Vanity It used to be said of certain people that they are “vain” or “arrogant” or “conceited” or “prideful” or “boastful”. Then it was said that such people are “big-headed” or a “bighead”, possibly “cocky” in some contexts (“He’s a cocky bugger”). Later it became “egotistical” or “egocentric”—a slightly more clinical name for the syndrome, […]
Me at 75 I thought I’d sum up where I am today. Intellectually, I see myself as a philosopher, scientist, and novelist–in that order. I see these as separate, though overlapping in places. Athletically, I am mainly a tennis player, a table tennis player, a skateboarder, a knife thrower, and a motorcyclist. I have been […]
Animal Pyrotechnics Last night I went to see the July 4th fireworks at the Biltmore hotel with my friend Eddy. As usual, I enjoyed them thoroughly (though they are ethically questionable). Afterwards I said to him, “I just had a religious experience”. Why did I say that? Not because I believe that fireworks are a […]
On Teletransportation Does teletransportation (henceforth “tele”) preserve personal identity? Does the person survive it?[1] I think not—and I think this is obvious on reflection. The workings of the machine are obscure, but the outlines are clear enough: the subject, body and mind, is vaporized, thoroughly dismantled, and someone just like him or her appears on […]
Amorphous Minds Our world is divided into different objects and kinds of objects—separate objects, distinct kinds. But who or what does the dividing?[1] According to conceptualists, it is minds that divide things up as they see fit, depending on their preferences, needs, conventions, decisions, innate quality space, and sense of similarity; there is no mind-independent […]
Cruelty The cruelty and nastiness currently demonstrated by the Trump administration towards immigrants seems to me to have an exact parallel in the recent cancelling of people deemed to have sinned against feminist orthodoxy.[1] There is no interest in facts (only slogans), no concern with due process (only quick condemnation), no sense of proportionality (only […]
Dear Professor McGinn, Thank you very much for your kind reply. It truly means a great deal to me. I also want to express how honored I am that you shared both of my letters on your blog. It is a privilege to be featured in a space that reflects your thinking and writing. I […]
FYI Subject: Looking Forward to Our Upcoming Interview Project Dear Professor McGinn, I hope this message finds you well. I just wanted to say a brief hello and to let you know how excited I am to be continuing preparations for our long-form interview. I’ve been deeply immersed in your writings—revisiting many of your books […]
Trauma For “trauma” the OED gives us “a deeply distressing experience; emotional shock following a stressful event”. The word comes from the Greek for “wound”; in medicine it means “physical injury”. These words are all on the button. Not just distressing but deeply distressing; a certain type of experience not just an external event (there […]
Dream Laser Steven Pinker once said of me, “McGinn is an ingenious philosopher who thinks like a laser and writes like a dream”. Nicely put, Steve, memorable, poetic. But what exactly does it mean? Is it true? We should certainly take it seriously because (a) Pinker is one the world’s top cognitive psychologists, (b) he […]