associated with David Egan Philosophy, divided into three categories:
By never allowing themselves to be seen getting things wrong, cynics can maintain a sheen of cleverness. But if they were in fact clever, they’d investigate further. They might even discover that, in some cases, people aren’t so bad after all.
The present period in history is distinctive precisely in virtue of its awareness of being a period in history.
In the Nuu-chah-nulth tradition, and in many others of the northwest coast, the “bear people,” the “salmon people,” the “deer people,” and others are regarded as sovereign nations that the “human people” must negotiate with according to strictly defined protocols.
In some respects, animal ethics has more in common with anthropocentric ethics than it does with environmental ethics.
It’s not so much that we live in a world that’s lost faith in metaphysics. It’s rather that we live in a world that’s lost interest.
Heidegger aspired to be a prophet and Wittgenstein aspired to be a saint. Prophets want to improve the world and saints want to perfect themselves.
What is to be gained from contemplating one’s mortality? And are you missing out on anything if you don’t?
Existentialism captures the popular imagination partly because it’s so much more than just philosophy.
Gift exchange at its best is a playful form of status exchange. It acknowledges that relationships always involve imbalances of power, but shows that both parties to the relationship are comfortable enough with one another that they can switch between the roles of creditor and debtor with ease and grace.