Posts & Reflections
Thoughts on philosophy and theology; helpful advice on teaching, learning, and coding.
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A table showing who is part of the new materialism, and an argument as to why it is not a “turn”
I’m currently writing the introduction to The Human Remains, discussing the figure of the human in the new materialism. I thought I would share the table I drew up of all the thinkers identified as part of the new materialism in different monographs and collected volumes. I have excluded individual journal articles from the list
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Paul Ricœur: Philosophy must have a foot outside philosophy, and must not end its dialogue with science
Je crois que la philosophie doit avoir un pied hors de la philosophie ; si on cesse ce dialogue avec les sciences, on produit alors une philosophie de la philosophie qui est répétitive d’elle-même, et prend par là même conscience de sa vanité. Paul Ricœur, ‘De la volonté à l’acte. Un entretien de Paul Ricœur
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Suite of Excel-based study aids to download: Vocab Book, Revision Aid and Memorise It
I have now finished writing the suite of three Excel-based learning tools I’ve been working on for the past few weeks, and on this page I want to bring them together, summarise what they can do, and offer all the download links in one place. Vocab Book Vocab Book is a powerful, fully-featured vocabulary
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First Vocab Book testimonials
Many thanks to those who have been using and testing Vocab Book. I have ironed out a couple of minor bugs. Thanks too to those who have sent through encouraging words about the workbook. Here are two of the first testimonials: I love the Excel vocab book […] I have sent the link to my Mum,
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Tips on preparing and delivering a conference paper, and on fielding questions
There have been many fine papers at the SEP-FEP conference this year. In this post I thought I would distill some of the paper-delivering ‘best practice’ from the past three days and combine it with other advice I have been given and picked up over the years. These reflections are a personal digest of what I
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Seres at SEP-FEP: Think human language, distinctiveness and responsibility metonymically, not metaphorically
Among the aspects of Serres’ paper that provoked the most animated discussion this morning was his contention, in ‘Information and Thinking’ and elsewhere, that human beings are not the only entities to think. The idea was articulated most powerfully in the snippet of the talk reproduced below: This thought returned in the final paragraph of the address:
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On Michel Serres’ Paper at SEP-FEP: Plato, Jules Verne, and the Johannine Counterpoint
There was a great sadness this morning at the conference that Michel Serres’ health has not permitted him to travel to Utrecht in person, but also a deep thankfulness and appreciation that, despite his failing health, he had taken the time to pre-record his address. The discussion that followed his paper (recorded at his house
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Michel Serres, econarratology, and SEP-FEP in Utrecht
Here are some pictures of the stunningly beautiful city and university of Utrecht, where the Society for European Philosophy and Forum for European Philosophy (SEP-FEP) conference is currently being held. Tomorrow I am to give a paper entitled ‘Michel Serres’ “Great Story”: From Biosemiotics to Econarratology’. Here is the abstract: From the five volumes of
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Free new revision aid software – helps you learn dates, facts, formulae, equations and anything you can express as text
As a complement to Vocab Book and Memorise It, I have written a third Excel-based study tool, called Revision Aid. Here is the blurb: Revision Aid is a free excel-based workbook to help you revise for tests and exams. You can use it for testing yourself on anything that can be expressed in a question
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Forthcoming book. Michel Serres: A Critical Introduction
I am pleased and honoured to have recently signed a contract on a critical introduction to Michel Serres for an Anglophone readership. The backstory to Michel Serres: A Critical Introduction is the impression I have long since formed, and that has strengthened over time, of just how fruitfully Serres’ thought intersects with, informs and frequently