Julian Baggini



Profile:


Full name: Julian Guiseppe Baggini

Area of interest: Philosophy

Journals: The Guardian

Email: [mailto:julian@julianbaggini.com julian@julianbaggini.com]

Website: julian baggini | Guardian.co/Julian Baggini

Blog: Comment is free... | JulianBaggini.blogspot

Representation: David Higham Associates

Networks:



Biography:
Education: University College London: Philosophy PhD

(thesis: Psychological Reductionism About Persons: A Critical Development)

Career:

Current position/role: Commentator


 * also writes/written for: The Observer, The Independent, The Sunday Herald, Prospect, Times Educational Supplement, New Humanist

Other roles: editor of The Philosophers' Magazine

Other activities:

Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight: In his search for England, Julian Baggini expected to find racism, sexism and fear ...He found something much more thought-provoking - 'Time Out with Nick Cohen', New Statesman, 2nd April 2007

TV/Radio: frequently heard on BBC radio programmes including (Melvyn Bragg's) In Our Time In Our Time, Off the Page and Nightwaves
 * see also: list of appearances at (julianbaggini.com)

Controversy/Criticism:

Awards/Honours:

Scoops:

Other:



Books & Debate:
Latest work: Complaint: from minor moans to principled protests OCLC 220004322, 2008
 * New British Philosophy: The interviews OCLC 123123650, 2002 (co-author J. Stangroom)
 * Philosophy: key texts OCLC 49991439, 2002
 * Philosophy: key themes OCLC 50035216, 2002
 * Making sense: philosophy behind the headlines OCLC 50018091, 2002
 * What Philosophers Think OCLC 51528113, 2003 (co-author J. Stangroom)
 * The philosopher's toolkit: a compendium of philosophical concepts and methods OCLC 48989252, 2003 (co-author P.S. Fosl)
 * Atheism: A Very Short Introduction OCLC 52972452, 2003 (click here to watch 'meet the author' VIDEO about the book)
 * Great Thinkers A-Z OCLC 70219721, 2004
 * What's It All About? Philosophy and the Meaning of Life OCLC 58546876, 2005
 * Do you think what you think you think? : the ultimate philosophical quiz book OCLC 71239490, 2006 (co-author J. Stangroom)
 * The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten and 99 Other Thought Experiments OCLC 65768087, 2006
 * Welcome to everytown: a journey into the English mind OCLC 76936511, 2007
 * The duck that won the lottery: and 99 other bad arguments OCLC 232713206, 2008

(see also: TheComplaintBook.com)

Forthcoming work: Should You Judge This Book by Its Cover?: 100 Fresh Takes on Familiar Sayings and Quotations (Sept. 2009)

Academic papers: papers/texts (julianbaggini.com)

Speaking/Appearances:
 * talks & events - regularly updated!
 * lecturelist.org

Current debate: 

The Guardian:
Column info: no regular print column, regular Guardian.co / cif

Column remit: Philosophy

Section:

Role: Commentator

Pen-name:

Email:

Website: Guardian.co / Julian Baggini

Commissioning editor:

Day published: varies

Regularity: frequent

Column format:

Average length:


