Here is a selection of my popular writings, published in Commonweal magazine and elsewhere. For a while I wrote a regular column at 3 Quarks Daily, and you can find all of those posts here.
"Picture Imperfect", Commonweal, September 2022 — a review of David Chalmers's Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy
"What does it take for someone to become a 'different person'?", Psyche, May 17, 2022 — on two different things that the quoted phrase can mean, and why we should care about each
“False Choices”, Commonweal, October 16, 2021 — co-written with my friend and colleague Mark Souva, on the very idea that the massacre of civilians could be given a consequentialist justification
"Transformative Choice and 'Big Decisions'", OUP Blog, May 7, 2021 — co-written with Enoch Lambert, on how to think about choices that have the potential to transform us
"G.E.M. Anscombe on the Evil of Demanding Unconditional Surrender in War", OUP Blog, April 29, 2020 — co-written with Mark Souva
"Untempted by the Consequences: G. E. M. Anscombe's Life of 'Doing the Truth'", Commonweal, December 2, 2019 — a long biographical essay on the life and work of Elizabeth Anscombe, drawing on the archive of her papers at the University of Pennsylvania
"Look! It is Jesus", First Things, August 20, 2019 — on how to express Eucharistic doctrine
"In Memoriam: Barry Stroud", 3 Quarks Daily, August 19, 2019 -- a remembrance
"Philosophers Should Not Be Sanctioned for their Positions on Sex and Gender", Inside Higher Education, July 22, 2019 -- co-authored with several more philosophers, saying what is obvious to most
"Inconvenient", Commonweal, June 14, 2019 -- a review of Simon Blackburn's On Truth
"Unflinching", Commonweal (online), March 18, 2019 -- on G.E.M. Anscombe at a hundred
"Remembering Gary Gutting", Commonweal (online), January 20, 2019 -- a note on the death of the philosopher Gary Gutting
"Lo, I Am With You Always", First Things (online), August 21, 2018 -- on the crisis of leadership in the Catholic church in the US
"Should you shield yourself from others' abhorrent beliefs?", Aeon, July 2, 2018 -- asks the question in its title (which I hated), and answers a qualified 'yes'
"A Purpose-Driven Life", Commonweal, May 15, 2018 -- a review of Daniel Dennett's From Bacteria to Bach and Back
"An Ordinary Sunday", Commonweal, September 12, 2017 -- my contribution to a collection of essays on Sunday mass at parishes in the US
"A Life of Being-in-the-World", First Things (online), May 1, 2017 -- a remembrance of Hubert Dreyfus
"Calling Torture by its Name", First Things (online), January 31, 2017 -- on whether, and how, torture works, and why it's important to call it by its name
"A 'Tragic Question' of Academic Life", Daily Nous, March 16, 2016 -- on why being a good professional philosopher shouldn't require compromising one's personal and family life
"The Mount at a Crossroads", Commonweal (online), March 2, 2016 -- on the controversy at Mount St. Mary's University, and what is to be done going forward
"What (Who?) Is a University?", First Things (online), February 12, 2016 -- on the controversy at the Mount, and how it relates to the very idea of a university
"A Tale of Two Churches", Commonweal (online), June 18, 2015 -- on the massacre in an historically black church in South Carolina, and my own experience as a white parishioner at a similar church in Tallahassee
"Finding a New Self", Commonweal, February 19, 2015 -- a review of Laurie Paul's Transformative Experience
"More History, Less Science", Commonweal, September 1, 2014 -- a review of Bernard Williams's Essays and Reviews: 1959-2002
"Peter Geach, R.I.P.", Commonweal (online), December 24, 2013 -- a note on the death of the philosopher Peter Geach
"Natural Enemies?", Commonweal, February 25, 2013 -- a review of Alvin Plantinga's Where the Conflict Really Lies
"Michael Dummett, 1925-2011", Commonweal (online), December 31, 2011 -- a note on the death of the philosopher Michael Dummett
"An Economy of Care" (with David Cloutier), Commonweal, October 24, 2011 — on the economics of caritas, as illustrated by the buying and selling of food
"The Thinking Animal", Commonweal, February 8, 2010 -- a review of John McDowell's The Engaged Intellect and Having the World in View
"After Enlightenment", Commonweal, January 26, 2009 -- a review of Louis Dupré's Religion and the Rise of Modern Culture
