Ronald Raadsen
@ronaldraadsen.bsky.social
Philosophy, theology, business ethics across traditions. Questions that don't have quarterly reports. Publisher: Terra Philosophica. MBA + Great Books. 📖 terraphilosophica.substack.com
“Our truth is not a ‘being,’ but a ‘staying’ here, in this place, with this hunger, and with this hope.” ~ Rodolfo Kusch
This quote suggests our identity isn’t a trophy we win at the end of a career, but rather the way we occupy the space we are in.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/rodolfo-ku...
This quote suggests our identity isn’t a trophy we win at the end of a career, but rather the way we occupy the space we are in.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/rodolfo-ku...
Rodolfo Kusch: Our Truth Is "Staying" Here
“Our truth is not a ‘being,’ but a ‘staying’ here, in this place, with this hunger, and with this hope.”
terraphilosophica.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM
“Our truth is not a ‘being,’ but a ‘staying’ here, in this place, with this hunger, and with this hope.” ~ Rodolfo Kusch
This quote suggests our identity isn’t a trophy we win at the end of a career, but rather the way we occupy the space we are in.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/rodolfo-ku...
This quote suggests our identity isn’t a trophy we win at the end of a career, but rather the way we occupy the space we are in.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/rodolfo-ku...
Reposted by Ronald Raadsen
This is Bailey. She normally gets kibble for dinner but she's pretty sure there's meatballs in here so she's very excited. 14/10 (TT: baileycarriesthings)
February 12, 2026 at 12:02 AM
This is Bailey. She normally gets kibble for dinner but she's pretty sure there's meatballs in here so she's very excited. 14/10 (TT: baileycarriesthings)
Zhuangzi's useless tree survives because it resists exploitation. Mental health claims up 80%. What looks unproductive often preserves what matters most.
New essay on optimization and organizational sustainability:
New essay on optimization and organizational sustainability:
The Useless Tree: What Organizations Destroy When They Optimize Everything
I’ve been studying Byung-Chul Han’s book Non-Things. It’s the third of his works I’ve worked through over the past year. The others were The Transparency Society and The Burnout Society. Han’s focus…
terraphilosophica.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Zhuangzi's useless tree survives because it resists exploitation. Mental health claims up 80%. What looks unproductive often preserves what matters most.
New essay on optimization and organizational sustainability:
New essay on optimization and organizational sustainability:
Lakota philosophy calls money "Green Frog Skin." It’s a warning: don't mistake the metric (the skin) for the life force (the frog).
40 years in finance taught me the same. Here is why greed drives out meaning.
#Philosophy #Ethics
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/green-frog...
40 years in finance taught me the same. Here is why greed drives out meaning.
#Philosophy #Ethics
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/green-frog...
Green Frog Skin
Why System Change Won’t Save Us
terraphilosophica.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Lakota philosophy calls money "Green Frog Skin." It’s a warning: don't mistake the metric (the skin) for the life force (the frog).
40 years in finance taught me the same. Here is why greed drives out meaning.
#Philosophy #Ethics
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/green-frog...
40 years in finance taught me the same. Here is why greed drives out meaning.
#Philosophy #Ethics
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/green-frog...
Carney at Davos: we’re not in transition but rupture, and many global norms now function more as ritual than constraint.
Worth reading.
globalnews.ca/news/1162087...
#PoliticalEconomy #GlobalGovernance
Worth reading.
globalnews.ca/news/1162087...
#PoliticalEconomy #GlobalGovernance
Read the full transcript of Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum - National | Globalnews.ca
Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a forceful speech in Davos, Switzerland, on the 'new world order' and how middle powers like Canada can benefit by working together.
globalnews.ca
January 21, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Carney at Davos: we’re not in transition but rupture, and many global norms now function more as ritual than constraint.
Worth reading.
globalnews.ca/news/1162087...
#PoliticalEconomy #GlobalGovernance
Worth reading.
globalnews.ca/news/1162087...
#PoliticalEconomy #GlobalGovernance
What changed isn’t photography itself, but where images are forced to live.
An essay thinking with Byung-chul Han’s Non-Things.
An essay thinking with Byung-chul Han’s Non-Things.
When Images Lost Their Weight
Byung-chul Han's "Selfies"
terraphilosophica.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM
What changed isn’t photography itself, but where images are forced to live.
