Author Archives: Steven Yates

Unknown's avatar

About Steven Yates

I have a Ph.D. in Philosophy, taught the subject at a number of universities around the American Southeast, then became disillusioned in the profession, moved to Chile in 2012. I am the author of Civil Wrongs: What Went Wrong With Affirmative Action (1994), Four Cardinal Errors: Reasons for the Decline of the American Republic (2011), What Should Philosophy Do? A Theory (2021), and most recently, So You Want to Get a PhD in Philosophy? (2025). I've also published around two dozen articles & reviews in academic journals, and hundreds online on numerous topics ranging from pure philosophy to political economy. My Substack publication is Navigating the New Normal. I currently live near Concepcion, Chile, with my wife Gisela and our two spoiled cats.

Presuppositionalism

[Note: this blog has been moribund for some time. It had strayed too far from philosophy and waded into politics (just one of its faults). These days I have other outlets for that material and can reserve this for my … Continue reading

Posted in Methodology, Philosophy, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tucker Carlson’s War on Official Narratives. Fired from Fox News. What’s Next?

Theories abound for why Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News. The bottom line: he’s a truth-teller on the issues that count, and was operating in a media environment that is resolutely hostile to truth (yes, this includes the Fox media empire). Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Media, Political Economy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Intellectuals Get Wrong. (Contrasting Nietzsche, Hoffer, Marx; and the Mindsets of the Masses, Intellectuals, Elites.)

Nietzsche disdained the masses. Eric Hoffer loved them. How should we navigate the vast differences in mindset between intellectuals such as Nietzsche, the masses as Hoffer saw them, and elites who oversee society. What should intellectuals do if they are serious about helping to build a better world? Continue reading

Posted in applied philosophy, personal development, Philosophy, Political Economy, Political Philosophy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Controlled Demolition of Trumpism

“…What we have just seen is, of course, unprecedented. Not once in U.S. history has a former president been accused of federal crimes committed while in office. This sort of thing happens in second world banana republics. Although in backhanded fairness, the U.S. is looking more and more like a second world banana republic with each passing day….” Continue reading

Posted in Media, Political Economy, Political Philosophy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Year 2022: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Beginning with a hefty list of the converging crises of the 2020s, we look back on 2022 and then look ahead at what we can expect in 2023 and beyond. Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus, Culture, Election 2016 and Aftermath, Media, Philosophy, Political Economy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Nietzsche, Materialism, and Eugenics: A Brief History of the Connection

Was Friedrich Nietzsche the first visible eugenicist? We explore that question, and the connections to today’s situation with the World Economic Forum globalists. Continue reading

Posted in Christian Worldview, Philosophy, Science and Technology, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Philosophy of Responsible Freedom – Announcing An Online Course / Tutorial with Jack Carney and Steven Yates

An online Philosophy course / tutorial, an adventure in ideas presented by Jack Carney and Steven Yates, starting next weekend (Fri Oct 21 – Sun Oct 23 depending on your time zone) Continue reading

Posted in applied philosophy, Education (Independent) - Course Materials, Philosophy, Where is Civilization Going?, Where Is Philosophy Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saul Kripke, R.I.P

Leading analytic philosopher Saul Kripke passed away last month at the age of 81. Continue reading

Posted in Academia, analytic philosophy, Philosophy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Is Alex Jones Defensible? A Look at Heresy.

Is Alex Jones defensible, or is this heresy? Paul Craig Roberts has an interesting article on the matter, and we discuss it here because Facebook has censored some of the URLs referenced. Continue reading

Posted in Media, Political Economy, Workarounds | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who Are We, Really?

“Who Are We, Really?” presents a brief overview of attempts by philosophers and psychologists to answer this question which is as old as the disciplines themselves. Continue reading

Posted in Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Science and Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments