“Rival Benefit” is the phenomenon by which different parties make each other better off in virtue of a disagreement between them. It’s named after Diego Rivera’s painting, “The Rivals” (1931), whose history happens to exemplify it.
Recent Posts
Complementing Defenses of Academic Freedom with Understanding & Advice
Shoring up the defenses of academic freedom with organizations that aim to level the playing field between threatened faculty and their employers is a good idea…That said, it seems that something is missing from these efforts.
Value of Philosophy at Brain in a Vat
Brain in a Vat is a philosophy podcast and video channel hosted by Jason Werbeloff and Mark Oppenheimer. They recently invited me on to talk about the value of philosophy…
Nozick’s Cavemen
Sometimes I come across a piece of writing and think to myself: “This. If I could just get enough people to read this.” The thought is usally followed by imagining a kind of widespread epiphany that improves something, be it a social or political issue, a way of thinking, quality of life, etc.
Discussing Disagreement at The Stoa
“The success of a disagreement is not its resolution.” That was part of my answer to one of the questions I was asked during my guest appearance at The Stoa last week.
Wishing for Harm
Philosophers lately have been writing about what is the proper reaction to Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. Mostly, they have taken to writing how it is wrong to wish that the course of his illness goes badly for him. This is a mistake, for a couple of reasons.
Demographic Diversity is Good for Philosophy
One reason demographic diversity (in race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc.) is good for philosophy is that it provides new constituencies needed to foster the growth of philosophy–or so I argue here.
On the Comedy Cellar’s Podcast
The famous Comedy Cellar in New York has a podcast called “Live from the Table“, in which the club’s owner, Noam Dworman, comedian Dan Naturman, and producer and writer Periel Aschenbrand converse with stand-up comics and a wide range of other folks, and recently I was one of those other folks.
Where Are Today’s Great Philosophers?
I sometimes hear the question, “where are today’s great philosophers?” posed as a critique of contemporary philosophy. Yet of the explanations for the belief that “compared to the past, philosophy today lacks great thinkers,” the most plausible possibilities are compatible with philosophy being in better shape than ever.
What Does Self-Censorship Data Show?
In a recent essay, James L. Gibson and Joseph L. Sutherland summarize public opinion research over the past 66 years on responses to the question “Do you or don’t you feel as free to speak your mind as you used to?” They conclude, “Americans are much more likely to self-censor today than in the past.” […]
