Freedom and Flourishing

  In the most popular post on my blog, written in 2009, I asked: What are the characteristics of a good society? I began the post by sugges...

  I asked myself the question posed above as I was reading Mich èle Lamont’s book , Seeing Others , How to Redefine Worth in a Divided World...

  The reason I am thinking about selfishness has to do with Ayn Rand. It has little to do with her attitude toward Christmas, but I was plea...

  Did you know that the word ‘metaphor’ is itself a metaphor? I just learnt that the word is a metaphor for carrying something beyond – it c...

  When I am asked who my heroes are, I have often said that I don’t have any these days. If asked why, my response has been that my heroes a...

  Should voluntary organisations make decisions by seeking consensus or by majority rule? In my experience, the usual practice is for memb...

  The Prophet , by Kahlil Gibran, seems designed to appeal to people who are looking for inspiration. That is why I have dipped into it at v...

  A Dream of Red Mansion , which was written by Cao Xuequin in the 18 th century, is often claimed to be China’s greatest classical novel. ...

  I have dedicated the book to those who reflect on what it means to be a flourishing human. When individuals think about their own person...

When you think about Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, what is the image that appears in your mind? I expect that most people who h...

Two philosophers, John and Robert, were travelling in a lawless country when they were attacked by two bandits. In the initial exchang...