 * see also: How to believe



Articles: 2010

 * science silence the doubters on David Kelly?'' - Baseless conspiracy theories are a sadly inevitable side-effect of the kind of sceptical inquiry we really need - 27th October
 * and believers can get along'' - My atheist 'sermon' in Westminster Abbey seems incongruous, but it shows good faith is more important than the right beliefs - 17th October
 * we stand'' - I may not like some of the pontiff's policies – but when atheists gang up, things soon get ugly - 18th September
 * science has not actually killed God, it has rendered Him unrecognisable'' - There is no room in the universe of Hawking or most other scientists for the activist God of the Bible - 4th September (writing in The Independent)
 * chief says privacy is dying. But does the Facebook generation care?'' - The embrace of social networking could be seen to support the claim that people value belonging much more than the autonomous liberal individual supposes - 21st August (writing in The Independent)
 * are exams for? That’s the hard question'' - Let’s stop obsessing about A levels getting easier and ask if they are stimulating enough - 18th August (writing in The Times)
 * is rarely black and white'' - The more we scrutinise our own decisions and attend to inconvenient facts, the more we can be said to have acted freely - 3rd August
 * complain less – do it better'' - Too often written off as trivial moaning, the ability to make effective complaints is fundamental to a fair society - 14th July
 * is deep thought?'' - I think most people are more sceptical than ever. We are learning to test out claims for ourselves - 6th July (writing in The Independent)
 * is no one either good or bad, but circumstances make them so'' - Derrick Bird reminds us that moral character is fragile much more often than it is robust. Most people have no robust character at all - 5th June (writing in The Independent)
 * Green victory?'' - Caroline Lucas's win in Brighton does not signify a national breakthrough. The Green's share of the vote went down - 9th May (Cif at the polls)
 * vote for the Lib Dems could check the Tories'' - We can forget about a Labour government, so a tactical vote may be our best shot at avoiding unfettered Tory rule - 1st May
 * women will remain outnumbered'' - Bidisha is right to complain that women are vastly under-represented, but fixing the problem is far from simple - 26th April
 * philosopher kings of UK politics'' - Are Clegg, Brown and Cameron just modern-day versions of Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau? - 22nd April
 * behaving badly'' - Doing good deeds as a way of earning naughtiness points shows ethics has become a form of unenlightened self-interest - 16th March
 * can be a rational choice'' - The possibility it may be justified is why we’re so unwilling to tackle the issue - 28th February (writing in The Independent on Sunday)
 * Nicholas not simply a first-class twit'' - Tory MP Nicholas Winterton has been pilloried for his comments about second-class train carriages – but he has a point -20th February
 * miserable results of our quest for happiness'' - Those who pillage rich traditions for contemporary tastes take the easy but shallow route to happiness - 13th January (writing in The Daily Telegraph)
 * 'ethical' shopping habit'' - From food supplements to feng shui kits, which 'virtuous' products we buy are really wasteful and useless? - 9th January



Articles: 2009

 * Father, thou still shalt not steal'' - We should only upset our moral values in dire circumstances. At other times, render unto Tesco . . . - 23rd December
 * fairytale farce of the monarchy'' - Before we end up with a King Charles speaking out of turn or a bland, waving King William, let's rethink the whole royal situation - 15th December
 * guerrillas are following a noble tradition'' - Eco-protesters should be saluted. And then banged up - 19th October (writing in The Times)
 * doing it for the kids'' - The child-free life can be great. Why is it almost always presented as second-best, cold and empty? - 18th September
 * is honesty the best policy?'' - A study has found that we can't agree on what constitutes honest behaviour – but standards of decency don't have to be universal - 8th September
 * perceptions harm organ donation'' - The problem is not foreigners or the rich jumping the queue for transplants, it's a failure to stand by the system - 31st July
 * fear of trespass'' - To remove the need for people to defend their privacy so doggedly, make the public square safe - 18th July
 * all deaths are not equal'' - The discrepancy in the media coverage of two plane crashes is a reflection of our need to value some lives more than others - 2nd July
 * time for Pringles' sense of self'' - Should we defer to Aristotle or Plato on the potatoness of Pringles? Or ask a child? A court case raises essential questions - 23rd May
 * but not clear'' - Atheists must turn down the volume and have a real conversation - or lose out to the fluffy brigade - 13th April
 * on religion, part 8: What did he believe?'' - So was Hume an atheist or an agnostic? Strange as it sounds, we can see him as both - 30th March
 * on Religion: response to comments'' - Hume's arguments are stronger and more subtle than many commenters here allow and there is a steep price to meeting them - 26th March 2009
 * on religion, part 7: Soul-searching'' - Hume considers three types of argument for the soul's immortality, and demolishes them all - 23rd March
 * on religion, part 6: True religion looks a lot like false'' - Protestants of Hume's time prided themselves on their freedom from superstition. With delicate irony he proved them wrong - 16th March 2009
 * Hume on religion, part 5: Reason to be cautious - Hume's pessimism challenges those who see science and rationality as two invincible superheroes - 9th March 2009
 * Calm? Why should I be calm? - There's far too much emphasis on being happy these days. Anger is vital too. It could even, say scientists, help our careers. Julian Baggini on the emotion that has changed the world for the better - 3rd March 2009
 * Hume on religion, part 4: The limits of scepticism - Julian Baggini: How to believe Hume's Dialogues put forward criticisms of his own views, arguments we still hear today. But are they strong enough? - 2nd March 2009
 * Hume on religion: response to comments - Hume's targets are those who argue rationally for the existence of God or the reality of miracles - 26th February 2009
 * The past is full of boys like Alfie - The 13-year-old father has been big news – but from a biological and historical perspective, the story is not unusual - 24th February 2009
 * Hume on religion, part 3: How he skewered intelligent design - Hume's view of causation gives us no reason for deducing the God of monotheism from our observations of the world around us - 23rd February 2009
 * Theo Hobson v Julian Baggini - Is Christianity a good influence on British culture? - 20th February 2009
 * The paradox of dementia - Another Thought for the Day: When someone's mind has been lost to Alzheimer's but their body remains, we find it hard to make sense of what is left behind - 19th February 2009 (AUDIO)
 * Hume on religion, part 2: Faith or reason - Hume strips away the comforting sense that faith can supplement reason, setting believers a stark challenge - 16th February 2009
 * Hume on religion, part 1: The agnostic philosopher - How to believe: The most pressing and telling critiques of religion not only cannot, but should not, attempt to deliver any fatal blows - 19th February 2009
 * Can I have a word? It's thriftifarian - The better the neologism, the catchier the concept: will this genuinely new coinage be my shortcut to eternity? - 18th January 2009



