General audience essays
On Bach, God, and the Pythagorean tradition in philosophy (First Things)
On Bach’s epic cycles, Homer, Mad Men, and the melancholy of homecoming (Psyche)
Academic papers
The Boring
A lot of art and the rest of life are pretty boring, but philosophers and critics tend to avoid admitting it. I offer an account of the boring, using Wagner as a case-study. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism PDF
Love and Death
I explore various reasons we might have for regretting our resilience to loss, both because of what resilience tells us about our ultimate significance to others, and because resilience may render us incapable of comprehending the true nature of a loss. The Journal of Philosophy PDF
Global Justice and Economic Growth: Ignoring the Only Thing that Works
What should a time traveling altruist do in 18th century Britain, amid poverty and malnourishment? There is a serious case to be made that he should promote commerce and economic growth. Buying railroad stock and so capitalizing firms participating in industrialization would be an eminently worthy (if unsentimental) approach to take. The same lesson applies today. Altruism disconnected from the ultimate aim of growth is senseless. In Economic Liberties and Human Rights, Routledge PDF
Property and the Creation of Value
Most philosophical discussions of property have followed Locke in focusing on natural resources as the key to wealth. But in modern economies wealth is mainly generated by services. This casts doubt on philosophical programmes predicated on the natural resource paradigm, and makes wealth transfers harder to justify. Philosophy and Economics, PDF
Anticipated Emotions and Emotional Valence
I argue that anticipated emotions like regret give us little or no reason to act. I also argue that the valence of emotions is a function of the sensations they involve. Includes a discussion of death-bed regrets, and of whether teenagers should listen to their annoying parents. Philosopher's Imprint PDF