Philosophy Dispatches

Thoughts on human nature
by David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D.

Freedom in a Deterministic World

Why free will is no illusion after all. Read More

Is Free Will a Myth?

If determinism is false, do we have free will? Read More

The Roots of Racism

How the everyday concept of race lays the groundwork for racism. Read More

Are Your Choices Predetermined?

Are our choices radically free, or are they caused by prior events? Read More

Free Will 101: Part Three

Nobody has free will, and nobody is responsible for their behavior. Suck it up. Read More

Free Will 101: Part Two

Can free will exist in a deterministic universe? Read More

Free Will 101: Part One

Does free will exist? The question of whether free will exists has been of interest to philosophers for more than two millenia. Read More

What Does It Mean to Be Human?

What are we saying when we say that someone is human? Read More

Freud's Cognitive Revolution

How Freud rejected the Cartesian approach to the human mind and started his own cognitive revolution. Read More

Dehumanization, Genocide, and the Psychology of Indifference

What is it about the human mind that makes it possible for us to think of other people as subhuman creatures? David Livingstone Smith explains. Read More

The Teleologist's Dilemma: Life Has No Purpose

To answer the question, "does life have a purpose?" we need to consider the conditions under which anything has a purpose at all. Read More

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D.

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of New England.

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Books by David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D.

Image of Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others
Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others
Image of The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War
The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War
Image of Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind
Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind
Image of Psychoanalysis in Focus (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Focus Series)
Psychoanalysis in Focus (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Focus Series)
Image of Freud's Philosophy of the Unconscious (Studies in Cognitive Systems)
Freud's Philosophy of the Unconscious (Studies in Cognitive Systems)
Image of Approaching Psychoanalysis: An Introductory Course
Approaching Psychoanalysis: An Introductory Course