Philosophy and Life
Recent writing and occasional thoughts on assorted matters.
- Art and the Sacred Today. A Dialogue between Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon Jul 11, 2026 - Does art need to have a sacred dimension to be art at all? What are the sources of inspiration? In this dialogue, which is the 102nd in our series, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon, explore how meaning and beauty, truth and connection might be manifested in the arts. What is the role of reverence and empathy, place and intelligence? Conversely,… … Continue reading Art and the Sacred Today. A Dialogue between Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon
- In Search of Lost Gods. Tales of Greek sexual cheating and election by democratic lot Jul 4, 2026 - Mary Beard has begun a new series of BBC radio programmes. In each episode of Being Greek, the Cambridge historian examines a character from ancient Athens or the city-state’s environs with the aim of glimpsing the lives of ordinary folk, not the elite. Beard is an excellent broadcaster, leading the listener along paths littered with revelations and uncertainties, deploying a… … Continue reading In Search of Lost Gods. Tales of Greek sexual cheating and election by democratic lot
- Anteros: the forgotten brother of love Jun 29, 2026 - Last weekend I was at St Giles House, Dorset, with the Realisation Festival, of which I am a director. The beautiful country house is the home of the Earls of Shaftesbury, one of the which, the 7th Earl, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, is remembered as a remarkable Victorian social reformer.When he died, it is said that half of London came onto the… … Continue reading Anteros: the forgotten brother of love
- The Art of Dialogue. What would Plato say? Jun 20, 2026 - New post at my Substack, A Golden String, found here! … Continue reading The Art of Dialogue. What would Plato say?
- “Give therefore no thought for the morrow.” Jun 13, 2026 - My Thought For The Day, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Friday 12 June, available on my Substack, A Golden String. … Continue reading “Give therefore no thought for the morrow.”
- Magnifica Humanitas In Temporibus Anxietatis Jun 6, 2026 - The Pope knows anthropology is key to contemporary troubles because Christianity redefined what it means to be human. The imagination available to embrace contemporary troubles, particularly when they are threaded with fatalism and declinism, rests much on the richness, or paucity, of the vision held about what it is to be human. New essay at my Substack, A Golden String. … Continue reading Magnifica Humanitas In Temporibus Anxietatis
- Under The Radar Mystics May 30, 2026 - Last week, I wrote about Carl Jung and the prayer that turns to what is not known, not felt, not understood but is loved. This article is based on the transcript of a discussion I had with Tim Nash from the Nomad podcast, published as Silence and the Search for God. Tim from Nomad PodcastMark, you’ve spoken before about being… … Continue reading Under The Radar Mystics
- The awakening to Eternal Life! Reading Blake’s Jerusalem May 24, 2026 - https://youtu.be/EkBcFrygTKY How to read William Blake's "Jerusalem the Emanation of the Giant Albion." Brilliant to talk with Susanne Sklar about this great, epic poem. … Continue reading The awakening to Eternal Life! Reading Blake’s Jerusalem
- Carl Jung’s Penultimate Concerns May 23, 2026 - Jung was asked about God and said, he knew. But what did he know and why might that much matter? New essay at my Substack, A Golden String. … Continue reading Carl Jung’s Penultimate Concerns
- The Campaign For Real Intelligence May 9, 2026 - AI hype and reality is confusing, but also an opportunity “For a tear is an intellectual thing.” William Blake To read the headlines, you would think that intelligence is about processing information, solving problems and collecting data. But it’s not. Real intelligence is about understanding, richness and the shining beauty of life; there should be a campaign. It shows up… … Continue reading The Campaign For Real Intelligence