Month: January 2025

Lawrence J. Hatab’s book is a welcome addition to current philosophical conversations about phenomenology and language alike. In the first half of the book, phenomenology, is the focal point. In the sections entitled “Proto-Phenomenology and the Lived World” and “Disclosure, Interpretation, and Philosophy,” Hatab takes his readers through what it means that phenomenology grants priority …

Proto-Phenomenology and the Nature of Language: Dwelling in Speech I Read More »

The purpose of this short book is to provide a semantic analysis of sentences of the form “X looks F to S”. Breckenridge says that his purpose is to explain what it means for a visual experience to have a certain character (p. 7), but the focus is really on a semantic analysis. The example …

Visual Experience: A Semantic Approach Read More »

In Aristotle’s philosophy, there is no source or principle of evil as there is of good (Metaphysics IX.9, 1051a19-21). Badness does not exist in the category of substance, whereas the supreme god is existence par excellence. Furthermore, there is no contrary to this ‘primary being’ (Metaphysics XII.10, 1075b20-24). How then, does evil get a foothold? Extreme badness is …

Evil in Aristotle Read More »

Donald Cary Williams studied at Harvard, where he received his PhD in 1924. After a stint at UCLA (1930-1939), he went on to spend the majority of his pre-retirement work-life at his alma mater (1939-1967). In spite of the fact that most of his active career took place in an environment characterized by thoroughly anti-metaphysical, …

The Elements and Patterns of Being: Essays in Metaphysics Read More »

In this timely book, Toby Ord argues that there is a one in six chance that humanity will suffer an existential catastrophe within the next 100 years, and that minimizing this risk should be a major global priority. We live in an age of heightened existential risk, due to such powerful technologies as nuclear weapons, …

The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity Read More »

Structural injustice is a compelling topic. This is in part because its currency in contemporary discourse has exceeded the intensity of its philosophical discussion. Claims of structural injustice are increasingly familiar, but this has not been prompted by theoretical developments; if anything, philosophy has some catching up to do. The other compelling feature in the …

Structural Injustice: Power, Advantage, and Human Rights Read More »