Category Archives: Articles


Hercules Firing Arrows at his Children



By Phin Upham
Hercules Firing Arrows at his Children - Antonio Canova
The painting “Hercules Firing Arrows at His Children,” by Italian artist Antonio Canova is a moving work of genius. The brilliance of this painting is revealed in its delicate use of detail to express the moment and in the way it expresses emotion. “Hercules Firing Arrows at his Children” was painted in 1799 using oil on paper and glued to canvas. It is 42 X 66 cm. The painting features the infamous madness of Hercules. After being driven mad by the goddess Hera and by drink, he murders his whole family in blind furry. When finally sober, Hercules is surprised and heartbroken by his actions. He agrees to twelve labors in order to partially atone for his sins. Continue reading →


Does the Economic Downtown Need another World War?



By Phin Upham
world war
When it comes to examining the world of investing from a global perspective, it helps to take a step back from the details. It’s important to view the market through several lenses, not only to see the bigger picture but also to see what other people might not notice.

The seriousness of the global economic climate and the structural dependency on globalization might just mean that things will not get any better until a few serious and possibly horrible changes are made. World War II was responsible for ending The Great Depression – it’s true that FDR did not revive the US but that it was brought back to life by the war. World War II required plenty of resources, from nearly every factory to every person in the country, including many women. The entire war effort fueled the economy. If The Great Depression was lifted by a world war, could our downturn benefit from one, too?

Continue reading →


Discover the Philosophers of Today



Phin Upham
By Phin Upham
What are the great minds of today thinking about? Sure, you can read their books and listen to their lectures. Or, you can talk to them. That’s the idea behind a collection of interviews I edited called “Philosophers in Conversation: Interviews from the Harvard Review of Philosophy.” Published in 2002, this one-of-a-kind collection features thirteen interviews with some of the most prominent philosophers of today, including W.V.O. Quine, Richard Rorty, Stanley Cavell, and Hilary Putnam. It also includes a rare conversation with leading contemporary philosopher John Rawls, who is no longer with us. Continue reading →


All We Need Is a Paradigm



All We Need Is a Paradigm
By Phin Upham

I’ve edited a collection of essays called “All We Need Is a Paradigm.” It was published in 2009 by Open Court Publishing Company and covers the topics of science, economics, and logic. Some of the authors include Israel M. Kirzner, George S. Boolos, Marie McGINN, Luciano Berio, and Richard G. Heck, Jr.

The three major themes come up again and again in the essays and often lead to fruitful philosophical insight—the nature of language, the nature of causality, and the nature of human cognition. Many authors point to the problem Wittgenstein critiqued as the confounding vagaries of language itself—“deep disquietudes, their roots are as deep in us as the forms of our language.” Continue reading →


The Space of Love and Garbage



The Space of Love and Garbage
By Phin Upham

Building on my work during my time as Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Review of Philosophy, I worked on a collection of essays called “The Space of Love and Garbage.” Stephen Erickson and Arthur Melzer contributed great essays to the collection; Erickson wrote “The Space of Love and Garbage,” and Melzer wrote “Rousseau and the Modern Cult of Sincerity.” Continue reading →


CEO Longevity: Phin Upham



I just created a Slides from the essay I wrote called “CEO Longevity.” It discusses William Ocasio’s essay “Political Dynamics and the Circulation of Power: CEO succession in U.S. industrial Corporations.” It’s easily digestible and includes the methods Ocasio used for his study.

 

You may also download them at:

http://www.slideshare.net/Phin_Upham/ceo-longevityphinupham
http://www.slideserve.com/phinupham/ceo-longevity

You may also watch this presentation on Youtube.


The Key to Business Success – By Phin Upham



By Phin Upham

What makes one firm better than the other? What gives some firms “sustainable competitive advantage” over other companies in the marketplace? The bad news is that there isn’t a simple, one-size-fits-all answer. But there are many theories. Here’s is a look at one theory that might explain why some firms win. One of the views that attempts to answer why some firms are better than others is the dynamic capabilities view. It describes the successes, failures, and sources of challenge for business people. Complex in nature, the dynamic capabilities view is especially useful in times of change.  Continue reading →