An essay thinking with Byung-chul Han’s Non-Things.
An essay thinking with Byung-chul Han’s Non-Things.
Core inflation rose less than expected last month, affirming the decision by the Federal Reserve in recent months to focus more on shoring up the labor market than on reducing price pressures.
www.cfodive.com/news/inflati... #Inflation #FederalReserve #Fed #Money #Economy
www.cfodive.com/news/inflati... #Inflation #FederalReserve #Fed #Money #Economy
Inflation holds steady, affirming Fed focus on weak job market
“Risks to employment have increased as the labor market cooled, while the upside risks to inflation have lessened somewhat,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said.
www.cfodive.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Core inflation rose less than expected last month, affirming the decision by the Federal Reserve in recent months to focus more on shoring up the labor market than on reducing price pressures.
www.cfodive.com/news/inflati... #Inflation #FederalReserve #Fed #Money #Economy
www.cfodive.com/news/inflati... #Inflation #FederalReserve #Fed #Money #Economy
I wrote an essay on why theology matters. Not just as doctrine, but as a way of resisting the distortion of sacred language.
It grew out of watching how power repurposes religious words.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-need-f...
#Theology
It grew out of watching how power repurposes religious words.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-need-f...
#Theology
The Need for Theology
On Distortion, Power, and the Abuse of Sacred Language
terraphilosophica.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:01 PM
I wrote an essay on why theology matters. Not just as doctrine, but as a way of resisting the distortion of sacred language.
It grew out of watching how power repurposes religious words.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-need-f...
#Theology
It grew out of watching how power repurposes religious words.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-need-f...
#Theology
A clear argument that a great reply to US tariffs isn’t more tariffs. Cory Doctorow makes a case that repealing anti-circumvention laws could shift hundreds of billions from corporate rents back to consumers.
www.wired.com/story/us-tra... #Tariffs #Trade #Technology #Anticircumvention #TradeWar
www.wired.com/story/us-tra... #Tariffs #Trade #Technology #Anticircumvention #TradeWar
US Trade Dominance Will Soon Begin to Crack
Savvy countries will discover there’s a way to mitigate the harm incurred by Trump’s tariffs—and it’ll boost their own economies while making goods cheaper too.
www.wired.com
December 27, 2025 at 4:00 PM
A clear argument that a great reply to US tariffs isn’t more tariffs. Cory Doctorow makes a case that repealing anti-circumvention laws could shift hundreds of billions from corporate rents back to consumers.
www.wired.com/story/us-tra... #Tariffs #Trade #Technology #Anticircumvention #TradeWar
www.wired.com/story/us-tra... #Tariffs #Trade #Technology #Anticircumvention #TradeWar
Andreessen Horowitz’s super PAC is targeting NY Assemblymember Alex Bores over his AI safety bill, sparking a showdown over the future of AI regulation.
www.wired.com/story/alex-b... #AI #AISafety #Politics #AIRegulation #PoliticalInfluence #BigTech
www.wired.com/story/alex-b... #AI #AISafety #Politics #AIRegulation #PoliticalInfluence #BigTech
A $100 Million AI Super PAC Targeted New York Democrat Alex Bores. He Thinks It Backfired
Leading the Future said it will spend millions to keep Alex Bores out of Congress. It might be helping him instead.
www.wired.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Andreessen Horowitz’s super PAC is targeting NY Assemblymember Alex Bores over his AI safety bill, sparking a showdown over the future of AI regulation.
www.wired.com/story/alex-b... #AI #AISafety #Politics #AIRegulation #PoliticalInfluence #BigTech
www.wired.com/story/alex-b... #AI #AISafety #Politics #AIRegulation #PoliticalInfluence #BigTech
Inflation remains broad-based: 55% of CPI categories are rising faster than 3% annually, keeping Fed rate cuts unlikely and signaling higher costs into 2026 for businesses and consumers.
www.cfodive.com/news/most-pr...
#Inflation #CFO #FederalReserve #FinanceStrategy #EconomicOutlook #Leadership
www.cfodive.com/news/most-pr...
