The Philosopher's Diaries

Thoughts on persons and things.

Dancing with Death

Our situation is reminiscent of a Gothic story by Edgar Allan Poe, in which a prince hatches a plan for protecting himself and his friends from Red Death.

As If Mending Socks, I Repair My Mind

Sanity is not a trait we passively possess but an achievement. It takes work to stay sane. That's especially true when times are bad; and there is a hopeful message in this.

Adding Insult to Injury

A lesson on medication management during the outbreak.

Who Taught You All This, Doctor?

The peculiar power of our fear of death lies in its ability to prevail over every other instinct. That's not true of Aschenbach's fear, however...

Impure Joys and Mental Clutter

The mind of an older person is a bit like a house full of junk. There are all sorts of traces of our past taking up space.

What Helper Are You?

Some people are unable to give gracefully and abstain from reminding the person they've helped that he or she owes them.

Friends and Frenemies

What a Samuel Beckett play reveals about gossip and friendship.

Morality Instinct?

The satirical newspaper "The Onion" once published a piece titled, “New Study Reveals Most Children Unrepentant Sociopaths.” Is there truth to the satire?

Greatness or Virtue?

A student of mine once wrote that it was not her goal to be a virtuous person; what she wanted was to be successful.

What Is Wrong With Precision in Poetry?

Polymath Charles Babbage, after reading a poem by Tennyson, wrote to the author suggesting that the poem contained a mathematical inaccuracy that must be corrected.

A Tale of Two Selves

In James’ 'The Portrait of a Lady,' the intelligent and noble Isabel Archer marries a conventional misogynist. It is clear to those who know her well that the man is a poor fit.

Do We Want to Be Understood?

There is a complaint one often hears from teenagers: “No one understands me.” And there is its hopeful corollary, usually said to a love interest: “Only you understand me."