Philosophy and Life
Recent writing and occasional thoughts on assorted matters.
- Freeing Perception. 10 Ways of Living Iain McGilchrist’s Work Jan 28, 2023- An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. So you've bought into the great insights of Iain McGilchrist, as explored in The Master and His Emissary, and also, The Matter with Things. You understand that the key ability is “presencing the world” - comprehending, not merely calculating - experiencing, not merely… …
- What is objectivity? A conversation with Rupert Sheldrake & Mark Vernon Jan 14, 2023- An audio version of this dialogue is available at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, found on podcast feeds. Objectivity has come to be regarded as a prime ingredient of reliable knowledge. But what is objectivity, how has it arisen, and is the notion in need of reform? In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert and Mark consider the recent… …
- Harry & Psychotherapy. British & American traditions. Reflecting on differences, conflicts, tensions Jan 7, 2023- An audio version of this talk can be found at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. Prince Harry is caught in a media storm. But within the mix of sympathy and loathing lie transatlantic differences in psychological and psychotherapeutic traditions. What is sometimes called Self Psychology plays a bigger role in the US, focusing on the healing… …
- Angels, Dreams & Myths. Dante on times of transition Dec 23, 2022- An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. The Divine Comedy is all about guides - finding guides, following guides, conversing with guides. Virgil and Beatrice are the best known, but there are other modes of guidance that Dante seeks and explores. Angels, dreams and myths accompanying Dante, even in the… …
- A New Axial Age? Conversation with Beth Macy & Mark Vernon Dec 22, 2022- An audio version of this conversation is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. To celebrate the release of his new book, Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps, the Pari Center invited Mark Vernon, to talk about his new work with Beth Macy. They discuss the notions of spiritual intelligence, the spiritual commons, the Axial revolutions, the presence… …
- Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps. Seven Steps in 7 short films Dec 13, 2022- Audio versions of these talks can be found at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. …
- Seven Steps in seven minutes. Moves for recovering spiritual intelligence Dec 11, 2022- More about the book here. …
- Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps. New book available now! Dec 10, 2022- Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps was released yesterday. The audiobook should be online within a week. QnA How is spiritual intelligence different from artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence? In short, it’s the reflective awareness of actually having thoughts and feelings, and a kind of inner step back, which is so important because it brings freedom. If people are worried… …
- Humanism as Heresy. Testing the thesis of Tom Holland. A conversation with Rupert Sheldrake Dec 6, 2022- An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. The secular historian, Tom Holland, has made the case that atheistic humanism is, at heart, an off-shoot of Christianity. In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon ask how that can be so. After all, contemporary humanists are inclined… …
- Take No Bag For The Road. Nature, the Climate Crisis & Christianity. A talk with Peter Owen Jones Nov 30, 2022- An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available on podcast feeds. Peter Owen Jones is a writer, broadcaster and priest. His new book is Conversations With Nature. We discuss falling in love with the natural world once again, what difference this might make to the climate crisis, how Christianity has failed to respond in… …