Tim Smartt

Tim Smartt is a Research Associate at the University of Notre Dame Australia in the Institute for Ethics & Society. He holds an MPhil in philosophy from the University of Sydney. He spent a semester of his MPhil candidature studying abroad at Princeton University.

Tim Smartt reviews 'The Dream of Enlightenment: The rise of modern philosophy' by Anthony Gottlieb

May 2017, no. 391 • 30 April 2017

In 1784 Immanuel Kant wrote a remarkable essay entitled ‘An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment?’ The essay, written for a magazine, provided an occasion for the great and difficult philosopher to present some of his ideas to a broader audience. The essay is short, accessible, and contains breezy descriptions of freedom, rationality, and human dignity. Kant’s answer is that enlight ... (read more)

Tim Smartt reviews 'The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the new science of child development tells us about the relationship between parents and children' by Alison Gopnik

December 2016, no. 387 • 30 November 2016

Philosophers do not have the best track record as parents. Plato seemed to entertain the idea that children should be raised by the state. Rousseau abandoned all five of his children to an orphanage. There is a rumour that Descartes used to travel with a life-sized mechanical doll that he named after his daughter. Wittgenstein was encouraged to move on from his brief career as a primary school tea ... (read more)