Michael Sandel on East-West Philosophical Encounters

In the 2018 compendium "Encountering China", renowned philosopher Michael Sandel makes the following observation about learning from Chinese philosophy: Engaging with responses to my work by scholars of Chinese philosophy is for me a learning opportunity on several levels. It requires me to consider challenges to my views from unfamiliar directions, it brings to light … Continue reading Michael Sandel on East-West Philosophical Encounters →

The Heterozygote Advantage and the Crisis of Western Authority

I. There is a concept in biology known as Heterozygote Advantage. If you're already familiar with this concept, feel free to skip to section II. As one may know, sexually reproducing organisms inherit two copies of each gene: one from the mother, one from the father. Sometimes having two identical copies doesn't mean much. Sometimes … Continue reading The Heterozygote Advantage and the Crisis of Western Authority →

Vespertine Dreams

The Bible begins in the Garden of Eden, and from the story of the Fall issues the most influential sociophilosphical work in human history. Plato famously invented the continent of Atlantis to demonstrate his ideas. Thomas Moore had his Utopia. Philosophers throughout the ages have invented States of Nature, various Paradises, their fictional worlds in … Continue reading Vespertine Dreams →

"The people in the world that considers culture the fourth branch of government weren’t confused. Bush forgot to nation-build an entire branch of government." - https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/12/19/refactoring-culture-as-branch-of-government/

My Thesis: Technocracy, Democracy, and Legitimacy in EU GMO Regulation

https://hdl.handle.net/11244/316309 As a result of several food and chemical-related public health scares as well as strong activism by environmental organization such as Greenpeace, longstanding majorities of European Union (EU) citizens support restrictions on the authorization and use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for human and animal consumption in the EU. Given the EU’s ongoing Democratic … Continue reading My Thesis: Technocracy, Democracy, and Legitimacy in EU GMO Regulation →

Amusing and Interesting Links

Ancient Romans loved their dogs as much as we moderns do: https://www.thedodo.com/9-touching-epitaphs-ancient-gr-589550486.html The most effective weapon on the modern battlefield is...concrete? https://mwi.usma.edu/effective-weapon-modern-battlefield-concrete/

Privilege is Contextual

I was recently listening to The Ezra Klein Show episode featuring Jonathan Haidt: https://app.stitcher.com/splayer/f/82658/57404323 Throughout the conversation is the idea that modern outrage culture is heavily centered on liberal and elite college campuses, and often discusses questions of privilege and sociocultural aggressions. This provoked a thought from me: no one at elite liberal universities is … Continue reading Privilege is Contextual →