-
Who’s to Blame? Political Action, Personal Accountability, and Human Nature
[A version of this essay was presented at the Taos Community of Love service on October 19, 2025.] I know this isn’t a conventional church service, but I would like to start with scripture: “The moral high ground is a dangerous place to stand, even when it’s warranted.” That’s not really scripture but rather a sentence […]
-
Last Rites for a Dying Civilization

When the Black Death struck Europe in the Middle Ages, the fundamental values that held society together broke down. Husbands and wives abandoned each other and mothers abandoned their children. This void of ethics that overtook the population is described in Boccaccio’s The Decameron, considered a masterpiece of Italian prose and a documentary of life […]
-
Empathy or Anthropomorphism

Words don’t mean anything, people do. Much of the conflict we experience, observe or imagine arises from the problem every human and arguably most other mammals confront from the moment they become distinct beings—animals. While I never studied classical languages, I believe the very term “animal” designates a being, an entity, endowed with a soul. […]
-
Returning to the 11th Century

Technology fetishism and dogmatic irresponsibility Without the use of digital devices, instead mainly that analog apparatus known as the pen, I have managed to retain meaningful recollections and engage in analytical reflection for the better part of sixty two years. The manner in which I have worked since the earliest moments I can remember has […]
-
Hindutva and the Politics of Maternal Subjectivity
On June 7, 2023, the Gujarat High Court cited the casteist and gender-biased Hindu text Manusmriti during a case involving a minor rape victim who was seven months pregnant. The court argued that historically, it was considered normal for girls to marry early and have children by the age of 17, while also asserting that […]
-
A Challenge to Environmental Activism
Looking at the world with perspective, it is clear that there are an overwhelming number of issues of concern needing general recognition and action. Most often, people moved to action by these concerns see the immediate need or danger with clarity: people are hungry, give them food; people are sick, give them medical care; a […]
-
Evolved Homo Sapiens (and the frustrated “ID”)
As we move further into the 21st century, shared delusions about human complementarity with robots, “artificial intelligence”– or even the bizarre fantasy of a forthcoming “trans-human” fusion with AI (Ray Kurzweil’s “Singularity” 1 ) — are becoming all-pervasive. In a previous article, “Homo Sapiens: Not a Machine!,” I offered a trenchant critique of this growing […]

