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.
Both Ethics and Ethical Concepts are Man-Made
An essay arguing that ethical concepts are man-made and can be improved.
Why I Am A Naturalist
A short essay arguing for naturalism and exploring its significance.
Only Earth has Purposes and Minds
A short essay arguing that purposes and minds only arose with life on earth and, despite our instincts, these concepts should not be used more widely.
A Person Has No Soul
A short essay on bodily, psychological and essence concepts of personhood.
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.
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.
Practical Reason First
An essay arguing that the starting point for ethics should be practical reason broadly rather than morality.