Trigger Warning: discussion of thoughts of suicide (and reasons not to commit it which were/are convincing to me)
All in general philosophy
Deontology morally supports the development of meaningful freedoms, and Marxism aims to do just that in practice.
Does the idealism of deontology make it incompatible with Marxism? (No, but Marxists should be materialists, and get the strategic benefits of engaging in a materialist analysis.)
Fields of study in modern universities are results of history, as well as the job opportunities in the broader economy. How might a leftist university’s research areas and majors reflect leftist interests in what is socially valuable, rather than the capitalist interests in profit and market stability?
A basic discussion of the role and conceptual space of philosophy, and how it relates to science.
Finding Meaning in Paragraph Breaks
Paragraph breaks and other syntactical breaks are used to imply different but interacting abstract concepts. Also, three tips for myself to improve my writing process.
Where to Put My Time and Effort? On Effective Altruism
I think it is morally acceptable for people to care more for those closer to them, but only if we also morally require that people also extend such aid to those structurally deprived and disadvantaged.
Asymmetries of Information: Intellectual Property & Social Capital
When we discuss inequality and injustice in our modern economy, should we put less emphasis on the asymmetries of ownership of physical means of production, and more emphasis on the unequal possession of knowledge and information?
I discuss ‘monopolies founded on intellectual property’ and ‘the economic role of universities to produce social capital’.
David Hume on the Foundations of Promises
David Hume provides a wonderfully structured argument about the nature of promises and the obligations they create between us. He argues that promissory obligation is incoherent without a history of pragmatic social conventions. This essay summarizes his argument and gives additional comments in the context of Margaret Gilbert’s book Rights and Demands.