Articles: 2008

 * Dear God, we could really use you - It does us good to try to see ourselves from your point of view, even though you don't really have one - Monday, 15th December 2008
 * The science of ignorance - Knowing how people behaved in one economic crash won't tell you how they'll behave in the next - Tuesday, 25th November 2008
 * Theo Hobson v Julian Baggini - Does it matter whether the majority of religious believers actually think the things atheists claim they do? - 3rd November 2008
 * Just good friends? - If you want to be happy, make sure you have at least 10 friends – or so we're told by the latest research - 26th October 2008
 * Misinforming the nation - An important debate about treating drug addicts is the latest victim of John Humphrys' abrasive style - 2nd October 2008
 * Cock and bull - For Christians to take offence at Terence Koh's statue of Jesus is bogus. But the licence to mock belief is not unlimited - 3rd September 2008
 * Everyday wisdom - Can serious intellectual theory provide the key to happiness and personal fulfilment for everyone? Julian Baggini examines a new series of practical philosophy books dedicated to 'the art of living' - 2nd September 2008

World Congress of Philosophy, 2008
 * Truth stranger than falsehood - At the World Congress of Philosophy everyone at least tries to pretend to take strange beliefs seriously - 31st August 2008
 * A class apart? - Philosophers from around the world are gathering in Seoul. But you don't have to be a professional to ask the big questions - 30th August 2008
 * Broadening British horizons - For some philosophers, attending the World Congress in Seoul is a huge privilege. So why does it leave British delegates cold? - 5th August 2008
 * Great minds don't think alike - Everyone listens respectfully but no one is interested in changing their opinion. So what exactly is the point of conferences? - 4th August 2008
 * I think, therefore iPod - Is an iPod part of your mind? The question is not as daft as it may sound - 3rd August 2008


 * We need to talk about lending - Lionel Shriver is right that debt has a moral dimension, but it's not a simple matter of 'saving good, borrowing bad' - 25th August 2008
 * Pinch me, I'm dreaming - Some cried foul over China's Olympic ceremony, but the line between reality and representation can be a blurry one - 12th August 2008
 * Consensus of hard and soft - On asylum, the tough brigade and the bleeding hearts in fact want many of the same things - 24th July 2008
 * Courage of the flip-flop - It's easy to be a conviction politician. Real bravery consists of changing tack according to the evidence - 5th July 2008
 * Foca matters, even if you're an atheist - Belief will always be with us. And if we want those churches that thrive to be inclusive we have to take an interest in the debate - 2nd July 2008
 * Good news for optimists - Try looking on the bright side of current events. You might feel a little silly, but you will be a lot happier - 7th June 2008
 * Speakers' corner - Should we stop people we consider evil from speaking in public? It can be tempting, but the answer must be no - 23rd May 2008
 * The chicken and the capitalist eggs - Has Easter become more commercialised because business wants our money, or because we want to buy more? - 22nd March 2008
 * The fear factor - Julian Baggini discovers the difference between sensible risk assessment and abject terror in Risk by Dan Gardner and Panicology by Simon Briscoe and Hugh Aldersey-Williams - 22nd March 2008



