Why Civilization Is Older Than We Thought

Why Civilization Is Older Than We Thought

From my article published in Palladium Magazine. The dry hills, brilliant sea, and neat rows of gated suburban communities made me wonder whether I had left San Francisco at all. Looking down on the suburbs of Istanbul that hug the Bosporus during my flight’s approach...
The End of Industrial Society

The End of Industrial Society

From my article in Palladium Magazine: Recognizing the unique signs of a possible civilizational collapse, rather than being blindsided by it, requires a bold thesis as to what the core engine of our civilization is. Without a clear and correct theory of what makes...
Knowledge Production and Intellectual Legitimacy

Knowledge Production and Intellectual Legitimacy

This is the fourth essay in my series on intellectual legitimacy. Read the first essay here. Read the previous essay here. We mostly evaluate knowledge by checking whether society at large perceives it as respectable and reasonable – we call this its intellectual...
How Ideas Are Communicated

How Ideas Are Communicated

Photograph: Claudio Schwarz. This is the third essay in my series on intellectual legitimacy. Read the first essay here. Read the second essay here. There is a rough hierarchy of legitimacy within the many different ways that knowledge can be communicated. This...
Intellectual Authority

Intellectual Authority

Photograph: the first Solvay Conference in 1911, including Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Max Planck. This is the second essay in my series on intellectual legitimacy. Read the first essay here.    It is always a pleasure to have an excuse to mention underrated...
Intellectual Legitimacy

Intellectual Legitimacy

Photo: Klaus Schwab, Founder of the World Economic Forum, makes an appearance at Davos. Photo by Evangeline Shaw. This is the first essay in my series on intellectual legitimacy. Read the next essay here. Which ideas shape society? Why have ideas and systems such as...