Stephen R.C. Hicks's Blog, page 45

“Ask Me Anything about Philosophy” today at X

I’ll be doing an “Ask Me Anything about Philosophy” at X’s Spaces, today at 5:30 Central. Bring your best hard questions.

Do socialists have good intentions?

Compact rhetoric in the image, yet let me quibble. Any worked-out version of socialism involves at least 10 intentions about political goals and methods. Maybe one of those can be described as good. Yet one good intention out of ten does not a good person make, especially if it requires ignoring the other nine bad […]

The Watch and Watchmaker | William Paley | *Philosophers, Explained* series by Stephen Hicks

Who are the great philosophers, and what makes them great? Episodes: The full playlist. About the Professor: Stephen R. C. Hicks, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University, USA, and has had visiting positions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the University of Kasimir the Great in Poland, Oxford University’s Harris Manchester College in […]

Creative geniuses as selfish — Maria Callas version

The great Callas, according to biographer Richard Levine: Maria’s impressive willpower and focus enabled her to develop into the artist we think of when we think of Callas, but at the time her fellow students were hardly charmed by her chilly single-mindedness. One of them later said that ‘her earnestness was oppressive.’ Maria knew, however, […]

Nobel Prizes by Country, 1939, 1979, 2019

Also: As of 2019, twenty Canadians had won Nobel Prizes.

Open Objectivism or Closed? Video and transcript of Belgrade debate

Last year, Ayn Rand Center Europe invited me and and Craig Biddle to Serbia to debate whether Objectivism is an open or closed philosophy. I argued for open and Mr. Biddle argued for closed. A recording of the debate follows. Also following the video frame (or in this PDF) is a transcription of my remarks […]

Voltaire’s essential *Letters on England* brought the Enlightenment to France

This series letters written while in exile — on the sometimes-shocking English way of doing religion, politics, science, morals, and philosophy — were hugely influential upon a French audience still in the grip of l’ancien regime. Related: The full Philosophers, Explained series, including classics from Kant, Nietzsche, Rand, Camus, Aristotle, Plato, and other important thinkers.

Kant’s 300th birthday, April 22, and some are celebrating while some are not

The man has an ambivalent legacy—those who claim him for the Enlightenment and for the Counter-Enlightenment. I’m in the latter group. On the Counter-Enlightenment turn: Kant’s epistemology (Ch. 2), his connections to modernist and postmodernist art, his views on education for duty and obedience, his mix of liberal and illiberal politics. By contrast: here is […]

Daniel Dennett and Robert Hessen

Last week two thinkers who matter to me died. Robert Hessen was an economic historian at Stanford and Hoover. I’ve used his works on capitalism and on corporate contractual rights in my Business Ethics course. Here is economist David Henderson’s fine summary and tribute: I also had the chance to meet Bob at his home […]

Week-long seminar on Ayn Rand & Objectivism, at University of Illinois, Springfield

A five-day seminar this summer; June 24-28 at the University of Illinois, Springfield, on the philosophy originated by Ayn Rand. Join professors William Kline (Business), Carrie-Ann Biondi (Philosophy), Richard Salsman (Politics and Economics), and me (Philosophy). We will give three talks each and participate in additional panels, debates, Socratic sessions, informal discussion, and social events […]