The Logic (of my experience of) Philosophy (and a Prize Announcement!)

Philosophy is a scientific endeavour. It is also a humanities endeavour. We are learning to question everything. An amazing structure of enquiry is built up before our eyes. Philosophy helps you assess the validity arguments and the underlying reasons for your ideas and claims. This is something I didn't always know. When I began as a philosophy student in Santa Cruz in 1986, I was at the crossroads of an enlightened community, an interdisciplinary experience that I have since recreated in the classroom numerous times. I tell you this because I want you to understand these mysteries of consciousness as well, and it is one of my great commitments in life that I will show you this stunning view, this bright clear perfect night when there is a full moon and we can see the Milky Way.

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When I became a scholar, I became enamoured with institutional doctrines, and got mired in small subtle enquiries of I know not what. But then I suddenly built this new model in my head. A painter friend of mine once talked about suddenly seeing things, and I really tuned in to that. Now I am applying that inside my own work, where I am literally examining fundamental ideas of metaphysics and epistemology. This is no joke. I have submitted these ideas to a major journal, and I have authority to note that these patterns are powerful, and this is a comment if you will that needs to me made. So here I am at the big school, and I'm happier than I could imagine.

My empathic response to philosophy has garnered a $1000 prize from the Port Royal Foundation, and I would like to thank PhilPapers, Eric Schliesser, Penelopy Maddie, and Ed Zalta for their contributions. This is a matter which was confirmed to me when my lecturers used to say 'This is an existence predicate, this is a container of truth, so it's part of a subjective logic which we experience without necessarily saying anything about whether anything is, or could be valid'. This deontic logic really excited me. Almost reading my mind, I found a big book saying some of what I had in mind. This was an amazing area, and I am still unravelling the full implications.

What are your favourite places that philosophy has or has not been to yet? And why are your ideas so important? Tell me I'm not just imagining everything here!

Please give full explanations of everything you say in the comments. Some people have made various errors in the past, and this will not be tolerated for much longer. But please, tell us what you have to say!