The Expanded Edition of my Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault is scheduled for release mid-August in both hardcover and Kindle versions. The first edition did well (for a philosophy book), going through two hardcover and nine softcover printings. The expanded edition includes the original text, though with many new footnotes and
Expanded edition of Explaining Postmodernism published Read More »
This year’s ranking of Illinois among the worst states for business and the retrial of Rod Blagojevich for corruption — meaning he could become the fourth Illinois governor in recent years to go to prison — have inspired the following update: Illinois: Where governors go to jail and business can go to hell. Just a
New state motto for Illinois Read More »
Earlier this week I gave a talk in Indianapolis at the excellent Liberty Fund on whether free-market capitalism is good or bad for art. The question matters in today’s intellectual context because thinkers on both left and right argue regularly that art suffers under free market systems. Traditional conservatives such as Robert Bork and neo-conservatives
Talk at Liberty Fund on art and free markets Read More »
At the third 2010 International Conference, “The Austrian School of Economics in the 21st Century,” held in 2010 in Rosario, Argentina, I gave a keynote lecture entitled “Austrians, Objectivists, and the Unrequited Love of Philosophy for Economics.” The conference was co-sponsored by the Bases Foundation, the Faculty of Economics of the Pontifical Catholic University of
Video of my lecture at the Austrian Economics conference, Argentina Read More »
I’m giving a talk tomorrow at the 10th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility. My title is “Entrepreneurship and CSR,” CSR being the dominant framework for business ethics for the last half century or so. CSR is a very flexible vessel into which theoreticians have poured a variety of ethical views, but the major versions
Entrepreneurship and CSR Read More »
First, the government monopoly: CNN Money reports that the “U.S. Postal Service reports $2.2 billion loss” in the first quarter of 2011 and expects to lose lots more. Second, two private market companies: Reuters reports that United Parcel Service’s “profit tops estimates” but, sadly, that FedEx’s profits “fell 3 percent to $231 million.” One question
FedEx and UPS versus USPS Read More »
For my Introduction to Philosophy course, a question on the final exam [pdf] was: “Religion was a theme for all of our authors this semester: * Socrates was put on trial and found guilty of impiety; * Galileo was silenced despite arguing for a compromise between science and religion; * Descartes tried to prove with
What is the best philosophical approach to religion? (Spring 2011 edition) Read More »
For my Introduction to Philosophy course, a question on the final exam [pdf] was: In your judgment, what is the most dangerous book we read this semester? First give a clear and sympathetic presentation of the book’s most important themes; second, state your criterion/criteria of dangerousness; finally, explain why you think the book is dangerous.
Most dangerous philosophy book? (Spring 2011 edition) Read More »