Ivan Bock
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ivanbock.bsky.social
Ivan Bock
@ivanbock.bsky.social
670 followers 780 following 390 posts
PhD (Phil) student at Stellenbosch Uni.
I blog infrequently. Interested in virtue ethics, moral psychology, pragmatism, existentialism, agnosticism, moral anti-realism, and skepticism.

Life is luck! Be kind to all!
Blog: https://ivanbock.substack.com/
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ivanbock.bsky.social
Ivan Bock @ivanbock.bsky.social · Nov 18
I'm sharing my first post on my new Substack blog:
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...

Make sure to check it out! Please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing! There is a lot more to come!

#philsky #blog
Two Principles of Moderate Skepticism: A Better Way Of Doing Philosophy
A brief overview of the skeptical mindset/approach that I generally endorse and how to apply it
open.substack.com
ivanbock.bsky.social
Found these plants at the place we are staying in Paternoster. They almost looked fake, having a slight plastic look. But I really think they are beautiful and rather unique. Some sort of succulent.
An image containing some pink-ish succulents. An image containing some pink-ish succulents. A single succulent is centered to show off its symmetry.
December 27, 2025 at 12:18 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
On our way to a lovely seaside town for Christmas and the dogs are coming with. So far it's been a good trip, but the dogs are anxious.
Good times!
Selfie of the two dogs and myself in the car.
December 21, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
ivanbock.bsky.social
Just another reminder to check out my latest post! Make sure to subscribe if you want to read more like this.
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...
Post image with title: "Freedom Worth Having: A Compatibilist(ish) Theory of Human Freedom and Responsibility".
November 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
Just another reminder to check out my latest post! Make sure to subscribe if you want to read more like this.
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...
Post image with title: "Freedom Worth Having: A Compatibilist(ish) Theory of Human Freedom and Responsibility".
November 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
New essay: "Freedom Worth Having"
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...

#philsky #freewill #blog
Freedom Worth Having: A Compatibilist(ish) Theory of Human Freedom and Responsibility
A brief overview of understanding our freedom and responsibility as aspects of our capacities and social/moral practices
open.substack.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:17 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
I've finished writing my essay on free will, and it is way longer than I thought it would be. But this is pretty common for me.
I'm going to try and finish it up today. So hoping to have it totally done and ready for Friday.

#philsky #blog
November 27, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
michaelburns.bsky.social
screw it it's a holiday week here's the new video on youtube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdji...
how i became a Christian Atheist
YouTube video by Michael Burns
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
lastpositivist.bsky.social
Yahweh shortly before the Flood:
gooseworx.bsky.social they made gooseworx @gooseworx.bsky.social · Nov 20
My favorite thing about creating and owning characters is that I can just be needlessly cruel to them for no reason and nobody's allowed to get mad at me.
November 21, 2025 at 8:17 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
A public notice for those interested in philosophy blogs!

#philsky #blog
Just a notice to those interested, the next essay I want to post here will likely be on free will. Similar to how I gave an overview of my preferred approach to philosophy (moderate skepticism) that I can further defend as the blog grows, I want to provide and overview of what I call pragmatic freedom and responsibility, a sort of compatibilist view. Make sure to stay tuned! Also, just to build some anticipation, my draft backlog contains essays on moral psychology and virtue, free will, the problem of evil/indifference, defending moral anti-realism, and an argument against religious belief based on miracles. So be sure to subscribe so you can check these out!
November 21, 2025 at 4:26 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
I'm sharing my first post on my new Substack blog:
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...

Make sure to check it out! Please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing! There is a lot more to come!

#philsky #blog
Two Principles of Moderate Skepticism: A Better Way Of Doing Philosophy
A brief overview of the skeptical mindset/approach that I generally endorse and how to apply it
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:22 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
Interested in skepticism and pragmatism? Wonder about different approaches to philosophy?
Then check out my blog and my latest essay where I discuss moderate skepticism.

#philsky #blog
November 17, 2025 at 12:58 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
My first Substack post is officially live. Please check it out!
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...

#philsky #blog #skepticism
Two Principles of Moderate Skepticism: A Better Way Of Doing Philosophy
A brief overview of the skeptical mindset/approach that I generally endorse and how to apply it
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:07 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
Happy to report the first post is scheduled to release soon. Keep an eye out, or subscribe to the blog, to be able to read my short intro to moderate skepticism - the philosophical approach I endorse.

