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This article by Jonathan Haidt seems to me the most sensible thing ever written on the political divide in the U.S. (Thanks to Mike for the pointer.) Continue reading

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I was reading a post about the great philosopher Thomas Nagel, who recently published an article arguing that Intelligent Design should be taught in school, since it is in fact “science,” though it is bad science. Indeed,very bad science. Anyway, the poster was wondering if Nagel had “jumped the shark,” a phrase which I had… Continue reading

Nephew Nathan and friend Flavia visited us from California, and Ben led us on a killer ride: straight up “Lord have mercy!” hill, and (as if that wasn’t enough), then straight up to “Pope Sweet Jesus!” summit. We then rode home and recuperated. Then Nathan, Flavia, and I rode up Blacksmith Fork canyon, which is… Continue reading

My sister Jane has been visiting, and we’ve gone on four killer hikes this week. Yesterday we hiked to Naomi Peak, to my mind the most stunning hike in the area. Some pics: Continue reading

resonates with me. Here is an excerpt from an article (Konigsberg = Allen): Konigsberg states that his reading of philosophy and literature is mainly an attempt to help him answer the ultimate question about life: its purpose and values in its relation to death. “I think the most important issues to me are what one’s… Continue reading

We had a great time visiting the Oregon coast and Portland with family. Some more snapshots: Continue reading

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How many five year olds could you take in a fight? Continue reading

… it shapes it. Check out this Newsweek piece by Dahlia Lithwick about 24‘s influence on those who design and sit in judgment of the US’s torture practices. An excerpt: According to British lawyer and writer Sands, Jack Bauer—played by Kiefer Sutherland—was an inspiration at early “brainstorming meetings” of military officials at Guantánamo in September… Continue reading

Check out the contest over at cliché reality. And while you’re at it, read how Handey wants to be remembered in this New Yorker piece. An excerpt: No one is really sure how old Jack was, but some think he may have been born as long ago as the twentieth century. He passed away after… Continue reading

I just love it when someone unlocks the secret to find meaning in an otherwise moronic comic strip. Like Nietzsche Family Circus, Garfield minus Garfield brings an existential dimension to idiocy. In this case, the effect is achieved by simply removing the damn cat, and everything he says, from the strip. (Thanks to nephew Matt… Continue reading

Finally saw the film last night; I read the book months ago. No one equals Cormac McCarthy in portraying a pitiless, random, violent universe, occupied by pitiless, random, violent human beings. The film is great, and captures the novel perfectly. In one respect it’s better: Chigurh’s speeches aren’t as long and preachy. The best line… Continue reading

The last few months I’ve been working away at an essay for the Oxford Handbook to Nietzsche. The essay is on Nietzsche’s illness; it’s been a surprisingly hard one to write — difficult to get it right. Here it is, for anyone interested. UPDATE: New and improved (final?) version here. Continue reading

Here is a great, widely-circulated essay by Paul Graham on how to do what you love. I’m posting it here now so that, hopefully, I’ll remember to post it also on usuphilosophy.com after the start of Fall semester. Continue reading

A. J. Jacobs spent a year trying to follow every rule in the Bible. Hear him recount his experiences, and what he learned from them, here. Continue reading

Here’s a question prompted from some conversations with Mike: To what extent do ideas influence the formation of culture? This is a big one, of course. At one extreme we have Hegel, who thought culture, civilization, history, and politics were nothing but the evolution of ideas, like a great big collective consciousness making up its… Continue reading

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Read Thomas P.M. Barnett’s view of a possible upcoming war with Iran that “nobody wants but everyone seems to need” here. Continue reading

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Just saw the movie last night. The main idea is that Lou Salome is worried about the mental state of her friend Nietzsche, and asks Josef Breuer (a physician beginning to dabble in psychoanalysis) and his friend young Sigmund Freud to help him out of his despair. Breuer has problems of his own, and Nietzsche… Continue reading

Good TPMB post here diagnosing what’s going on now with Iran. Also, I hope this photo draws a lotta laughs from the international community. Continue reading