MSI Press Blog

In an era of endless connectivity, why do so many feel profoundly alone? Philosophy has long grappled with alienation—what Marx saw as estrangement from labor, what Sartre described as the burden of radical freedom, and what Simone Weil considered the soul’s hunger for rootedness. Today, alienation has morphed, expanding into new domains: social media performance, algorithmic labor, and the commodification of identity. 🧠  From Roots to Rhizomes: Lost Anchors of Meaning Traditional communities once offered deep identity through shared rituals, languages, and sacred ground. Now, these have been replaced by what philosopher Byung-Chul Han calls “smooth communication”—efficient but shallow, reducing dialogue to data. We’ve traded anchors for networks, but the latter often lack spiritual or emotional depth. ✨  The Self as Product Where once we were human  beings , now we are human  brands . Philosophers like Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò interrogate the politics of positionality: are w...

  In a world increasingly shaped by metrics and immediacy, the trio of truth, ethics, and aesthetics might seem like distant cousins—each speaking its own language, each pursuing its own ideal. But look closer, and you’ll find they’re reflections in the same mirror, bending light toward meaning. 🧭 Truth: The Compass Truth is often cast as the cold, hard compass—pointing us toward what  is , regardless of what we  wish  it to be. But truth isn’t just factual; it’s relational. In caregiving, for instance, truth might mean acknowledging decline while still honoring dignity. In art, it might mean revealing a deeper reality through metaphor. And in ethics, truth becomes the foundation for moral reasoning—what we owe to others, and why. ⚖️ Ethics: The Anchor Ethics asks:  What should we do?  But it also asks:  Who should we be?  It’s the anchor that holds us steady in turbulent waters. Yet ethics without aesthetics can become rigid, and ethics without ...

  🌩️ Is Philosophy Dead? Not While Rainstorms Are Brewing For centuries, philosophy has been the compass guiding humanity through the fog of existence. But in an age of algorithms, instant gratification, and relentless pragmatism, one might ask:  Is philosophy dead?  If so, someone forgot to tell Renyuan Dong. Dong’s award-winning book,  Rainstorm of Tomorrow: The Ever-Flowing Banquet of Philosophy , is anything but a eulogy. It’s a kaleidoscopic revival—a daring fusion of truth, ethics, and aesthetics with quantum mechanics, neuroscience, and modern art. Dong doesn’t just ask questions; he rewires them. His imagery—trees growing into the soil with roots buried in the air—feels like philosophy reimagined for a world upside-down. But Dong isn’t alone. A new generation of thinkers is proving that philosophy isn’t dead—it’s evolving. Here are a few more young philosophers worth watching: 🔍 1.  Agnes Callard Though not quite a newcomer, Callard’s work on aspiratio...