Opinion
CategoryHumans Haven’t Yet Figured Out How To Combine Culture and Ethics
“The good of any one individual is of no more importance, from the point of view (if I may say so) of the Universe, than the good of any other.” This famous line from Henry Sidgwick’s The Methods of Ethics sets out a basic idea that, in some form or another, is at least part of most thoughtful philosophical understandings of morality: at a fundamental level, you and..
On Trolley Problems (updated)
Robert Paul Wolff, at his blog The Philosopher’s Stone, objects to the use of trolley problems and other stylized thought experiments in which various complications are waved aside. “I am quite convinced that these sorts of thought experiments are nonsense,” he says. Wisely, he adds: “but it is not so easy to say why.”
I think that trolley problems and the like a..
Daily Nous Turns One
Tomorrow, March 7th, Daily Nous will be one year old. I’m putting this up today as I hope to spend most of tomorrow away from the computer.
“How are things going?” you probably aren’t wondering. I’ll just pretend you asked.
Well, it’s a lot of work, but the site is doing really well. Thanks for asking. And thanks for reading, thanks for taking part in the disc..
Nietzsche’s New Year’s Resolution
This:
I do not want to wage war with the ugly. I do not want to accuse, I do not want even to accuse the accusers. Looking aside, let that be my sole negation!
Thanks to Maria Popova at Brain Pickings for highlighting this passage from Nietzsche’s The Gay Science. See her post here for the rest of his New Year’s resolution.
(art: detail of Mirror/Infinity Roo..
Happy Thanksgiving
I am posting this today in the hope that I will not be spending tomorrow in front of a glowing screen.
For Thanksgiving, I am writing to express my appreciation of you, the people who visit Daily Nous, read the posts, comment on them, send in news, suggest topics, share posts, retweet tweets, write with an encouraging word, and keep me in line. If Daily Nous has ..