"Moving the Soil", Commonweal, April 21, 2008 -- a review of Leszek Kolakowski's Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
"Picture Imperfect", Commonweal, September 2022 — a review of David Chalmers's Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy
"What does it take for someone to become a 'different person'?", Psyche, May 17, 2022 — on two different things that the quoted phrase can mean, and why we should care about each
“False Choices”, Commonweal, October 16, 2021 — co-written with my friend and colleague Mark Souva, on the very idea that the massacre of civilians could be given a consequentialist justification
"Transformative Choice and 'Big Decisions'", OUP Blog, May 7, 2021 — co-written with Enoch Lambert, on how to think about choices that have the potential to transform us
"G.E.M. Anscombe on the Evil of Demanding Unconditional Surrender in War", OUP Blog, April 29, 2020 — co-written with Mark Souva
"Untempted by the Consequences: G. E. M. Anscombe's Life of 'Doing the Truth'", Commonweal, December 2, 2019 — a long biographical essay on the life and work of Elizabeth Anscombe, drawing on the archive of her papers at the University of Pennsylvania
"Look! It is Jesus", First Things, August 20, 2019 — on how to express Eucharistic doctrine
"In Memoriam: Barry Stroud", 3 Quarks Daily, August 19, 2019 -- a remembrance
"Philosophers Should Not Be Sanctioned for their Positions on Sex and Gender", Inside Higher Education, July 22, 2019 -- co-authored with several more philosophers, saying what is obvious to most
"Inconvenient", Commonweal, June 14, 2019 -- a review of Simon Blackburn's On Truth
"Unflinching", Commonweal (online), March 18, 2019 -- on G.E.M. Anscombe at a hundred
"Remembering Gary Gutting", Commonweal (online), January 20, 2019 -- a note on the death of the philosopher Gary Gutting
"Lo, I Am With You Always", First Things (online), August 21, 2018 -- on the crisis of leadership in the Catholic church in the US
"Should you shield yourself from others' abhorrent beliefs?", Aeon, July 2, 2018 -- asks the question in its title (which I hated), and answers a qualified 'yes'
"A Purpose-Driven Life", Commonweal, May 15, 2018 -- a review of Daniel Dennett's From Bacteria to Bach and Back
"An Ordinary Sunday", Commonweal, September 12, 2017 -- my contribution to a collection of essays on Sunday mass at parishes in the US
"A Life of Being-in-the-World", First Things (online), May 1, 2017 -- a remembrance of Hubert Dreyfus
"Calling Torture by its Name", First Things (online), January 31, 2017 -- on whether, and how, torture works, and why it's important to call it by its name
"A 'Tragic Question' of Academic Life", Daily Nous, March 16, 2016 -- on why being a good professional philosopher shouldn't require compromising one's personal and family life
"The Mount at a Crossroads", Commonweal (online), March 2, 2016 -- on the controversy at Mount St. Mary's University, and what is to be done going forward
"What (Who?) Is a University?", First Things (online), February 12, 2016 -- on the controversy at the Mount, and how it relates to the very idea of a university
"A Tale of Two Churches", Commonweal (online), June 18, 2015 -- on the massacre in an historically black church in South Carolina, and my own experience as a white parishioner at a similar church in Tallahassee
"Finding a New Self", Commonweal, February 19, 2015 -- a review of Laurie Paul's Transformative Experience
"More History, Less Science", Commonweal, September 1, 2014 -- a review of Bernard Williams's Essays and Reviews: 1959-2002
"Peter Geach, R.I.P.", Commonweal (online), December 24, 2013 -- a note on the death of the philosopher Peter Geach
"Natural Enemies?", Commonweal, February 25, 2013 -- a review of Alvin Plantinga's Where the Conflict Really Lies
"Michael Dummett, 1925-2011", Commonweal (online), December 31, 2011 -- a note on the death of the philosopher Michael Dummett
"An Economy of Care" (with David Cloutier), Commonweal, October 24, 2011 — on the economics of caritas, as illustrated by the buying and selling of food
"The Thinking Animal", Commonweal, February 8, 2010 -- a review of John McDowell's The Engaged Intellect and Having the World in View
"After Enlightenment", Commonweal, January 26, 2009 -- a review of Louis Dupré's Religion and the Rise of Modern Culture
"Moving the Soil", Commonweal, April 21, 2008 -- a review of Leszek Kolakowski's Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
