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Sep 23, 2025
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Description
In the late, post-lockdown days of the pandemic, grappling with personal loss and existential uncertainty, Justin Smith-Ruiu found himself standing in a California cannabis dispensary, pondering a question his tribe of fellow philosophers have often dismissed as too simple: How did I get here? That moment marked a transition for him--it was the start of a journey Smith-Ruiu would take to experience his own mind and the world around him in a new, clarifying way.
On Drugs blends autobiography, intellectual history, and philosophical inquiry to explore the transformative impact of psychedelics on human consciousness and thought. Drawing on his personal experiences as 'an articulate guinea pig, ' Smith-Ruiu argues that psychedelics upend our assumptions about the nature of reality--and thus force a reckoning with the very foundations of Western philosophy.
Provocative, profound, and deeply personal, On Drugs points toward a radically new way of thinking about the world and our capacity to understand it.
On Drugs blends autobiography, intellectual history, and philosophical inquiry to explore the transformative impact of psychedelics on human consciousness and thought. Drawing on his personal experiences as 'an articulate guinea pig, ' Smith-Ruiu argues that psychedelics upend our assumptions about the nature of reality--and thus force a reckoning with the very foundations of Western philosophy.
Provocative, profound, and deeply personal, On Drugs points toward a radically new way of thinking about the world and our capacity to understand it.
Product Details
| Publisher | Liveright Publishing Corporation |
| Publish Date | September 23, 2025 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781324094975 |
| Dimensions | 8.6 X 5.8 X 1.1 inches | 0.8 pounds |
About the Author
Justin Smith-Ruiu is a professor of history and philosophy of science at the Université Paris Cité. He is the author, most recently, of The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is. He writes regularly for Harper's, WIRED, the New York Times, and other publications. He lives in Paris.
Reviews
A layered philosophical investigation of drugs and their complexities . . . Smith-Ruiu is interested in how we perceive reality and whether drugs distort that perception or, conversely, reveal to us dimensions that we do not otherwise grok . . . An innovative application of philosophy to matters ineffable, intoxicating, and altogether interesting.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
An insightful work of philosophy supported by a surprisingly powerful memoiristic arc, Justin Smith-Ruiu's new book works better than any psychedelic could to reopen the doors of perception and cast humanity's long-standing hunger for mind-altering experiences in a new and thrilling light.--Kristen Roupenian, author of Cat Person and Other Stories
Is the 'psychedelic renaissance' a flowering of human potential, a throughway to mystical experience, offering deep insights into the nature of mind and reality, or a quick fix for mental disorders? In this wide-ranging reflection, philosopher and historian of science Justin Smith-Ruiu explores these questions with his characteristic verve and erudition, enlivened with a searching account of his own journey. Anyone who wonders what to make of the shifting landscape of psychedelics will be richly rewarded by this book.--Laurence J. Kirmayer, Distinguished James McGill Professor and director of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University
It makes perfect sense to me that Justin Smith-Ruiu has written a book about being on drugs, because his intellectually psychedelic writing always makes me feel like I'm on drugs myself. So it is here. Disparate domains of mind are brought together. Strange, compelling entities appear. The world feels altered yet uncannily familiar. Something groovy happens to your brain. It all adds up to a higher lucidity that leaves you feeling permanently wiser.--William Deresiewicz, author of The End of Solitude
An insightful work of philosophy supported by a surprisingly powerful memoiristic arc, Justin Smith-Ruiu's new book works better than any psychedelic could to reopen the doors of perception and cast humanity's long-standing hunger for mind-altering experiences in a new and thrilling light.--Kristen Roupenian, author of Cat Person and Other Stories
Is the 'psychedelic renaissance' a flowering of human potential, a throughway to mystical experience, offering deep insights into the nature of mind and reality, or a quick fix for mental disorders? In this wide-ranging reflection, philosopher and historian of science Justin Smith-Ruiu explores these questions with his characteristic verve and erudition, enlivened with a searching account of his own journey. Anyone who wonders what to make of the shifting landscape of psychedelics will be richly rewarded by this book.--Laurence J. Kirmayer, Distinguished James McGill Professor and director of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University
It makes perfect sense to me that Justin Smith-Ruiu has written a book about being on drugs, because his intellectually psychedelic writing always makes me feel like I'm on drugs myself. So it is here. Disparate domains of mind are brought together. Strange, compelling entities appear. The world feels altered yet uncannily familiar. Something groovy happens to your brain. It all adds up to a higher lucidity that leaves you feeling permanently wiser.--William Deresiewicz, author of The End of Solitude
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