Thought, put
into words.

01 / The publication

An independent point of view.

Hermeus is a personal publication exploring epistemology, economics, finance, politics and other questions that merit a closer look.

Essays are signed The Hermeutic. The aim is to examine how claims are formed, how incentives operate and how institutions shape the world we experience. Disagreement, methodological criticism and thoughtful counterarguments are welcome.

02 / Behind the name

The herald, the orator and the merchant.

Hermeus (Ἑρμεύς, Hermeús) is recorded in Greek Wiktionary as an Ancient Greek masculine personal name. This journal draws inspiration from Hermes (Ἑρμῆς), herald of the gods and protector of heralds, orators and merchants.

It also brings to mind herma, the stone heaps and pillars used as road and boundary markers in ancient Greece, and Hermus, the river that runs through ancient Lydia, now known as the Gediz in western Anatolia. Hermeus brings that river of knowledge and the voice of the orator together in a single name.

Those associations give the journal its character. The Hermeutic writes to bring consequential arguments into the public sphere, especially those that have been given too little space. The essays examine how knowledge is formed, how claims are defended, and how value is created and exchanged.

The Greek terms remain distinct: Ἑρμεύς is the personal name, Ἑρμῆς is Hermes, and ἑρμηνεύς is the interpreter. The name record does not give Hermeus a literal meaning of “messenger” or “interpreter”.

Further reading: Ἑρμεύς in Greek Wiktionary; Hermes and eloquence; herms and boundary markers; the Hermus and ancient Lydia.

03 / Correspondence

What should we examine next?

The Hermeutic welcomes ideas for future essays, methodological critiques and considered responses to published work. Select a subject and leave a note below.