#Inflation #CFO #FederalReserve #FinanceStrategy #EconomicOutlook #Leadership
Most prices in CPI inflation data rising faster than 3%: Apollo’s Sløk
Several Federal Reserve district bank presidents have voiced concern this month about persistent inflation and cautioned against more reductions in borrowing costs.
www.cfodive.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Inflation remains broad-based: 55% of CPI categories are rising faster than 3% annually, keeping Fed rate cuts unlikely and signaling higher costs into 2026 for businesses and consumers.
www.cfodive.com/news/most-pr...
#Inflation #CFO #FederalReserve #FinanceStrategy #EconomicOutlook #Leadership
www.cfodive.com/news/most-pr...
#Inflation #CFO #FederalReserve #FinanceStrategy #EconomicOutlook #Leadership
$1 trillion could:
- Provide universal pre-K education
- Eliminate certain categories of poverty
- Accelerate medical research across dozens of diseases
Instead, it *might* go to someone worth $473 billion—if Tesla's market cap grows 466%.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
- Provide universal pre-K education
- Eliminate certain categories of poverty
- Accelerate medical research across dozens of diseases
Instead, it *might* go to someone worth $473 billion—if Tesla's market cap grows 466%.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
The $1 Trillion Pay Package: When "Enough" Ceases to Exist
Aristotle warned us about pleonexia—unlimited desire that corrupts political communities. Tesla's shareholder vote proves he was right.
terraphilosophica.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM
$1 trillion could:
- Provide universal pre-K education
- Eliminate certain categories of poverty
- Accelerate medical research across dozens of diseases
Instead, it *might* go to someone worth $473 billion—if Tesla's market cap grows 466%.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
- Provide universal pre-K education
- Eliminate certain categories of poverty
- Accelerate medical research across dozens of diseases
Instead, it *might* go to someone worth $473 billion—if Tesla's market cap grows 466%.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
Serious question: Can structural reforms (wealth taxes, stakeholder boards, campaign finance limits) constrain pleonexia without moral formation?
Or was Aristotle right that you can't fix problems of character with problems of law?
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
Or was Aristotle right that you can't fix problems of character with problems of law?
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
The $1 Trillion Pay Package: When "Enough" Ceases to Exist
Aristotle warned us about pleonexia—unlimited desire that corrupts political communities. Tesla's shareholder vote proves he was right.
terraphilosophica.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Serious question: Can structural reforms (wealth taxes, stakeholder boards, campaign finance limits) constrain pleonexia without moral formation?
Or was Aristotle right that you can't fix problems of character with problems of law?
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
Or was Aristotle right that you can't fix problems of character with problems of law?
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
"At some point, 'enough' stops being a measure of what we have and becomes a measure of who we are."
On pleonexia, Aristotle, and the $1T compensation package:
On pleonexia, Aristotle, and the $1T compensation package:
The $1 Trillion Pay Package: When "Enough" Ceases to Exist
Aristotle warned us about pleonexia—unlimited desire that corrupts political communities. Tesla's shareholder vote proves he was right.
terraphilosophica.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM
"At some point, 'enough' stops being a measure of what we have and becomes a measure of who we are."
On pleonexia, Aristotle, and the $1T compensation package:
On pleonexia, Aristotle, and the $1T compensation package:
Three ethical frameworks reveal why the $1T Musk package isn't just excessive—it's a symptom of institutional failure.
A thread on justice, stakeholder theory, and the cascading erosion of trust 🧵
A thread on justice, stakeholder theory, and the cascading erosion of trust 🧵
November 11, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Three ethical frameworks reveal why the $1T Musk package isn't just excessive—it's a symptom of institutional failure.
A thread on justice, stakeholder theory, and the cascading erosion of trust 🧵
A thread on justice, stakeholder theory, and the cascading erosion of trust 🧵
The latest consumer sentiment data appears bleak. Job loss expectations are up to 43% (highest since April!), and the 1-year inflation outlook ticked up to 4.7%. Overall mood is now at a 3-year low—that may suggest a bumpy ride ahead.
www.cfodive.com/news/consume...
www.cfodive.com/news/consume...
