why we should

There are many middle worlds in the realm of literature and mythology, and indeed in the dominion of empires and realms with which these originary places are orbitally locked. Zhongguo/Middle kingdom, Mesopotamia, meditullium, Madhyadesha, Midgard, Middle earth. There are so many they have no middle ground, but constitute all mythology between the earth and the heavens, somehow... Quite often they…

Thus in these brief weeks Dorothea’s joyous grateful expectation was unbroken, and however her lover might occasionally be conscious of flatness, he could never refer it to any slackening of her affectionate interest. The season was mild enough to encourage the project of extending the wedding journey as far as Rome, and Mr. Casaubon was anxious for this because he…

Korsgaard, Christine M. 2010. Reflections on the evolution of morality. Amherst Lecture in Philosophy. The Department of Philosophy at Amherst College. Published Version & Permanent link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:5141952 ABSTRACT: In recent years a number of biologists, anthropologists, and animal scientists have tried to explain the biological evolution of morality, and claim to have found the rudiments of morality in the altruistic…

This one has a lot of set-up and a tiny speck of a glint towards the end. So I made a reframing comment supporting the comment quoting Steve Stewart-Williams (& Frans de Waal in 2002) that psychology has a lot to learn from animals, or studies of them. All that percolates through my head for a few days… —as I…

John McCrone’s 1991 The Ape That Spoke is a book which holds up fairly closely to my own attitudes. I wish I had read it at the time, 35 years ago. Of course many info-nuggets require updating, for example, all the contexts developed from ancient DNA work on the Homo genus, and the bones of likely Homo species of island…

One thing to remember about the word idiot is that it does not, in that ancient Greek context refer to the intelligence or capabilities in political efforts of an individual, merely their private status, their personal efforts, perhaps compared to those who hold, or are qualified to hold, public office and so engage in public life. Back in ancient days…