How do we live with our mistakes?
It requires less effort to put aside all doubts than to keep them alive. That is why the easiest way to live with our mistakes is to keep them out of mind until we die with them.
ReadTag: Ethics
Does philosophy have a problem with women?
Philosophers have tended to have an inflated sense of their ability to “follow the argument wherever it leads”, as Plato’s old saw has it. What matters is the argument, not the arguer, which means there is no need even to think about gender or ethnicity. Philosophers have thus felt immune to the distorting effects of gender bias. Logic is gender-neutral, philosophy is logical, ergo philosophy is gender-neutral. I suspect this has led to complacency, a blindness towards all the ways in which, in fact, gender bias does creep in.
ReadWhat animals euthanasia can teach us about humans
As always happens when we think carefully about other animals, we are reminded both of the many things that we have in common, but also the significant ways in which we differ.
ReadCan we be fulfilled without children?
I was intrigued by our reader’s choice of the word “fulfilling”. The childless might enjoy their lives, even find them meaningful, but can they be truly fulfilled? The more I thought about this, the more convinced I became that the whole idea of fulfilment is misguided…
ReadAre free markets bad for good food?
Genuinely free markets are not the enemies of a sound food economy. The problem is with under-regulated markets. To some ‘regulated market’ is an oxymoron, but this is a historical and factual mistake. Free does mean unfettered but free from distortion by manipulation or misinformation. That is why Adam Smith, for example, favoured breaking up monopolies and cartels. Markets need to be regulated in order to be free, fair and sustainable.
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