Phenomenology as a Form of Empathy
From Inquiry Abstract This paper proposes that adopting a “phenomenological stance“ enables a distinctive kind of empathy, which is required in order to understand forms of experience that occur in psychiatric illness and elsewhere. For the most part, we interpret other people’s experiences against the backdrop of a shared world. Hence our attempts to appreciate ...
Understanding Norms Without a Theory of Mind
From Inquiry Abstract I argue that having a theory of mind requires having at least implicit knowledge of the norms of the community, and that an implicit understanding of the normative is what drives the development of a theory of mind. This conclusion is defended by two arguments. First I argue that a theory of ...
“What is a Justified Belief?” by Phin Upham
By Phin Upham Having a justified belief does require you to know that your belief is justified but it does not require you to know what this justification is. You need not be able to defend your beliefs against criticism. In holding these beliefs I take the Weak Internalist position. Most of our beliefs are ...
Rational Choice Theory, by Phin Upham
an essay by Phin Upham An economic treatment of human behavior generally rests on a structured account of rational choice theory (RCT). Such models often posit utility maximization behavior by all individual agents. In many cases it assumes that all resources can be allocated and evaluated in an orderly way for each individual and that ...
Featured Author of the Month: Phin Upham
Here at The Academic Ledger we like to shine the spotlight on some of the authors we regularly post from to talk about their work in addition to posting their essays. This month’s featured author is Phin Upham. You may have seen some of his articles showcased in the Economics and Philosophy sections of the site ...
Freedom For The Future: The Independent Value of Freedom in Light of Uncertainty by Phin Upham
an essay by Phin Upham Abstract: Both classical and modern liberals tend freedom of choice as if it is intrinsically valuable – regardless of what is chosen. They fear that treating freedom as, instead, instrumental only to good choices might open the door to paternalism if a polity were to decide that people were making ...
Philosophers in Conversation: interviews from the Harvard Review of Philosophy, edited by Phin Upham
Description: This volume brings together for the first time thirteen recent interviews with the brightest names in contemporary philosophy, including W.V.O. Quine, Richard Rorty, Stanley Cavell, Hilary Putnam, as well as the only known interview with John Rawls. The pieces are taken from the Harvard Review of Philosophy. Covering a wide range of topics from the philosophy ...
The Space of Love and Garbage: And Other Essays from the Harvard Review of Philosophy, edited by Phin Upham
Description: Focusing on personal, emotional, and political issues, these witty, brilliant essays from the Harvard Review of Philosophy strive to illuminate those areas of philosophy and life that are most important to living “the good life” to its fullest as an individual and as a citizen. From immigration to moral intuition, from love to hubris, these essays ...
All We Need Is a Paradigm: Essays on Science, Economics, and Logic from the Harvard Review of Philosophy, edited by Phin Upham
Description: The Harvard Review of Philosophy has long been a forum for new thoughts in the field — this collection includes some of the most important essays from that publication. Exploring the unexpected ways that philosophy impacts our world, this book considers the discipline as an essential element in our understanding of science, economics, and logic. This ...
Stick With What You Know?, by Phin Upham
Do companies which try to do new things succeed and why? Phin Upham dicusses a seminal work on the topic In Diversification, Ricardian rents, and Tobin’s q, Cynthia A. Montgomery and Birger Wernerfelt present a study on the ability of a multimarket firm to diversify its resources (factors). Montgomery and Wernerfelt test whether a multimarket firm’s average rents ...