Christian Nationalism It’s the Easter weekend, and I’ve silenced the podcasts and the news outlets. I’m in the mood for more sunshine and less war, and since my garden is in desperate need of attention, I’m going outside to potter. That said, I’ve been thinking about Christian Nationalism and its rise in the U.S. and the U.K., and I thought I’d share some thoughts. Essentially, it seeks to merge a national identity with Christianity. It wants the nation to be defined by its r

Pride comes before a Fall   There is something of the Greek tragic hero about Trump, and if I’m right, the end is not going to be good.   In classic Greek tragedy, the tragic hero is usually a person of high position whose downfall is triggered by a fatal error of judgement. This error is nearly always hubris, extreme pride and overconfidence and the downfall is enacted by the gods. In modern times, we usually see the established norms of society doing the work of the gods an

Just War – why it still matters today Right now, we’re witnessing the escalation of violence in the Middle East after the joint US-Israel bombing of Iran. At the same time (if we haven’t forgotten), Ukraine continues to fight for its independence, and elsewhere extended wars are being waged to decide who has the right (or might) to rule the countries. The tragedy is not just how frequently human beings go to war, but how everyone is affected when we do - the soldiers and thei

Monarchy and scandal… How much damage has Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor done to the monarchy? Everyone is talking about this, and I thought I’d throw my money-worth into the mix.  But let me be upfront: I’m unashamedly in favour of the institution. It’s not one I would vote for if it were offered as a new idea, but since it exists, I believe it should continue to do so, and I’ll explain why. In the main, the monarchy – functioning constitutionally and within a democratic framewo

Justice, Attention and the Lessons of Epstein Like everyone, I’m shocked by the Epstein-saga. I had no idea his reach was so extensive, and it’s this reach that disturbs me because it implicates our society as much as the people who knew him. It’s got me thinking about Simone Weil, the French philosopher and mystic. The way we ‘attend’ to the world, she said, is not about how much effort we put into noticing things like the latest film or health advice, or how clever we are i

I was reading the philosopher, Aaron Simmons on Substack the other day . His piece was entitled, ‘What if they no longer care about reasons?’  In a world where public debate is increasingly dominated by noise rather than reason, I thought I’d share it with you In a world of rising authoritarianism, his concern is how we, as citizens, conduct ourselves in the public sphere. We all know about the ‘unreasonable’ citizen who isn’t interested in providing reasons for what they be

Forget the New Year Resolutions… just do some reflecting instead.   I dislike new year resolutions. There are so many things I need to change in my life that I can’t choose between them. And when I’ve tried in the past, I failed because I couldn’t hold the intention long enough to merit the effort.   Still, I do try to reflect on my life: the things that have happened over the year and the person I’ve become. It requires honesty, and it isn’t always comfortable. It is also re

Advent and art of waiting When you hear the word Advent, what do you think about? Calendars? Christmas parties, trying to buy presents and sending cards to people you haven’t seen in years? I love Advent but its primary purpose seems to be the countdown to a week of indulgence, with Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, presents and themed ‘stuff’ everywhere. Even the podcasts are in on the act, selling their ‘members only’ material as the perfect present for the perfect p

Are There Universal Human Rights? Does everyone have the ‘right to a family life’? That’s what got the family WhatsApp discussion going the other night. My sister was cooking dinner, her phone balanced against the fruit bowl while my brother-in-law and I, out of sight of each other, argued away. He took the realistic, politico-economic position (focusing on immigration issues); I took the high-minded philosophical one (and got myself in a knot). In the end, we gave up and cha

World Philosophy Day UNESCO’s World Philosophy Day has been going since 2005, yet few people know about it. You won’t find any discount offers online or ‘happy philosophy day’ cards to send to your friends. In a world full of problems, we can wonder why anyone should take notice. I’ll try to provide an answer. Let’s take the idea of stopping a moment to think about thinking.  In our fast moving, slightly crazy world, this is a subversive idea. Instead of social feeds, Instagr

What about tomorrow? The other day, I was chatting to a close friend of mine. She is positive, brave, resourceful and upbeat even though her life has been challenging. Yet, for the first time, she admitted to being fearful. More than that, she said she had been living with this fear for the last ten years. No-one is immune from anxiety about future; in fact, I am feeling rather anxious myself about what is going to happen next. This has got me thinking about the problem. Why

I don’t know if you have heard of John Searle, but he was a giant of AI and cognitive science, and a highly significant philosopher. He died last month, and I thought I’d write this article in tribute to him. I first met his work when I taught, ‘Mind, Brains and Science’. It was the 1984 BBC Reith Lecture and has gone down as one of the most significant ever given. I was blown away by his ability to communicate complex ideas to a non-philosophical audience while, at the same

I received a voicemail the other day from someone I know.  He told me a tragic story, two in fact and challenged my definition of niceness. Some of you will know that I wrote a piece analysing the difference between niceness and kindness, in which I defined the first as a panacea for social discord. This colleague, Tom Maher disagreed and spoke of how people’s niceness to his adversaries had hurt him deeply; my article, he said, failed to point out these ‘third party effects’

I found myself talking to someone the other day as if I were an existentialist. I was rabbiting on about Sartre and his ideas as if I believed in them. I got quite passionate about it all! But in truth, I’ve never fully signed up to their philosophy.   That said, I do think they have important insights into the human condition and offer practical advice on how to live a meaningful life. They can speak to the religious believer (Kierkegaard) as well as the atheist (Sartre) and

I’m really upset with a friend. Irrationally so, perhaps but not without justification. What has upset me? Well, I tried to do a kind act – three, in fact -- and when it all went ‘wrong’, they sent several hurtful emails. How should I respond? I’m not too sure. I tried honesty and met with silence, so now I’m opting for space to lick my wounds. We have all been there and found different ways to move on or mend fences. But it has got me thinking about the difference between be

I’ve taken up singing lessons and discovered something I never knew about myself: that I can actually sing (well, within reason. I can...

You’ve got to admit it; The Scopes Monkey Trial is a brilliant name. Not a fair one, (no monkey was on trial), but catchy nonetheless.  ...

We are not very good at accepting difference, or so writes the paleoanthropologist, Ludovik Slimak in his book, The Naked Neanderthal ....

What I’m watching I’m trying to wean myself off the television but it isn’t working. You know how it is. After a long day, you want to...

I’m fascinated by Trump’s MAGA crowd. Their faith in him seems unshakeable. It doesn’t matter what he does, they keep wearing their hats...