PinnedMy Top StoriesThis is a selection of my own subjective picks. Some of them were popular, others not so much. But they are stories that I’m proud of. I compiled this list because my index of stories is just getting longer and longer. This is a good place to start to get…Culture4 min readCulture4 min read
PinnedStart HereAn Index of my Medium Articles — I’ve indexed my posts by topic below so you can dive into my writing without endlessly scrolling on my profile page. You can also read my most substantial posts on The Sophist, my Medium publication. If you are not yet a member, you can support my work by joining Medium…Writing10 min readWriting10 min read
Dec 24, 2022Member-onlyDavid Hume: Philosopher of EmotionDo Passion and Reason Really Conflict? — When we try to make sense of the world, its ravings, joys and torments, we begin to understand one thing. People don’t decide by reason. When we talk of gut feelings, passions and intuitions, we’re trying to put our finger on motivational forces that defy category. …Philosophy5 min readPhilosophy5 min read
Dec 22, 2022Member-onlyAn Unsilent NightRubens’s Adoration of the Magi is a noisy masterpiece that melds religion and politics — Peter-Paul Rubens’s gigantic painting loudly contradicts the folkloric silent night. This typically muscular painting by the Flemish master is deafening. The Holy Family greet a huge commotion when the Magi arrive to offer gifts to the divine king of Christian belief. The enormous entourage of camels, braying donkeys, war horses…Art3 min readArt3 min read
Published in The Sophist·Dec 3, 2022Member-onlyEverything and GodIbn Sina’s “Proof of the Truthful” — Why is there something rather than nothing? It’s a question that we all ask many times in our lives. It’s often said that philosophy begins in wonder, and the child is the greatest philosopher because the child isn’t too afraid to ask, “why?” The ultimate question is “why anything?” It’s…Philosophy9 min readPhilosophy9 min read
Nov 24, 2022Member-onlyEffective Altruism: A Philosophy That is Transforming the Way We GiveData-Driven Giving is Logical, but is it Wise? — It feels good when you give to charity, doesn’t it? It’s different, though, from showing generosity to a friend. Few of us know or check where or how that money is being spent. Instead, your cash seems to be banked in some abstract realm we can vaguely describe as moral…Philosophy8 min readPhilosophy8 min read
Nov 17, 2022Member-onlyThe Fastest Branding Exercise in the WorldFind Your Purpose and Focus in Under an Hour — Branding is everything when it comes to success. We commonly think of branding as the most superficial parts of your business — the design of your logo, the colours and typefaces of your “house style”, maybe you come up with a snappy tag line. But successful branding cuts far deeper…Marketing7 min readMarketing7 min read
Nov 10, 2022Member-onlyNeighborsHistory Shows the Tipping Point for Mass Murder is Closer Than You Might Think — It has always rings hollow to me when people are accused of “inhumanity” when they partake in organized murder. Dehumanization is a very human phenomenon. We choose who of our kind must be relegated out of it. It starts in the denial of the full humanness of a people, lurking…History5 min readHistory5 min read
Published in The Sophist·Oct 28, 2022Member-onlyThe Prison CampA Spiritual Exercise — Imagine that tomorrow you wake up and a man in uniform is standing beside your bed. The man tells you that he is a prison camp guard, that the reality you’ve been living is a prison camp. Nothing is different — you have the same home, live in the same…Philosophy1 min readPhilosophy1 min read
Sep 29, 2022Member-onlyThe Problem with AtaraxiaBack in July last year I was contacted by Brigid Delaney, an Australian journalist with an interest in mental health and well-being. She interviewed me for a feature about the philosophical concept of ataraxia for The Guardian, and it was great to exchange ideas with her. The secret to happiness in uncertain times? Give up pursuing it ore than a year into the pandemic, many of the usual paths to happiness are blocked. We can't always rely on the…www.theguardian.comPhilosophy3 min readPhilosophy3 min read