott is a series of conversations about fundamental philosophical ideas, problems, and topics, from A to Z. The aim of these conversations is to move us beyond the false dichotomy between Analytic philosophy and so-called “Continental” philosophy–as if there were no other relevant alternatives: but in fact, there is at … [continue reading]

A Science of Singulars: On the Nature of Architectural Science, #4: Singularization and Architectural Science, & Conclusion.

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction II. Why Singulars? III. The Singular and the Particular IV. Singularization and Architectural Science V. Conclusion BIBLIOGRAPHY This is the fourth and final installment, and contains sections IV, V, and the BIBLIOGRAPHY. IV. Singularization and Architectural Science If my reasoning in the previous sections is correct, we should revise our … [continue reading]

THE LIMITS OF SENSE AND REASON: A Line-By-Line Critical Commentary on Kant’s “Critique of Pure Reason,” #20–How Metaphysics Can Become An Authentic Science.

[I] was then making plans for a work that might perhaps have the title, “The Limits of Sense and Reason.” I planned to have it consist of two parts, a theoretical and a practical. The first part would have two sections, (1) general phenomenology and (2) metaphysics, but this only with regard to its method. … [continue reading]

A Science of Singulars: On the Nature of Architectural Science, #3: The Singular and the Particular.

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction II. Why Singulars? III. The Singular and the Particular IV. Singularization and Architectural Science V. Conclusion BIBLIOGRAPHY This is the third of four installments, and contains section III. III. The Singular and the Particular The notion of the spatial singular sits uneasily with our preconceived categories of thinking. Terms like … [continue reading]