Welcome to The Base Camp
My name is Adam Robbert. I write here about philosophy, religion, contemplative practices, aesthetics, the science of perception, and the craft of writing. I run a new event and lecture series in the SF Bay Area focused on renewing contemplation and the humanities in the twenty-first century. It’s called The Theōros Project.
My background is in editing and publishing, both in academia and in the nonprofit world. I also spent several years teaching grad students how to write strong and compelling research papers. Most recently I worked as an advisor helping people think more thoughtfully about the relationship between the humanities and technology. I am nearing completion of a PhD in philosophy and religion.
I’m currently finishing my first full-length manuscript, Askēsis and Perception: Philosophy as a Way of Life, which approaches philosophy and perception from a practice-oriented perspective. A key inspiration for this work is the French philosopher Pierre Hadot, but I also engage with other thinkers and philosophical movements in the text, including Plato and Platonism, neoplatonic and medieval thinkers, Christian saints and mystics, the cultures of ancient and modern philosophy, and contemporary figures like Charles Taylor, Andrea Nightingale, and Eric Perl.
A few primer links for this website:
The Shape of Thought to Come: Askēsis and the future of philosophy
Contemplation and the Humanities: Notes from our first Theōros event
A short essay “What Is the Base Camp?”
The 15-page introduction to the book
Read more about askēsis (exercise)
Collected Essays No. 1: January–May, 2024
I’m also the founding editor of The Side View (TSV), an independent publisher and media organization. We published dozens of articles and podcasts exploring the idea that perception is a skill or art form of its own. We drew from architects, designers, philosophers, contemplatives (East and West), medievalists, long-term thinkers, cognitive scientists, psychologists, BJJ black belts, Stoics, and more.
TSV is currently on hiatus.
Feel free to get in touch on Twitter / X (@AE_Robbert) or via email (ae.robbert@gmail).
