Article about the experience machine
Robert Nozick imagines a series of machines that would, at least on the surface, create a perfect life for any person who…
Consequentialism and its Critics, edited by Samuel Scheffler
Samuel Scheffler Consequentialists start by ranking states of affairs from best to worst, then tells us that the right act is the…
Life Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
How can I live my best life? What are some strategies that will help me reach for fulfillment in life? Here are…
Why Democracy may not be Compatible with Revolutionary Socialism
“Democracy for the vast majority of the people, and suppression by force, i.e., exclusion from democracy, of the exploiters and oppressors of…
What is Pluralism?
That which appears smooth and uniform from a distance often turns out to be complicated and messy when we look a bit…
What Exactly is J.S. Mill’s Utilitarianism Standard?
John Stuart Mill teaches us that all humans desire happiness. It is therefore right and good that a person should maximize her…
The Cambridge Companion to Marx edited by Terrell Carver
I feel quite sad to reach the end of this lovely book, though also immensely satisfied with the experience of reading it.…
Do I Violate the Utilitarian Standard by Loving My Children?
Utilitarianism starts with a basic premise: every person on earth desires happiness.1 Since happiness/pleasure/well-being (I will use these all interchangeably) are universally…
Book Reviews
Democracy, Liberty, and Rights
Materialism vs. Idealism
Pluralism
Problems with Leninism
The Dictatorship of the Proletariat by Karl Kautsky
Is it possible to love Marx but hate Lenin? Yes indeed it is, and Karl Kautsky, a devoted follower of Marx, shows…
Main Currents of Marxism, Volumes 1 and 2 by Leszek Kołakowski
I feel as if I am looking upon the very pinnacle – the mountaintop – of scholarship and erudition. All I can…