Ethics – Page 79 – Julian Baggini

On taking food seriously

March 26, 2014 Julian Baggini Articles & Essays, Food

It is absurd to claim that anything that is not essential to our survival is a “luxury” we should not be concerned about. This is not a humane viewpoint, but a deeply anti-humanist one. Why, after all, are we so concerned that many people do not have the necessities of life? Not because we think that mere survival is the purpose of existence. We want people to have food, shelter, health and education so that they can thrive and flourish. To put it another way, we want our “middle-class indulgences” to be available to everyone.

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Should we avoid value judgments?

March 18, 2014 Julian Baggini The Shrink and The Sage

No one has infallible access to moral truth and there is more than one good way to live. But that does not mean that no one has any moral insight and that there aren’t many wrong ways to live. The alternative to unjustified confidence in the one true way is not a misguided faith in the validity of all paths.

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Stoicism for Everyday Life

March 18, 2014 Julian Baggini Asides, Talks and events

VIDEO: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION FROM STOICISM FOR EVERYDAY LIFE EVENT. The full round-table discussion (one hour long) from the Stoicism for Everyday Life event at Birkbeck, University of London, on November 30th. Participants included Prof. Chris Gill chairing Julian Baggini, Jules Evans, Antonia Macaro, Richard Sorabji, and Mark Vernon.

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Oh, what a lucrative war?

March 11, 2014 Julian Baggini Articles & Essays

Which event taking place in Britain this year promises to offer many “commercial opportunities”, serve “as an economic driver”, “contribute to the regeneration” and provide “a great opportunity to promote” a “wonderful town”? The 450th birthday of Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, perhaps, or the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow? No. It’s the anniversary of the start of the First World War…

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Templates for gaining wisdom

March 9, 2014 Julian Baggini Articles & Essays

A year or so ago, browsing in a bookshop, I came across a shelf dedicated to “Smart thinking”. I had never seen this term used to describe a category of books before yet I instantly knew what it meant. Its elevation to official bookseller’s category is confirmed by the appearance of “Psychology/Smart Thinking” on the back jacket of Gary Klein’s new book, Seeing What Others Don’t, and by Penguin’s launch of its “Think Smarter” e-newsletter…

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