#philsky #blog
ivanbock.bsky.social Ivan Bock @ivanbock.bsky.social · Nov 17
I'll be going live with my first substack post soon. I'm moving my blog over there.
If interested in meta-ethics, pragmatism, skepticism, existentialism, and virtue ethics, then please consider checking it out and subscribing for future posts:
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...

#philsky #blog
Nescient Pragmatist | Ivan Bock | Substack
My personal Substack. I post essays on philosophical topics, including critical/creative thinking, agnosticism, skepticism, existentialism, ethics, moral anti-realism/subjectivism, and pragmatism. Cli...
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:13 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
I'll be going live with my first substack post soon. I'm moving my blog over there.
If interested in meta-ethics, pragmatism, skepticism, existentialism, and virtue ethics, then please consider checking it out and subscribing for future posts:
open.substack.com/pub/ivanbock...

#philsky #blog
Nescient Pragmatist | Ivan Bock | Substack
My personal Substack. I post essays on philosophical topics, including critical/creative thinking, agnosticism, skepticism, existentialism, ethics, moral anti-realism/subjectivism, and pragmatism. Cli...
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:35 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
I say this somewhat tongue in cheek, but it is funny how many people dismiss philosophy only for us to keep finding out people like Socrates really were wise:
youtu.be/9M_QK4stCJU?...

#philsky
Why You Shouldn’t Trust Confident People
YouTube video by Veritasium
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
matthewjdowd.bsky.social
happy bday French writer Albert Camus, b.1913.
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
November 7, 2025 at 1:53 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
Pretty decent summary of Epictetus' views and teachings. It has that classic stoic sentiment and psychological theory, while also stressing Epictetus' 'role ethics'. That combination, I think, is a particularly useful and socially just perspective to take.

#stoicism #ethics
Text from Epictetus' Discourses. It reads: "In our school, we picture the philosopher's goal more or less as follows: bring the will in line with events, so that nothing happens contrary to our wishes and, conversely, nothing fails to happen that we want to happen. Pursue it, and the reward is that neither desire nor aversion will fail in their aims; and we will fill all our roles in society - as son, father, brother, citizen, man, woman, neighbour, fellow voyager, ruler or ruled - without conflict, fear or rancour."
November 7, 2025 at 1:56 PM
ivanbock.bsky.social
Fun day at the #RedBullFlugTag !
We came without a plan and ended up getting some nice seats.
A picture of the Cape Town Waterfront, taken on Redbull's 2025 Flugtag event. There are some boats to the left, a large screen center left, and a blue runway on the right. Selfie of my wife and I.
November 2, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
philosophybits.com
“Think for yourself, and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.”

— Voltaire, Treatise on Tolerance
November 2, 2025 at 1:32 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
Truly a beautiful time in Cape Town as the flowers start to bloom. Our bird-of-paradise plants are looking great!
#flowers #capetown
Picture of a bird-of-paradise flower (strelitziaceae). Picture of a bird-of-paradise flower (strelitziaceae). Picture of a bird-of-paradise flower (strelitziaceae).
October 26, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
apsciencebylyn.bsky.social
#EmotionalSupportSpood #Arachtober
Little Brown Creeper boy missing a palp and looking very small (they always do) 🥹
Tiny brown jumping spider with stubby stripy legs, peering at you shyly from tree bark
October 19, 2025 at 4:20 AM
ivanbock.bsky.social
"Whoever knows that he is profound strives for clarity; whoever would like the crowd to think he is profound strives for obscurity. The reason for this is that the crowd thinks something is profound whenever it cannot see to the bottom of it" - Nietzsche
#philsky
October 14, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
philosophybits.com
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers.”

— William James, Memories and Studies

#philosophy #philsky
October 12, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
robsica.bsky.social
"Given their disciplinary expertise, we believe that evolutionary scholars are uniquely equipped to critique these speculations, which borrow from EP’s credibility to advance a depreciatory view of women, while harming the public reputation of the field at large and in academia."
A Hundred and Two Just-So Stories: Exploring the Lay Evolutionary Hypotheses of the Manosphere | Evolutionary Human Sciences | Cambridge Core
A Hundred and Two Just-So Stories: Exploring the Lay Evolutionary Hypotheses of the Manosphere
www.cambridge.org
October 10, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Reposted by Ivan Bock
joanwestenberg.com
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is the laziest moral philosophy ever invented and I'm tired of pretending it's wisdom.

youtu.be/A1z2xW6Zyto
The Existential Danger of Stoic Sadism
When Marcus Aurelius started popping up everywhere, I thought maybe we were getting somewhere. But stoicism has twisted into something darker: stoic sadism, ...
www.youtube.com
October 7, 2025 at 10:18 AM