Articles: 2007

 * Giving up the goats - The fashionable presents of last Christmas seemed to mark a new altruism, but Scrooge is now back - 11th December 2007
 * Giving up on giving - Charitable donations decreased in the UK last year but what's the explanation? And why are married women more generous than single men? - 10th December 2008
 * For God's sake, start moaning - Our ability to complain is what drives humanity forward and separates us from the beasts - 6th December 2007
 * The wireless disconnect - A negative, paranoid attitude is displacing the optimistic ethos the internet once promised - 17th November 2008
 * What is celebration? - Should we celebrate World Philosophy Day today? And if so, what would be an appropriate way to do so? - 15th November 2007
 * The passion killers - Once again, scientists are pouring cold factual disdain on one of the warmer areas of human interaction: falling in love - 7th November 2007
 * Binary limitations - A predictable debate surrounds James Watson's recent comments. But how far could you go along with his argument before descending into racism? - 22nd October 2007
 * Xiaolu Guo on censorship, UK style - The Chinese author and film-maker has complained of 'commercial censorship' of her latest film. Is it just sour grapes? - 12th June 2008
 * Good heavens - some decent atheist drama - Non-believers these days seem so zealous and shrill. Fortunately, two plays deal the subject in a sympathetic and balanced way - 11th June 2008
 * The call of duty - As Tony Blair said in South Africa today, interventionist policies are often mocked. But our moral duty to help the developing world should be beyond dispute - 31st May 2007
 * A date with the Elvis of philosophy - The charismatic and eccentric king of thinking, Slavoj Zizek, is in town and I could watch him talk all day - 4th May 2007
 * Should festivals pay all speakers the same? - Margaret Drabble objects to Clinton's six-figure festival fee, but the literary marketplace is rarely on an even keel - 2nd May 2007
 *  A sense of community - What difference has 10 years of Blair made to the way we see each other? - 1st May 2007
 * Hegel, shmegel - John Reid may have stunned his parliamentary critics into submission by quoting the German philosopher, but was it any better than political Kant - 25th April 2007
 * This is what civilisations is really about - Relativism has made liberal openness appear weak, empty and repugnant compared with the clarity of dogma - 14th April 2007
 * The Dutch philosopher who's spending a week in a barrel - 5th April 2007
 * Career goals - Up to half a million refused asylum seekers are living in the UK, destitute with no legal means of support. We should let them work - 28th March 2007
 * Why can't I thank the people who helped my book? - Lengthy acknowledgments in books are there for the simple reason that lots of people helped them into being. In most cases, anyway... - 16th March 2007
 * The shadow of his former self - Jean Baudrillard, the French philosopher who told us that everything is mere simulacrum, is dead. But his ideas have a life of their own - 7th March 2007
 * Free doesn't mean unfair - Some dissenters claim the fair trade movement is about do-gooders up to no good. They are wrong - 5th March 2007
 * Kant or cant? - Philosophy is being taught in nurseries in Scotland - apparently, with impressive results. Let's hope they include a class on scepticism - 5th February 2007
 * How racist is Britain? - Events on Big Brother have ignited a fierce debate about Britain and racism. While researching his new book about the British psyche, philosopher Julian Baggini spent six months living in Rotherham, Yorkshire. Here, he explains why he doesn't believe most white Britons are racists - even though he heard racist language almost everywhere he went - 23rd January 2007



Links:

 * 'Bad Moves' - archive of defunct column at Butterflies and Wheels.com
 * New Statesman articles
 * The Philosophers' Magazine
 * Wikipedia biog.