Existential Conservatism
David McPherson in Philosophy ConservatismDavid McPhersonDavid Wigginsjerry cohenMichael OakeshottPolitical philosophyRoger Scruton
David McPherson in Philosophy ConservatismDavid McPhersonDavid Wigginsjerry cohenMichael OakeshottPolitical philosophyRoger Scruton
The new issue of The Monist: “This special issue is motivated by the observation that conservatism plays a marginal role in contemporary philosophy even though it appears to be of considerable importance in moral, social, and political reality. One reason for this neglect is that defenders of conservatism have often refrained from articulating their arguments…
Here are two of the more sober, clear and nuanced analyses of the current socio-cultural-political shit-storm. The first from one of the few on the Left still retaining some semblance of neuronal activity — Jonathan Rutherford (Ben Cobley is also a very thoughtful and honest commentator). The only thing I take issue with is that progressive politics is NOT liberal —…
“Identity and power structure” type courses are ubiquitous across universities these days. It has fed the “activism masquerading as inquiry” expansion of the university underwritten by bureaucraps, mutually reinforcing each other and attracting students who prefer to regurgitate some off-the-peg easily digestible worldview to do their “teacher’s” bidding in the absence of critical thinking and evidence-based theorizing. Now I’m…
The wonderful Gilbert Ryle in discussion with James Urmson from 1972 (in 5 parts). Also see Jerry Cohen’s take-off of Ryle in the final video: category mistakeCognitionCognitive scienceConcept of MindDescartesghost in the machineGilbert RyleJ. O. Urmsonjerry cohenknowing-that knowing-howphilosophical psychologyPhilosophyPhilosophy of LanguagePhilosophy of mind
The name Hobsbawm was virtually institutionalized at Birkbeck. While there I felt obliged to read a bit of Hobsbawm at a time when I was also reading G. E. M. de Ste. Croix – the latter so much deeper and more compelling than the former. I took inspiration from De Ste. Croix’s paper “Why were…