Issues
Issue 153: December 2022 / January 2023
EDITORIAL
Creative Being
by Grant Bartley
NEWS
News: December 2022 / January 2023
Effective Altruism billionaire goes bust • Animal welfare meets big game theory • Philosophers of physics reach critical mass? — News reports by Anja Steinbauer
CREATIVITY
Plaiting Gravy
Les Jones on allegories, specific domains and Wittgenstein’s social ideas.
The Philosophy of Creativity
Rick Lewis asks Elliot Paul and Christine Battersby what’s new in this fascinating field.
Creating Cities
Harry Drummond builds a case.
In Praise of Aphorisms
Grahame Lockey writes pithy observations to make you think about pithy observations to make you think.
What Am I Doing?
James Gallant, writer, reflects on the psychology of creativity.
ARTICLES
Ethics in Politics
Massimo Pigliucci trawls the history of politics to see how closely ethics fits it.
French Philosophy Now
Manon Royet tells us what’s happening in French philosophy, and why you don’t know about it.
On Regret
David Charles argues that we should not regret our decisions, but should take responsibility for our decision-making processes.
Poetry & Philosophy for the 21st Century
Benjamin Lloyd gets Dewey-eyed over resonant rhymes.
Moral Education in Confucianism
Plakshi Jain compares ‘reflection’ and ‘learning’ as means of becoming good.
Mohist Anti-Militarism & Just War Theory
Shaun O’Dwyer takes an unfortunately still relevant look at how to avoid war.
Cicero (106-43 BC)
Hilarius Bogbinder considers the inconstant career of the most famous politician-philosopher named after a legume.
What Grounds or Justifies Morality?
Our readers give their reasons, each winning the right to a random book.
OBITUARIES
Saul Kripke (13th November 1940 - 15th September 2022)
Stefan Rinner tells us about Kripke’s theories and why they matter.
INTERVIEWS
Peter Adamson
Peter Adamson is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. Duanne Ribeiro chats with him about the history of ideas, and the meaning and methods of philosophy.
LETTERS
Letters
Cat’s-Eye World View • (Not) Theo Logically Yours • Foucault’s Evil Relativism • More Metaphysics & Mysticism • Seeking Principles In Ancient Greece • Highly Cultivated • Beware the Wrath • Resounding Echoes
COLUMNS
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527)
by Terence Green
Philosophers on Kissing
by Matt Qvortrup
An Invitation to Navel Gazing
Raymond Tallis requests the pleasure of your company for this most philosophical of gatherings.
REVIEWS
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering by Scott Samuelson
Doug Phillips arms us against the slings and arrows, as he tries to find a point to pointless suffering.
The Monarchy of Fear by Martha Nussbaum
Chad Trainer explores the politics of fear with Martha Nussbaum.
Babylon 5
Stuart Hannabuss has five questions for Mr Morden.
CARTOONS
Phil Witte’s Cartoon
by Phil Witte
Harley Schwadron’s Cartoon
by Harley Schwadron
Simon & Finn
by Melissa Felder
Van Scott’s Cartoon
by Van Scott
Guto Dias’ Cartoon
by Guto Dias
FICTION
The Great Crumpled Paper Hoax
A fantasy by Martin Gardner.
Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna
by Herb Tate
At My Leisure
by Steven Kent