Let’s do some conceptual housecleaning. Having a purpose and having a reason are two different things. The terrorist has a purpose in mind. He’s trying to change a government’s behaviour, whereas the reason someone goes postal is that he’s angry…. Read More ›
Social and Political Philosophy
MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING
Occam’s Razor advises us never to multiply entities beyond what’s needed to explain what needs explaining. Is this because the simpler explanation is more likely to be the correct one? If so, what would explain that? So no. Rather it’s… Read More ›
LUIGI MANGIONE
It’s not yet clear what particular beef he had with the American health care system, but clearly discontent with it is widespread enough in America that some Americans – not many but some – are hailing Luigi Mangione as a… Read More ›
THE PERILS OF ASSOCIATIVE THINKING
Every liberator will eventually become a tyrant. He has to, because otherwise – or so he tells himself – the forces of the counter-revolution will reassert themselves. It happened with Robespierre, with Stalin, with Mussolini. It happened with Mao and… Read More ›
IT’S A LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT …
When someone initiates a conversation with “It’s a little known fact that …”, what he typically means is that there’s something he knows, but his interlocutor probably does not. But I want to bring our attention to another use of… Read More ›
HOBBES ON ABORTION
Do our fellow citizens have an interest, and so can they take an interest, in our reproductive behaviour? Of course they do and can. But can the state, on their behalf, take an interest in our reproductive behaviour? Pro-Lifers say… Read More ›
HOBBES ON OPPRESSION AND RESISTANCE
(1) Oppression is morally indefensible. As is brutality. So(2) brutality in the service of oppression is doubly indefensible. (3) Resistance to oppression, if not morally mandatory, is certainly morally laudable. So (4) brutality in the service of resistance is at… Read More ›
THE DETRITUS OF LAST NIGHT
Banality of the day: By definition, governments produce winners and losers. In democratic polities, like America, elections produce governments. So yes, elections produce winners and losers. In this one, notwithstanding I’m not an American. I’m a loser. Last night I… Read More ›
BUT THAT COULD CHANGE
What is it to win a war? Well, it’s for the war to have achieved its objective. The objective of Israel’s neighbours in the wars of ’48, ’56, ’67 and ’73 was to push the Israelis back into the sea…. Read More ›
THE GENOCIDE DEBATE REVISITED
Harris and Trump are calling each other a fascist. But either claim will die the death of a thousand qualifications. So it’s not a claim. It’s what Wittgenstein would call a move in a language game called political rhetoric. Fair… Read More ›
Paulosophical Vimplications 