Over at the New York Times’ excellent Opinionator blog, philosophers Peter Singer and Agata Sagan ponder whether we should all be prescribed ‘morality pills’ to make us more altruistic. The authors write: Researchers at the University of Chicago recently took … Continue reading
An interesting piece in the New York Times, looking at the growing amount of academic interest in the emotion of disgust: Disgust is having its moment in the light as researchers find that it does more than cause that sick … Continue reading
Alain de Botton keeps coming up with new projects for his religion for atheists, and I admire his energy and willingness to put his ideas into practice. It’s refreshing. His latest plan takes very concrete form: he wants to build … Continue reading
For fans of Stoicism, here is a rare chance to watch the master, Professor Anthony Long of Berkeley College, giving a talk on Marcus Aurelius. Long is perhaps most to be credited with reviving the academic study of Stoicism, which … Continue reading
The Commission on Assisted Dying (COAD) published its report this month, recommending ‘providing the choice of assisted dying for terminally ill people.’ The report’s proposed changes focus specifically and exclusively upon ‘terminal illness’. David Cameron indicated prior to the report’s … Continue reading
Yesterday I got the chance to meet the neuroscientist Tali Sharot and discuss her new book, The Optimism Bias, on Radio 3’s Night Waves. You can listen to the show here – it’s the last segment. I enjoyed Tali’s book, … Continue reading
In 1672, a young anatomy student named Alexander Flint began doodling in his notebook (above) as his lecturer, James Pillans, droned on about the anatomical structures of the human body. In a small picture to the left of Flint’s notes … Continue reading
The history of emotions starts 2012 in good health and promises to continue to be a thriving and growing area of historical interest, both among scholars and more widely in the year ahead. By my reckoning there were at least 20 international … Continue reading
This is a review of Simon May’s Love: A History, by guest-blogger Lesel Dawson, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Bristol University. She is the author of Lovesickness and Gender in Early Modern English Literature (OUP, 2008), and is currently working … Continue reading
In the UK today, the Commission on Assisted Dying published the results of its year-long inquiry today, recommending that English law be changed so that it is legal to assist the suicide of anyone over 18 suffering from a terminal … Continue reading