Background

Without Why is an independent publication launched in December 2024 by me, B. Scot Rousse. Click this link to see the full gallery of posts so far.

The name "Without Why" is from the 17th century mystic, Angelus Silesius, who wrote: "Die Rose ist ohne warum; sie blühet weil sie blühet" - "The rose is without why; it blooms because it blooms."

I received a PhD in philosophy from Northwestern University, have published widely in the tradition of phenomenology (roughly, the rigorous study of experience), have been a drummer in punk bands for my entire life, and have worked for the last decade in the field of consulting and professional development.

This site is a place for me to experiment bringing these various threads together in my writing. I will be your guide about the philosophical implications of current events, such as developments in AI and other technologies. I will also regularly share my expertise in the domains of philosophy I have studied, especially phenomenology.

Currently, I am a visiting scholar in the philosophy of technology at Topos Institute in Berkeley, an organization devoted to technologies for collective sense-making. I'm also a long-time visiting scholar in the Department of Philosophy at UC Berkeley. Formerly, I was Director of Research at Pluralistic Networks, a consulting and professional development company based out of Oakland, CA.

My scholarly writings are noted on my Google Scholar Page. Feel free to write to me if you’d like a pdf of any of these articles. You can get an overview of my ongoing life in punk music from my page on Discogs.com or by checking out this YouTube playlist.

If you would like to make a one-time donation to support the work of this site you can do so here.

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