The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) was of the generation before deconstruction, but I was stuck by these comments on post-Kantian German Idealism: “never before has a lack of truthfulness played such a large and important role in philosophy” And: “They did whatever they felt like doing with concepts. As if by magic […]
Ortega y Gasset on connecting Kant to the deconstructionists Read More »
According to The New York Times, Ali Larijani has effectively been running Iran since January 2026. He was in “charge of crushing, with lethal force, the recent protests demanding the end of Islamic rule.” [Source] He is now the key power broker in Iran’s transition. A colleague alerts me to the suprising-to-me fact that Larijani
Iran’s power broker Ali Larijani is a Kant scholar Read More »
Lecture 2. Egoism, Altruism, Predation In lecture two, we study three distinct moral frameworks—egoism, altruism, and predation. We examine how each type manifests across various domains of life, including business, sports, sexuality, and gift-giving, analyzing each approach through the dimensions of intent, action, and consequences. Dr. Hicks concludes by highlighting how entrepreneurial traits align with
Egoism, Altruism, Predation — Lecture 2 of BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ETHICS Read More »
introducing my eight-lecture Modern Philosophy course. What makes modern philosophy revolutionary? How does Francis Bacon propose a forward-looking philosophy of discovery? Other philosophers covered in the course include Descartes, Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Mill, and Nietzsche. The full course can be accessed here, along with my other courses, Postmodern Philosophy, The Philosophy
“The Birth of the Modern” (free sample lecture) Read More »
Nietzsche comments wryly on contemporary religious morality: “One believes one must disapprove of Cesare Borgia; that is simply laughable. The church has excommunicated German emperors on account of their vices: as if a monk or priest had any right to join in a discussion about what a Frederick II may demand of himself. A Don
Romantic advice to women — Nietzsche version Read More »
Perhaps you’ve seen this silly quotation: “Modern man is in a terrible predicament. He is helplessly enamored with the beauty of what the old world built, yet despises the beliefs that inspired them to build it.” It’s usually acribed to author Jeremy Tate and paired with an image of a wonderful old building. Here are
Modern man’s terrible predicament? Cheap shots and straw men Read More »
Clichés are often over-generalizations for rhetorical purposes. “History is written by the victors” is punchy, but it is too often a cynical dismissal of objectivity in history. So here is the beginnings of a list of influential history books that do not fit the cliché: * Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War (431 BCE) was
“History is written by the victors” — true? Read More »
My article on the meaning of work—contrasting those who love their work with those who hate it—and asking why that contrast has persisted across millennia. “Why Work? Our Ages-Old, Always-New Question” Published as part of a symposium on Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs.” At the Reason Papers site. Related: “What Business Ethics Can Learn from
Why do so many successful people continue to work? Read More »