Richard Layard. Happiness: Lessons From a New Science.
My notes on a book that suggests how happiness science should be applied to improve lives.
Peter Singer. The Expanding Circle.
My notes on a book arguing that through reasoning we can take an increasingly impartial concern for the interests of all and broaden the circle of moral subjects to include all sentient beings.
Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer. Utilitarianism.
My notes on a book introducing utilitarianism.
Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer. The Point of View of the Universe
My notes on a book that sets out Sidgwick’s utilitarian position, relates it to more recent literature and argues for a modern utilitarianism.
Joshua Greene. Moral Tribes
My notes on a book arguing that we should use utilitarian reasoning to transcend our automatic moral emotions.
Steven Pinker. Rationality
My notes on a book that explains and argues for rationality.
Anil Seth. Being You
My notes on the book that explains consciousness as controlled hallucination.
A Person Has No Soul
A short essay on bodily, psychological and essence concepts of personhood.
How Both Human History and The History Of Ethics May be Just Beginning
A discussion of my favourite philosophical passage, the final section of Derek Parfit’s Reasons and Persons. In a few paragraphs he introduces two profound ideas: the importance of humanity’s long-term future and that non-religious ethics has only just begun.
Do Value Judgements Have A Simple Nature?
A briefer statement of my view that normativity is end-relational and that appreciating this resolves the mysteries of practical reason.
If Morality Is An Illusion Does Anything Matter?
A paper for my Birkbeck MA arguing that even if morality is not objective, this does not matter, as morality is only a small element within practical reason.
End Relational Practical Reason and Morality – Full Paper
My Birkbeck MA Thesis arguing that an end-relational approach explains practical reason and morality.
End Relational Practical Reason and Morality – Abridged
An abridged version of my Birkbeck MA Thesis arguing that an end-relational approach explains practical reason and morality.
Hume on Reason
An essay for my Birkbeck MA discussing David Hume’s claims about the limited role of reason in morality.
Nicholas Humphrey. Soul Dust.
My notes on a book that presents a view of consciousness as having evolved to motivate by making experience enchanting.
Normative and Motivating Reasons to Be Good
An edited script from a 2021 talk to The Philosophical Society: Oxford. I answer ‘Why Should I be Good’ by distinguishing normative and motivating reasons and set out my approach to ethics.
Thomas Metzinger. The Ego Tunnel
My notes on a book arguing that conscious experience and the self have evolved to be transparent so we think they are real.
Practical Reason First
An essay arguing that the starting point for ethics should be practical reason broadly rather than morality.