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Posts published by “John Horgan”

Philosopher Garry Dobbins Defends His Calling

My last five columns explored philosophy’s purpose. The series was provoked, in part, by the claim of physicist Stephen Hawking that science has rendered philosophy obsolete as a truth-seeking method.

Is philosophy a kind of poetry?

This is the fourth in a series of posts on philosophy.

Last year, struggling to understand an especially dense philosophical paper, I was reminded of my youthful efforts to decode poets like Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens.

Should philosophers stick to ethics?

This is the third in a series of posts on philosophy.

It must irk philosophers that any idiot thinks he can do what they do.

Is philosophy a sport played with words?

This is the second in a series of posts on philosophy.

Dining last year with members of a philosophy salon in Manhattan, I met an eminent philosopher, whom I’ll call Harry.

What is philosophy’s point, if it can’t discover truth?

I’ve been hobnobbing with philosophers more than usual lately. Over the last 18 months, I’ve attended several conferences with philosophical themes, eavesdropped on graduate seminars, interviewed prominent philosophers and joined a philosophy salon in New York City.

A letter to President Trump

Dear Mr. President:

Congratulations on your inauguration! Let me be honest: I supported Hillary Clinton, because the liberal media convinced me that you were too disrespectful of convention to be President.