Phil here. I’ve written several novels as P.J. Anderson, but this blog is where I publish my non-fiction essays and assorted scribblings. I’ve gathered most of the posts into three (very) broad themes:
Reflections
These are my musings on life from the perspective of the preacher’s kid, brought up in a fundamentalist sect and, to some extent, still recovering from it. Meanwhile, I am generally trying to get by in post-industrial Wales.
As well as prose I may also treat you to some doggerel verse.
It may not always be very good. It will always be honest.
Logos Weave
This is where I climb into my mental spaceship and explore metaphysics: being, reality, consciousness, archetypes, and whatever we might mean by “the divine”.
My perspective is unapologetically informed by the perennial wisdom tradition, while remaining open-minded and exploratory. Some of the questions examined here are either profoundly important or fundamentally unanswerable.
Possibly both.
Civic Forum
This is where I explore political philosophy and civic responsibility.
The general mood is civic republican and post-liberal, although you may be relieved to learn that I have no intention of providing commentary on current events, individual politicians, or political parties.
I’m interested less in today’s headlines than in the deeper questions of how societies ought to be organised, what citizenship means, and what we owe one another as members of a political community.
In the beginning…
I started with the intention of writing about a sense of place and belonging focused on my home region of South East Wales, reflecting on its real history and geography and the parallel ‘Siluria’ of my imagination.
Yes, already quite ‘niche’.
The original intention may resurface from time to time, but the blog has so far evolved into me publicly scratching a number of long-standing intellectual itches. This means venturing into subjects generally considered unsuitable for polite company, namely politics and religion.
My style is essentially stream-of-consciousness, more intellectual exploration than scholarship. I follow interesting (to me) questions wherever they lead, often a case of thinking aloud, throwing the resulting jumble into a draft, and then running it through an AI editor.
Usually I try to argue from first principles and follow where the argument leads rather than regurgitate or review the theories or research of others. Of course I am deeply influenced by many thinkers through my eclectic reading habits, but for the time being I have intentionally not included references, footnotes or bibliography.
But if you will allow me this little indulgence, then I do encourage any passing readers to offer comments, challenges and their own opinions.
How I Use AI
I use AI extensively as a copy editor, sounding board, and occasional creative sparring partner.
The published opinions are mine. The mistakes are mine too. Unless of course they might get me in trouble, in which case the AI is to blame.
Everything you read here should be approached with a healthy degree of critical scepticism and with your own mental faculties fully engaged.
It is also important to note that I do not possess the answers. Most of the views expressed on this blog are not final, settled conclusions. I try to hold my beliefs lightly and my doubts lightly too.
Even when I think I have reached a conclusion, another question usually follows:
So what?
Or, as my wife would put it:
“What’s all this got to do with the price of eggs?”
By which she means: how does any of this theory connect with ordinary life?
I am still working that out.
