“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains” is the famous opening line of the The Social Contract … More
Category: Political Philosophy
We Deserve Neither the Praise Nor the Blame
When I do not have control over how my brain gets shaped in the womb, what genes are passed on … More
We Need Better Rulers
(The following article of mine was first published in Metro India, an English daily newspaper from Hyderabad, on December 30, … More
On the Beach at Night Alone — Walt Whitman
On the beach at night alone,As the old mother sways her to and fro singing her husky song,As I watch … More
Epistemic Humility
Yes, one needs Epistemic Humility to be charitable in our dealings with other human beings. Epistemic humility is the intellectual … More
Chantal Mouffe Agonizes Over Agonism
Chantal Mouffe’s agonistic theory posits that political conflict is permanent and ineradicable. Rather than striving for rational consensus, healthy democracies … More
Some Characteristics of Love
“Love understands, accepts and never tries to smother anything.”
Daniel Goleman on Empathy Having 3 Parts
I always describe empathy as having three distinct parts. Cognitive empathy: understanding how someone sees a situation. “I get your … More
How to Live Your Life
“Declutch.”
Conflict: The Baseline of Compassion
“Conflict might actually be more _real_ than love. Far from being a pessimistic perspective, it gives us the source of … More
Know Thyself 