Consumer sentiment slumps to 3-year low on shutdown, economy fears
The decline in consumer sentiment this month spanned all population categories, including age, income and political affiliation, the University of Michigan found in a survey.
www.cfodive.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The latest consumer sentiment data appears bleak. Job loss expectations are up to 43% (highest since April!), and the 1-year inflation outlook ticked up to 4.7%. Overall mood is now at a 3-year low—that may suggest a bumpy ride ahead.
www.cfodive.com/news/consume...
www.cfodive.com/news/consume...
Aristotle: "The greatest crimes are committed not from necessity, but from excess."
Tesla approved a $1T package for a person worth $473B.
This is pleonexia—unlimited desire—when "enough" ceases to exist.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
Tesla approved a $1T package for a person worth $473B.
This is pleonexia—unlimited desire—when "enough" ceases to exist.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
The $1 Trillion Pay Package: When "Enough" Ceases to Exist
Aristotle warned us about pleonexia—unlimited desire that corrupts political communities. Tesla's shareholder vote proves he was right.
terraphilosophica.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Aristotle: "The greatest crimes are committed not from necessity, but from excess."
Tesla approved a $1T package for a person worth $473B.
This is pleonexia—unlimited desire—when "enough" ceases to exist.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
Tesla approved a $1T package for a person worth $473B.
This is pleonexia—unlimited desire—when "enough" ceases to exist.
terraphilosophica.substack.com/p/the-1-tril...
Aristotle's warning: when trust in institutions erodes, regimes become vulnerable to dissolution.
Not reform. Not change. Dissolution.
We're watching this break down in real time.
What comes next? Different contexts, different forms.
But the warning is clear.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Not reform. Not change. Dissolution.
We're watching this break down in real time.
What comes next? Different contexts, different forms.
But the warning is clear.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Why the Wealthy Commit Crimes: Aristotle on Excess and Legal Failure
Aristotle warned us 2,300 years ago: the greatest crimes stem from unlimited desire, not necessity. Legal reforms alone won’t save us.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Aristotle's warning: when trust in institutions erodes, regimes become vulnerable to dissolution.
Not reform. Not change. Dissolution.
We're watching this break down in real time.
What comes next? Different contexts, different forms.
But the warning is clear.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Not reform. Not change. Dissolution.
We're watching this break down in real time.
What comes next? Different contexts, different forms.
But the warning is clear.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
"You can't fix problems of character with problems of law."
—Aristotle 4th century BCE
Still true. Laws are written by people. If those people lack moderation (sophrosyne), they'll subvert any system.
We keep reaching for legal fixes and wondering why they fail.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
—Aristotle 4th century BCE
Still true. Laws are written by people. If those people lack moderation (sophrosyne), they'll subvert any system.
We keep reaching for legal fixes and wondering why they fail.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Why the Wealthy Commit Crimes: Aristotle on Excess and Legal Failure
Aristotle warned us 2,300 years ago: the greatest crimes stem from unlimited desire, not necessity. Legal reforms alone won’t save us.
open.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:01 PM
"You can't fix problems of character with problems of law."
—Aristotle 4th century BCE
Still true. Laws are written by people. If those people lack moderation (sophrosyne), they'll subvert any system.
We keep reaching for legal fixes and wondering why they fail.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
—Aristotle 4th century BCE
Still true. Laws are written by people. If those people lack moderation (sophrosyne), they'll subvert any system.
We keep reaching for legal fixes and wondering why they fail.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Relocating the UN HQ would cut U.S. prestige, influence, and NYC’s economic gains, while easing security costs, signaling a shift in global diplomacy away from American dominance.
www.newarab.com/opin... #GeoPolitics #UnitedNations #USA #NYC #GlobalDiplomacy
www.newarab.com/opin... #GeoPolitics #UnitedNations #USA #NYC #GlobalDiplomacy
It’s time to relocate the UN headquarters
US interference has long weakened the UN. Relocating its headquarters would restore neutrality, inclusivity, & global credibility, writes Farea Al-Muslimi.
www.newarab.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Relocating the UN HQ would cut U.S. prestige, influence, and NYC’s economic gains, while easing security costs, signaling a shift in global diplomacy away from American dominance.
www.newarab.com/opin... #GeoPolitics #UnitedNations #USA #NYC #GlobalDiplomacy
www.newarab.com/opin... #GeoPolitics #UnitedNations #USA #NYC #GlobalDiplomacy
Aristotle's observation: "The greatest crimes are caused by excess, not necessity."
