Suggested readings, #73

Here it is, a rundown of interesting articles I’ve come across recently, to consider for your weekend readings:

Feel like you’re going out of your mind? Consider your mind-set. No one likes to make mistakes, but how you manage them can be a key to a stronger future. (New York Times)

This vision experiment resolved a centuries-old philosophical debate. [Good, so now we can move on, right?] (Nautilus)

On the first principles of moral reason. [A must read for anyone seriously interested in ethics.] (Public Discourse)

What actually happens when a TV episode gets pulled? This summer brought a flurry of TV takedowns, with offensive episodes of “30 Rock,” “Workaholics” and others being removed from circulation. But in the digital era, what does that even mean? [Yet another bad idea for modern times.] (New York Times)

Stan Lee’s American pantheon. Why Stan Lee’s comic creations are more than just men in tights. [Wonderful essay on the cultural impact of the Marvel Universe.] (Prospect)

The American press is destroying itself. A flurry of newsroom revolts has transformed the American press. [Another must read, if you care about public discourse and democracy.] (Taibbi)

The ‘busy’ trap. If you live in America in the 21st century you’ve probably had to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. (New York Times)

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Massimo

Massimo is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. He blogs at platofootnote.org and howtobeastoic.org. He is the author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life.

4 thoughts on “Suggested readings, #73”

  1. Please, please, on Taibbi, and here, I’m speaking professionally, Massimo. He’s largely wrong with what was said about Lee Fang. He’s wrong in that Fang actually admitted to most of this without a gun at his head. He’s even more wrong about other things, such as his bromance for Tulsi. I blogged about that piece. You’ll note, by the number of links, how many other people think he’s partially to mainly wrong on a lot of stuff in it and beyond. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2020/06/matt-taibbi-shows-good-bad-and-ugly-of.html

    The Nautilus piece? Which I had already ready — qualia was the first thing I thought of.

    And, wait? You’re linking to a religious-based piece about natural law, with arguably questionable interpretation of Hume, and seemingly favorably?

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    1. Socratic, I think you are dead wrong about Taibbi, one of the few sane voices left on the Left. And yes, I’m a Stoic, I accept the concept of natural law (though, of course interpreted biologically, not theologically). And the piece is exactly right about Hume, sorry.

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  2. You and I almost certainly disagree over the Harper’s letter, then, too. Anti-BDSers at the core of it are the cancel culture if anybody is. So, sorry … but the dead wrong goes both ways on that. And, speaking from the press? Per one or two of the people there? I think Taibbi has been sniffing his own press clippings too much.

    On the other piece? I don’t like using the term “natural law” for non-theologically based versions of law derived from biological and cultural evolution. Leads to too much confusion. AND, the Witherspoon Institute … don’t think it promotes naturalistic versions of natural law! (That said, John Witherspoon himself was closer to Unitarianism than modern conservative Presbyterianism.)

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    1. Well, if you think Taibbi is somehow part of cancel culture I think you are mistaken. Natural law has always referred to what we today call bio-cultural evolution, since Aristotle and the Stoics. I couldn’t care less what the agenda of the Witherspoon Institute is, frankly.

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