Introducing Phillip Hoffmann, philosopher, musician and author of My Left Thumb.

I'm thrilled to get to introduce a new friend and co-worker at BWL Publishing! Phil has a great new book out called "My Left Thumb" that I'm interested in checking out! 

 Phillip Hoffmann is a dual Australian-Canadian citizen who holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Calgary, specializing in the philosophy of science. He is the author of three books including Nothing So Absurd: An Invitation to Philosophy (Broadview Press, 2003). In addition to conducting online philosophy tutorials and sitting on numerous volunteer organization boards, his interests include composing and recording acoustic fingerstyle guitar music, and collecting antique Persian rugs. He lives in Airdrie, Alberta.  

You can find him at:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057390372022

https://bwlpublishing.ca/hoffmann-phillip/

How many hours a day to you write?

None, LOL! Unless I’m staring at a deadline for the occasional (usually unpaid!) freelance writing request, I have always written for pleasure only when the Muses visit, which makes me a truly terrible role model for any aspiring writer. For discipline, Hemingway is the guy.

What is your favorite childhood book?

"Der Struwwelpeter” (don’t try to pronounce it!). My background is German-Australian, and it’s a dystopian children's book that traumatized generations of German kids with stories about what would happen to them if they dared to be so disobedient as to do things like suck their thumbs! Later on, however, it became something of a cult classic among Germans of my generation. Go figure! 

What inspired you to write this book?

It was originally a COVID-era project that arose from a nagging desire I had at the time to gather together various philosophical papers, essays and talks I’d accumulated over the years into book form, so it wasn’t much of a stretch at the time, which was convenient because I’m basically lazy. For the second edition for BWL, I expanded it considerably by adding five new essays to the original 15.

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

 I see myself lolling on a beach in Tahiti trying to figure out how to spend my royalty cheques. Kidding. I’ll be interested to find out the extent to which I’m prompted to modify or refine the positions I’ve worked out on topics such as free will, information, and above all the nature and importance of objective truth. I must say, the craziness of the last few years has left me feeling pretty vindicated about my position on truth.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

None, except for a half-written co-write project with a physicist friend of mine in Australia that has been dormant for a few years. That said, I’m always keenly aware that it doesn’t take much for something to grab my attention and compel me to write at any time.

Was there a person who encouraged you to write?

Too many to mention, from encouraging teachers and inspiring professors to a long list of authors I’ve admired and venerated throughout my life, starting with Shakespeare. For essay writing, two authors who are heroes of mine are the late Lewis Thomas and Annie Dillard (for her pitch-perfect prose). Among novelists, Thomas Pynchon and George Eliot are two names that come to mind, and of philosophers, Plato, David Lewis and Daniel Dennett are three among very many who inspire me. 

My Left Thumb: Philosophical Essays (Second Edition)

This collection of philosophical essays reflects the author’s views and perspectives on a wide range of themes and topics, including the philosophy of science, metaphysics, language, truth, knowledge, free will, reality and meaning. Lively, accessible, breezy, thought-provoking and frequently entertaining, this expanded second edition represents two decades of Hoffmann’s progress in grappling with these fascinating issues, as well as his efforts to share his fascination with general audiences wanting to dip their toes into philosophy.

To Purchase:

https://books2read.com/My-Left-Thumb-Hoffmann

Nothing So Absurd: An Invitation to Philosophy

Written in clear, non-technical language, Nothing So Absurd is a succinct and accessible introduction to topics in the history of Western philosophy. In seven concise chapters, the author introduces the reader to the central topics within the discipline. In some cases (such as metaphysics and epistemology) he adopts a historical approach, while in others (such as ethics and philosophy of religion) the focus is as much on contemporary issues as it is on historical developments. In each area, he presents material of great intrinsic interest in a fashion that also provides a sense of the broad sweep of the discipline.

This book provides a fair-minded exposition of a wide-range of viewpoints throughout, and dwells, in its final chapter, on the virtues of philosophical realism, thus presenting the reader with the opportunity to engage with a direct philosophical argument. A guide to further reading will assist readers new to philosophy.