Julian Baggini

On taking food seriously

March 26, 2014 Julian Baggini Articles & Essays, Food

It is absurd to claim that anything that is not essential to our survival is a “luxury” we should not be concerned about. This is not a humane viewpoint, but a deeply anti-humanist one. Why, after all, are we so concerned that many people do not have the necessities of life? Not because we think that mere survival is the purpose of existence. We want people to have food, shelter, health and education so that they can thrive and flourish. To put it another way, we want our “middle-class indulgences” to be available to everyone.

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How useful is self-knowledge?

March 22, 2014 Julian Baggini The Shrink and The Sage

The self is more the product than the producer of conscious activity. As Descartes should have put it: there are thoughts, therefore I am.

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Should we avoid value judgments?

March 18, 2014 Julian Baggini The Shrink and The Sage

No one has infallible access to moral truth and there is more than one good way to live. But that does not mean that no one has any moral insight and that there aren’t many wrong ways to live. The alternative to unjustified confidence in the one true way is not a misguided faith in the validity of all paths.

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Stoicism for Everyday Life

March 18, 2014 Julian Baggini Asides, Talks and events

VIDEO: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION FROM STOICISM FOR EVERYDAY LIFE EVENT. The full round-table discussion (one hour long) from the Stoicism for Everyday Life event at Birkbeck, University of London, on November 30th. Participants included Prof. Chris Gill chairing Julian Baggini, Jules Evans, Antonia Macaro, Richard Sorabji, and Mark Vernon.

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Words by the Water

March 11, 2014 Julian Baggini Asides, Talks and events

WORDS BY THE WATER – KESWICK, 12 March. Talking about what knowing how to eat tells us about how to live, based on book, The Virtues of the Table. Starts at 11. Details and link to booking here.

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