Back on September 2, 2013, I used the phrase ‘purported boy-wonders in our midst’ at NewApps. A day later (so on 3 September, 2013), I reported that my use was in a “satirical context.” The 3 Septembe...

Back on September 2, 2013, I used the phrase ‘purported boy-wonders in our midst’ at NewApps. A day later (so on 3 September, 2013), I reported that my use was in a “satirical context.” The 3 Septembe...

Dealmaking under duress is always undemocratic.

Felipe De Brigard, professor of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience at Duke University, principal investigator at the Imagination and Modal Cognition Lab, and core faculty of […]

In the last year a number of people either told me about Tacitus or strongly implied I should read Tacitus (including a ‘ref #2’ on a paper I subsequently abandoned).

A few months ago, Zena Hitz nudged me into attending a meeting of the Catherine Project in my native Holland.

A few months ago, Zena Hitz nudged me into attending a meeting of the Catherine Project in my native Holland.

When I was visiting Tulane last year, Mario Juarez Garcia renewed my interest in The Spirit of the Laws. I am surely not alone in having wanted more of an explanation from Montesquieu why he grouped ‘...

When I was visiting Tulane last year, Mario Juarez Garcia renewed my interest in The Spirit of the Laws. I am surely not alone in having wanted more of an explanation from Montesquieu why he grouped ‘...

One of the minor oddities of Spinoza’s Political Treatise (hereafter: TP) is that chapter VII goes over the same model of ordered monarchy that was handled in chapter VI.

One of the minor oddities of Spinoza’s Political Treatise (hereafter: TP) is that chapter VII goes over the same model of ordered monarchy that was handled in chapter VI.

Fairly quickly into his modeling treatment of what I’ve been calling ‘ordered monarchy,’ Spinoza introduces the striking claim that all polities are “always put at greater risk on account of” their ow...

Fairly quickly into his modeling treatment of what I’ve been calling ‘ordered monarchy,’ Spinoza introduces the striking claim that all polities are “always put at greater risk on account of” their ow...

On my reading (recall) of Spinoza’s Political Treatise (hereafter: TP), as announced in TP 1.6, the book is engaged in comparative modeling.

On my reading (recall) of Spinoza’s Political Treatise (hereafter: TP), as announced in TP 1.6, the book is engaged in comparative modeling.

When in 1937 Michael Oakeshott reviewed Leo Strauss’ The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: its Basis and Genesis, he prefaced his remarks on the book with some general remarks one of which is worth quot...

“For a long time it had been clear to me that justice is the basis of civil society and morality the basis of human society. These two relations once satisfied me; I sought to bring all the p…

When in 1937 Michael Oakeshott reviewed Leo Strauss’ The Political Philosophy of Hobbes: its Basis and Genesis, he prefaced his remarks on the book with some general remarks one of which is worth quot...

At a conference in Budapest, I heard Margaret Schabas (Vancouver) give a paper on Hume inspired by Hirschman’s so-called ‘Montesquieu-Steuart thesis.’ The thesis is usually understood as positing that...

One of the oddities of our age is that there are two apocalyptic sensibilities that have captured two almost completely distinct groups of the scientifically literate not least among the youth: one ca...

Today’s post is an aside to my two recent posts (recall here; and here) on the project of comparative modeling in Spinoza’s (1677) Political Treatise (hereafter: TP).

Today’s post is an aside to my two recent posts (recall here; and here) on the project of comparative modeling in Spinoza’s (1677) Political Treatise (hereafter: TP).

One of the oddities of our age is that there are two apocalyptic sensibilities that have captured two almost completely distinct groups of the scientifically literate not least among the youth: one ca...

One of the oddities of our age is that there are two apocalyptic sensibilities that have captured two almost completely distinct groups of the scientifically literate not least among the youth: one ca...

The present post presumes familiarity with the concept of a ‘recursive tradition,’ which I learned from Duncan Bell.

The present post presumes familiarity with the concept of a ‘recursive tradition,’ which I learned from Duncan Bell.

Spinoza’s Political Treatise (Tractatus Politicus: hereafter: TP) was first published alongside his Ethics in 1677. And because of that we can be somewhat confident that it circulated even if actual d...

Spinoza’s Political Treatise (Tractatus Politicus: hereafter: TP) was first published alongside his Ethics in 1677. And because of that we can be somewhat confident that it circulated even if actual d...