New Philosopher

On a balmy morning in August 1974, a young man walked on a steel cable between the Twin Towers in New York. For three-quarters of an hour Philippe Petit stunned onlookers as he performed this feat 400 metres off the ground, defying fear, gravity, and

Michael Puett is the Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology, as well as the Chair of the Committee on the Study of Religion, at Harvard University. His interests are focused on the inter-relations between philosophy, anthropolo

We tend to think that the correct answer to a problem must lie between two extremes. For instance, we often hear about the need to listen to “both sides of the argument”, with the implicit assumption being that the truth – balanced somewhere between

In terms of wealth distribution, Credit Suisse reported in 2018 that the bottom half of the global population owns less than 1% of total wealth in the world. The top 1% owns 47% of all global assets. The earliest Chinese characters for yin and yang

The dogs had been stewed and the tree stripped of its bark. But it wasn’t enough. In 1959, in the darkest depths of China’s Great Famine, Yang Jisheng watched the uncle who raised him starve to death. The experience led to journalist Yang’s magnum op

As is the case for most people, I have friends with a range of views on subjects encompassing everything from politics to how to best raise children. I try to be balanced when discussing these subjects with people whose views differ from mine – which

What Heaven has conferred is called The Nature; an accordance with this nature is called The Path of duty; the regulation of this path is called Instruction. The path may not be left for an instant. If it could be left, it would not be the path. On t

Is it enough to change laws, institutions, customs, public opinion, and the whole social context, for men and women to become truly equal? “Women will always be women,” say the sceptics. Other seers prophesy that in casting off their femininity they

It’s precisely at this moment, again and again, that I’m catapulted backwards in time. As the preamble ends (in this episode, the shop assistant, working late and alone, pulls back the curtain on the change cubicle, having received no response to her

Somewhere along the line, a misinterpretation of neuroscience has led parents to believe that all stimulation for a child is good stimulation. They believe, wrongly, that a young brain must be kept constantly challenged and engaged. It’s as if parent

Sydney, Australia April 29 – May 5, 2019 Sydney Writers’ Festival presents more than 300 events, attracting audiences of 100,000 plus for a week-long conversation of books and ideas. The festival brings together some of the world’s most curious an

In the past decade or so, there has been an explosion of cairns (stone stacks) around the world – in national parks, in the Scottish Highlands, on the beaches of Aruba. Park rangers, environmentalists, and hikers have all become alarmed, to varying d

Extraordinary quality in all respects. New Philosopher is one of the best things happening. I love how the writing reminds me that the types of issues we are grappling with today are similar to those grappled with by philosophers for centuries. I lov