The mind’s place in the physical world is difficult to understand. The difficulty comes in no small part from the fact that there are two, radically different ways of going about it: one is to look within, to understand oneself (and by extension, others) as a subject, a self; the other, to look “out”, at the world so to speak. The first method is subjective, humanistic, and is essentially tied to a particular point of view. The second method is objective, it is based on observation of body, behavior and brain, and it is accessible to anyone, irrespective of their personal idiosyncrasies or their point of view. Its best embodiment is the scientific method. How the subjective fits in with the objective is one of the most vexing questions both in philosophy and life. The following essays tackle various aspects of how our subjective and objective understanding of ourselves fit together.

Virtual Alienation (January 19, 2025)

The commodification of experience.

Contemplation in Retreat (November 20, 2024)

Why contemplation matters.

What Is Left of the Mind (July 30, 2024)

How the concept of mind has changed in the last 300 years.

The Brain’s I, part 1 (July 11, 2016)

Scientism about the mind

The Brain’s I, part 2 (August 8, 2016)

Science and the lived world

The Brain’s I, part 3 (September 5, 2016)

The self and agency

The Brain’s I, part 4 (July 17, 2017)

Body and mind