Madoff wasn't stealing for food. The 2008 financial crisis wasn't by people desperate for groceries.
We keep acting like poverty is the root of crime when it's unlimited desire
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Madoff wasn't stealing for food. The 2008 financial crisis wasn't by people desperate for groceries.
We keep acting like poverty is the root of crime when it's unlimited desire
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Why the Wealthy Commit Crimes: Aristotle on Excess and Legal Failure
Aristotle warned us 2,300 years ago: the greatest crimes stem from unlimited desire, not necessity. Legal reforms alone won’t save us.
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Aristotle's observation: "The greatest crimes are caused by excess, not necessity."
Madoff wasn't stealing for food. The 2008 financial crisis wasn't by people desperate for groceries.
We keep acting like poverty is the root of crime when it's unlimited desire
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Madoff wasn't stealing for food. The 2008 financial crisis wasn't by people desperate for groceries.
We keep acting like poverty is the root of crime when it's unlimited desire
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
Why do wealthy people commit crimes?
Aristotle had this figured out 2,300 years ago. The greatest crimes aren't from necessity—they're from unlimited desire.
Nobody embezzles billions because they need groceries.
New essay on what Aristotle understood that we keep forgetting:
Aristotle had this figured out 2,300 years ago. The greatest crimes aren't from necessity—they're from unlimited desire.
Nobody embezzles billions because they need groceries.
New essay on what Aristotle understood that we keep forgetting:
November 3, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Why do wealthy people commit crimes?
Aristotle had this figured out 2,300 years ago. The greatest crimes aren't from necessity—they're from unlimited desire.
Nobody embezzles billions because they need groceries.
New essay on what Aristotle understood that we keep forgetting:
Aristotle had this figured out 2,300 years ago. The greatest crimes aren't from necessity—they're from unlimited desire.
Nobody embezzles billions because they need groceries.
New essay on what Aristotle understood that we keep forgetting:
No law can restrain those who believe they’re entitled to more than everyone else. That isn’t a failure of policy; it’s a failure of character, and it’s older than any constitution.
November 2, 2025 at 2:31 PM
No law can restrain those who believe they’re entitled to more than everyone else. That isn’t a failure of policy; it’s a failure of character, and it’s older than any constitution.
☕ The Sunday Curio is up
This week: uncertainty and perspective. Economic tremors and new frontiers. History that coils and doubles back.
Five essays on thinking clearly amid the noise and seeing patterns beneath the surface of our unsettled moment.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
This week: uncertainty and perspective. Economic tremors and new frontiers. History that coils and doubles back.
Five essays on thinking clearly amid the noise and seeing patterns beneath the surface of our unsettled moment.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
The Sunday Curio
Disparate essays on human nature, culture, and deeper contexts. Offering fresh perspectives that illuminate complexity.
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM
☕ The Sunday Curio is up
This week: uncertainty and perspective. Economic tremors and new frontiers. History that coils and doubles back.
Five essays on thinking clearly amid the noise and seeing patterns beneath the surface of our unsettled moment.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
This week: uncertainty and perspective. Economic tremors and new frontiers. History that coils and doubles back.
Five essays on thinking clearly amid the noise and seeing patterns beneath the surface of our unsettled moment.
open.substack.com/pub/terraphi...
FASB voted 6-1 to develop accounting rules for stablecoins, exploring if they qualify as cash equivalents under GAAP, following federal push via the Genius Act and growing crypto relevance.
www.cfodive.com/news/fasb-vo... #FASB #Accounting #Stablecoins #Crypto #Finance
www.cfodive.com/news/fasb-vo... #FASB #Accounting #Stablecoins #Crypto #Finance
FASB votes to tackle stablecoin accounting
President Trump’s Digital Asset Working Group has called for FASB to consider whether to treat stablecoins as cash equivalents.
www.cfodive.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM
FASB voted 6-1 to develop accounting rules for stablecoins, exploring if they qualify as cash equivalents under GAAP, following federal push via the Genius Act and growing crypto relevance.
www.cfodive.com/news/fasb-vo... #FASB #Accounting #Stablecoins #Crypto #Finance
www.cfodive.com/news/fasb-vo... #FASB #Accounting #Stablecoins #Crypto #Finance