Newsletter: January 2026

Are fictional characters the kinds of beings toward whom one can have moral obligations? I think there’s a special way in which authors can betray their characters.

Saints and Prophets

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.

[Reflections] Shakespeare’s Great Heart

I want to make a case for Shakespeare’s “great heart.” Then I’ll try to explain why Wittgenstein doesn’t see it.

[Starting Points] (What) Can We Learn from Literature?

How can you learn anything from a book full of events that, by the author’s own admission, are completely made up?