**Can You Be Both a Philosopher and an Activist?** **The proposition:** *Philosophy and activism are mutually exclusive intellectual positions.* The philosopher begins with a question; the activist begins with an answer. Philosophy demands an open mind, a willingness to challenge assumptions, question convictions and follow reason wherever it leads, even towards unwelcome conclusions. Activism requires commitment to a cause, conviction in its legitimacy and determination to achieve a particular outcome. The philosopher aspires towards what Thomas Nagel called "the view from nowhere": a perspective free, as far as possible, from personal beliefs, prejudices and loyalties. The activist necessarily operates from a fixed standpoint, seeking to advance an already established position. An individual may practise philosophy on one occasion and activism on another, but **cannot simultaneously** maintain an entirely open mind and campaign for a predetermined conclusion on the same issue. The philosopher seeks to discover the destination; the activist has already decided where to go. **Can these two intellectual positions ever genuinely coexist?**

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