This series letters written while in exile — on the sometimes-shocking English way of doing religion, politics, science, morals, and philosophy — were hugely influential upon a French audience still in the grip of l’ancien regime. Related: The full Philosophers, Explained series, including classics from Kant, Nietzsche, Rand, Camus, Aristotle, Plato, and other important thinkers.

The man has an ambivalent legacy—those who claim him for the Enlightenment and for the Counter-Enlightenment. I’m in the latter group. On the Counter-Enlightenment turn: Kant’s epistemology (Ch. 2), his connections to modernist and postmodernist art, his views on education for duty and obedience, his mix of liberal and illiberal politics. By contrast: here is

Last week two thinkers who matter to me died. Robert Hessen was an economic historian at Stanford and Hoover. I’ve used his works on capitalism and on corporate contractual rights in my Business Ethics course. Here is economist David Henderson’s fine summary and tribute: I also had the chance to meet Bob at his home

In making her influential case for limiting the First Amendment and censoring porn, Catharine MacKinnon uses a combination of egalitarian and postmodern arguments. Here is my guided tour of her Only Words (Harvard U.P.) One can also follow Professor Hicks on X (@SRCHicks). Related: The full series of Philosophers, Explained episodes:

A new university will open in Britain in 2025. I’m happy to announce that I have joined its Board of Advisors. “The School of Innovation is aspiring to become the first independent university in Northern England since 1964. Based in Manchester, which was voted the 3rd best city in the world, has one of the