Consciousness as a Subsystem
An essay suggesting that consciousness is a limited subsystem of the brain. and that several instinctive ways of thinking about consciousness are wrong.
The Architecture of Utilitarianism
An essay arguing that utilitarianism is a framework that begins with the value of experience, aggregates it across lives, and guides action. I show this structure in Bentham, and how it can be updated.
Philosophy and the Big Picture
An essay suggesting that as philosophy only covers the big questions dealt with using philosophical methods, there should be a broader framework — Big Picture Studies — to comprehensively address all of the big picture.
Is Morality Real?
An essay arguing that morality is real in the sense that matters: it is part of practical reason and makes judgements about how to act that can be true or false depending on how facts in the world relate to welfare and other ends.
Objective World and Subjective Worlds
An essay arguing that we each live in two worlds: the objective external world and our own subjective world. Countless other subjective worlds exist alongside ours. We should be clear how these worlds connect.
Dean Spears and Michael Geruso. After the Spike.
My notes on a book that shows that we are on course for global depopulation and makes the case to try to stabilise the population, both for prosperity and as extra lives are valuable.
Four Concepts of Reason
An essay arguing that ‘Reason’ has four underlying meanings – Reasoning, Rationality, Human Reason and Reasons.
Bertrand Russell: What I Believe
My notes on a short book in which Russell presents his worldview and employs some fine phases and a peculiar metaethics.
Steve Stuart Williams. The Ape that Understood the Universe.
My notes on an engaging book showing how human nature can be explained by evolutionary psychology and memetics.
Lisa Feldman Barrett. Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain.
My notes on a fine introductory book about the brain.
Both Ethics and Ethical Concepts are Man-Made
An essay arguing that ethical concepts are man-made and can be improved.
Randolph Nesse. Good Reasons for Bad Feelings.
My notes on a book about ‘Evolutionary Psychology,’ which considers why natural selection left us vulnerable to mental disorders and how to improve treatments.
How Best to Subdivide Philosophical Ethics
An essay arguing that philosophical ethics should include ‘Particular Decisions’ as a category and explicitly cover all of practical reason.
Morgan Housel. The Psychology of Money.
My notes on a book that suggests that doing well with money is more about psychology than intelligence.
Susan Blackmore. Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction.
My notes on a book that summarises what is know about consciousness and argues for delusionism.
Jonathan Haidt. The Happiness Hypothesis.
My notes on a book that shows how psychological findings provide a distinctive picture of human nature which can be compared with ancient wisdom and used to provide guidance on how to live.
David Edmonds and John Eidinow. Wittgenstein’s Poker.
My notes on a book which investigates the philosophical background to a 1946 meeting where Wittgenstein may have brandished a poker against Popper.
Hand Luggage Only Travel
My tips for travelling with only hand luggage and the advantages of travelling light.
David Deutsch on Knowledge
My 30-point summary of David Deutsch’s inspiring view of knowledge
Ali Abdaal. Feel-Good Productivity.
My notes on a book suggesting that the secret to productivity isn’t discipline but to feel good .
Daniel C. Dennett. From Bacteria to Bach and Back:
My notes on a book that discusses how minds evolved and created thinking tools.
What Do We Need to Know? A Seven-Part Division of Knowledge
An essay suggesting that knowledge be divided into seven domains.
Yuval Noah Harari. Sapiens.
My notes on a book that tells the story of the history of Homo Sapiens.
Long History: Humanity’s Past and Future as a Cultural Species
My note setting out the insights from eight absorbing books on long history.
Three Problems of Free Will
A short essay arguing that two traditional problems of free will can be dismissed and the third is only true in part.
Daniel Kahneman. Thinking, Fast and Slow.
My notes on an impressive book that presents a lifetime of discoveries about human behaviour.
David Edmonds. Parfit.
My review and notes on a delightful biography of philosopher Derek Parfit.
Alastair Norcross. Morality By Degrees.
My notes on a book that argues that consequentalist ethical theories just judge the degree to which states of the world and actions are better than alternatives.
The Reality Mindset and the Mythology Mindset
A short essay on the valuable distinction between The Reality Mindset and The Mythology Mindset that Steven Pinker introduced in his book ‘Rationality’.
J. L. Mackie. Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong.
My notes on a book that argues that morality is not objective and therefore that our moral thinking is in error.