Public Philosophy

I am convinced of the ancient insistence that philosophy, when done well, helps one live well. As such, the primary end of philosophy is not the mere production of esoteric academic insight, but the equipping of humans in general with the capacity to think well about how to live. Thus, I write at a popular level both on applied ethics for the Prindle Post and on ethics and philosophy of religion at The Olive Press.

If your curious what my popular stuff looks like, start with the pieces linked below!

Equity

Stereotyping and Statistical Generalization

Is it right to condemn historical figures for moral beliefs that, while common during their time, are now known to be odious? ...

Self-Knowledge

A Strange Moral Disgruntlement with Giving

I tend to get annoyed when people donate money in ways I think are silly. ...

Responsibility

Judgment, Condemnation, and Historical Context

Let’s look at three different stories and use them to investigate statistical generalizations. ...

Money

A New Role for an Old Rule: Usury and Speculation

Can Aristotle tell us anything about short selling GameStop stock? I think so! ...

Education

Philosophical Insights from Great Literature

I want to talk about some of the philosophical lessons we can learn from great literature. Of course, by great literature I mean great children’s books. ...

The Sacred

The Politics of Imponderables

As I glance over the front page (or, let’s be real, the home page) of various newspapers, nearly every story is about either COVID-19 or U.S. racial injustice. ...