Category: education
-
On prescribing Aristotle: Show transcript and clarifications
Here’s a transcript of my live chat on philosophical counseling, “Prescribing Aristotle: Philosophical Counseling 101.” It is pared with the Washington Post story by Emily Wax,“Philosophical Counselors Rely on Eternal Wisdom of Great Thinkers.” — First off, thanks to Haley for guiding me through the chat. Thanks also to Emily for writing such a positive story…
-
A few essays on philosophy as a way of life
We are entering an unsettled time when our previous ways of life have started to unravel but new ways of life have not taken root. The economy, civil society, the state, the family–all these are, in one way or another, undergoing world-historical changes. And these changes, in turn, are being reflected in our general uncertainty…
-
The failure of neo-liberalism and the UK riots
In “The London Riots and the Triumph of Neo-Liberalism,” the economist Branko Milanovic concludes, The problem is that the neo-liberal revolution has failed to explain what to do with those who do not prosper in the new system and yet adopt its values. The young men and women robbing stores are not, as some believe,…
-
Change your mind, change your well-being. It’s that simple. No, it isn’t.
Last night the subway was a beast. The air was hot, stagnant, bloody. Passengers bumping, kvetching. Connections glutted and tedious. Trains inching forward. You say the subway was not the beast. It is my conception of the subway that is beastly. Change your mind–DIY-style–and you change the problem. Belching into rose petals. Problem goes away.…
-
Some good news about social business
The first item: The social scientist Dan Ariely argues that “prosocial incentives” work better than incentives that benefit the individual only (higher salaries, competitive bonuses). According to Ariely, one important experiment shows that “we can reap the greatest benefits when we spend money on others, and even more when we spend money on close others.”…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 