Introducing Uncommon Wisdom

Introducing this Substack to my many new and recent subscribers!

Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. It helps grow the newsletter and podcast without a financial contribution on your part. Anything is very much appreciated. And thank you, as always, for reading and listening.

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Hi! My name is Jimmy Alfonso Licon. During the day, I’m a moral philosopher at Arizona State University, where my work explores the intersections of epistemology, ethics, and political economy. I’ve published on topics like morally mandatory knowledge (forthcoming), the ethics of transparency (e.g., ever wonder why the founders wrote the constitution in secret?), the reputational dynamics of ignorance (e.g., people may learn less to appear less calculating, and more principled), and the epistemic trade-offs created by institutional incentives (e.g., how much should one specialize versus generalize in various skills). My work has appeared in research journals like Episteme, The Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, and Philosophical Psychology, and many others.

I also teach classes ranging from the philosophy of time travel (the most popular class I teach!) to business ethics and the philosophy of law. It is always refreshing to have students who are engaged, bright, and very curious! They are the reason I teach.

Here on Uncommon Wisdom, I write for a wider audience, distilling ideas for readers who don’t need an academic setting to engage with big questions. I explore themes from my research: why certain knowledge carries moral weight, how bullshit thrives in democracies, how incentives influence knowledge production, the case for hoping God exists, and how utilitarianism can help us better reward our doggy friends (and maybe cats too .. but ya know … cats).

Some posts build on my academic work, and others venture into fresh territory, like the ethics of elevator regulations, moral signaling in public policy, or the role of self-deception in everyday life. If you’re intrigued by how knowledge, deception, and incentives shape our moral world, and lots of other cool topics, you’ll find plenty here. I invite readers to join me as true lovers of wisdom!

If you like what you read, then subscribe and tell your friends!

The author in May 2019 right after passing his philosophy dissertation defense with minor revisions. Oh what a day! Photo credit: Josie Licon (the author’s lovely wife).