PhilosophyThe Virtues and Vices of Ockham's RazorMost people have heard of Ockham's Razor. Many accept this principle without ever interrogating it. I explore the principle along with its benefits limitations.MetaphilosophyPhilosophyNovember 1st 2020
PhilosophyDo Objects Exist Independently of Spacetime? Against DualismAre objects identical with regions of spacetime, or do objects exist separately and occupy regions of spacetime? I defend the former thesis, known as supersubstantivalism.OntologyPhilosophyMetaphysicsPhysicsCosmologyMay 30th 2020
PhilosophyFour Ways to be a Nominalist about UniversalsNot every philosopher wants universals to be part of their ontology. Here are four ways that we might approach denying their existence.MetaphysicsPhilosophyOntologyPropertiesApril 26th 2020
PhilosophyIs Photography Really Art? An Unbiased Look At Roger Scruton's ArgumentRoger Scruton did not believe that photographs are works of art. I explain why he thinks this, and offer some other perspectives.PhilosophyAestheticsArtOntologyJanuary 21st 2020
EqualityThe Boundaries of Free Speech: Protecting Vulnerable PeopleFreedom ends where someone else's begins. This blog explores the limits of freedom of expression and the impact it has on others.EthicsInclusionEqualityPhilosophyDecember 2nd 2019
PhilosophyQuine on De Re Modality in the Philosophy of LanguageQuine believed that de re modality created an 'invidious distinction' by flouting extensionality, of which Quine was an advocatePhilosophyLanguageModalityAugust 15th 2019
GeneralFantastic Non-Fiction Books for Curious PeopleThe endeavour of discovery is a pure joy. Here are six non-fiction books that have captured my imagination and that I would recommend to anyone on a mission of lifelong learning.ScienceBooksReadingPhilosophyJuly 9th 2019
PhilosophyAn Introduction to Emptiness: Madhyamaka Buddhist PhilosophyŚūnyatā, the Doctrine of Emptiness, is a tenet of Mahāyāna Buddhism - yet it is still one of the most widely misunderstood concepts.MetaphysicsMetametaphysicsPhilosophyReligionOntologyFebruary 9th 2019
ScienceWhat is the Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness?How can we have such a vivid perceptual experience? Integrated Information is the degree to which different parts of a system are aware of each other.PsychologyPhilosophy of MindAIPhilosophyScienceNovember 10th 2018
PhilosophyDo Numbers Exist?You can point at sheep, you can point at restaurants - but not at numbers. What makes maths real - if anything?MathematicsMetaphysicsOntologyPhilosophyScienceNovember 3rd 2018
TechRethinking Our Ethical Obligations As DevelopersLast month, I attended a talk as part of the excellent Federation Presents series. This one invited Sara Wachter-Boettcher, author of Technically Wrong, as a keynote speaker for a talk entitled 'Toxic Tech'.EthicsTechPhilosophyAICodingOctober 4th 2018
ScienceWhy The World Is Better Than You Think100 years ago, there were only 4 countries in the world where you could expect to live past 50. Today, you can expect to live past 50 in every country in the world.StatisticsEqualityPhilosophyScienceJune 11th 2018
PhilosophyWhat is an Object? A Philosophical ExplorationThey’re all around you... Or so it seems. Our goal is to answer the question: “When is something an object?”MereologyOntologyMetaphysicsPhilosophyJanuary 23rd 2018
PhilosophyPhilosophical Heroism: Celebrating David Lewis’ Modal RealismDavid Lewis is my hero. I also disagree emphatically with almost everything he says, and think his philosophy is ludicrous.PhilosophyMetaphysicsModalityDecember 22nd 2017
PhilosophyWhy Contradicting Yourself Turns the Moon into CheeseAnything follows from a contradiction. A moon made of cheese. Five-sided triangles. Decapod felines. Time flowing backwards. A non-existent universe.PhilosophyLogicSeptember 16th 2017