A Philosopher’s View of the World
Lessons from COVID-19 VII: Critical Unity
Anyone familiar with sports knows that if team members don’t work together, things will go badly. So good athletes set aside internal conflicts when on the field and come together
Lessons from COVID-19 VI: Sacrifices
As the COVID-19 pandemic played out, Trump wavered on social distancing. One reason was that billionaires argued for getting back to work during the pandemic. In neutral terms, their argument
Lessons from COVID-19 V: Xenophobia & Racism
As COVID-19 ravaged humanity, xenophobia and racism remained alive and well. For example, an Iranian leader played on fears of America and Israel. He advanced, without evidence, the claim that
Lessons from COVID-19 IV: (Mis)Information
In the face of a crisis politicians often have an incentive to conceal, lie and spread disinformation. There seems to be a natural impulse to do these things to avoid
Lessons from COVID-19 III: Politicization
When everyone is in danger from a disease, it seems irrational for a political party to politicize the threat. But this happened during COVID-19. One reason is that while Americans
Lessons from COVID-19 II: Health Care as Private vs. Public Good
In the United States, health care is often seen as a private good. The benefit of a private good belongs primarily (or even exclusively) to the individual. But a private
Lessons from COVID-19 I: Mercenaries
When the COVID-19 virus invaded the United States, it found an ill-prepared and complacent foe. As such, the impact proved devastating. One clear lesson is that the aggressively for-profit health
The Survival Argument for Off-World Colonies
The survival argument for establishing off world colonies has considerable appeal. It begins with a consideration of the threat of extinction. There have been numerous extinction events in the past
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