Author Archives: Steven Yates

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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.

Globalism: Optimism, Pessimism, and Dystopian Visions. (Part One.)

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Steven Yates

[Author´s note: this is the first of a three-part set. Originally intended as a single post, what I originally had in mind got far too long for a single post. Thus it will appear in three parts starting with Part … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Economy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Does a Technology-Driven Civilization Need Liberal Arts Learning?

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Steven Yates

To say higher education in the U.S. is in poor shape may be the understatement of the century. Whether it is due to outrageous and still-rising tuition payments now made by undergraduates and students in professional programs who will graduate … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Culture, Higher Education Generally, Philosophy, Political Economy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Euthyphro’s Frustration (An Occasional Philosophical Note #1)

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Steven Yates

Note: with this post I am beginning a series of shorter posts to lay out specific foundational issues illustrated in basic philosophical texts which, for my purposes, I will take at face value (i.e., I am not “deconstructing” them or … Continue reading →

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“Reality 101”

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Steven Yates

[Note: cross-posted on the news and commentary site NewsWithViews.com as https://newswithviews.com/reality-101/ with a few minor changes.] Time for something different. I’ve written a novel. As I write this, it’s 98% finished (all but massaging and embellishing). It will be marketed as … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Election 2016 and Aftermath, Political Economy, Where is Civilization Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Of Climate Change, Science, and Experts: A Meditation

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Steven Yates

[Author´s note: co-posted on NewsWithViews.com but has yet to appear there. I have added and deleted a number of lines here and there and in general tried to increase clarity wherever possible.] A few months ago, a friend of mine, his … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books, Election 2016 and Aftermath, Higher Education Generally, Philosophy of Science, Political Economy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Art of the Argument: Stefan Molyneux’s Book Reviewed on LGP

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Steven Yates

(Note: co-posted as a product review on Amazon.com with the necessary modifications.) Stefan Molyneux, The Art of the Argument: Western Civilization’s Last Stand (Kindle Edition, Amazon Digital Services LLC: August 27, 2017). Pp. 172 / kb 299.  This book was panned on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Higher Education Generally, Libertarianism, Political Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Analytic Philosophy: An Informal Defense (and a Modest Criticism)

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Steven Yates

This is a post dealing with a few basic issues in contemporary philosophy, issues easily lost sight of even by some trained professionals depending on their inclination. History discloses four major traditions, or more precisely, methods, of doing philosophy. There … Continue reading →

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Official Narratives

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Steven Yates

Note:  the post below is a brief excerpt from the central section of a much longer work in progress, tentatively entitled Confessions of an (Ex) Academic Dissident, which may or may not see the light of print someday. The topic, though, seems … Continue reading →

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Wittgenstein’s Two Greatest Insights About Language

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Steven Yates

We’re back, after another unfortunate hiatus caused by a lingering illness and furthered by a computer meltdown. Might as well accept it: I will never be a technology person. But anywize…. This post is one I’ve been planning for some … Continue reading →

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Academia Embarrasses Itself Again: the Hypatia Affair

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Steven Yates

The last time I wrote a piece of this sort, an exposé of academic philosophers embarrassing themselves, it caused me some problems. I try to learn from my mistakes, and what I learned from that occasion could be set down … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Where Is Philosophy Going? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments