Matthew Stewart

Matthew Stewart – Life, Career, and Reflections


Matthew Stewart (born January 2, 1963) is an American philosopher, author, and cultural critic. He is known for provocative books like The Management Myth, Nature’s God, The 9.9 Percent, and The Courtier and the Heretic. Explore his biography, works, philosophy, notable quotations, and lessons.

Introduction

Matthew Stewart is an American philosopher and author who has gained reputation for his incisive, often contrarian examinations of business culture, American political ideas, philosophy, and inequality.

He blends historical scholarship, philosophical insight, and social commentary in his writing. His book The 9.9 Percent attracted attention for critiquing a rising American elite class, while Nature’s God traced ideological roots of the American Republic.

Below is a detailed account of his life, ideas, and legacy.

Early Life and Education

Matthew Stewart was born on January 2, 1963, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

He attended Princeton University, graduating in 1985 with a concentration in political philosophy. Oxford University, where he earned a D.Phil. (Doctor of Philosophy) in philosophy in 1988.

His academic trajectory rooted him in analytic philosophy, political theory, and intellectual history.

Career and Major Works

From Consulting to Full-Time Writing

After his education, Stewart worked for a time as a management consultant. The Management Myth, where he argues that much of management theory is inflated, incoherent, or of dubious philosophical grounding.

Eventually, he shifted focus to writing and public intellectual work, producing books and essays that bridge philosophy, history, and public affairs.

Books & Themes

Here are some of his major books, with their central themes:

TitleYearCentral Theme / Contribution
The Truth About Everything: An Irreverent History of Philosophy1997A lively, sometimes provocative survey of Western philosophy, challenging orthodox narratives. Monturiol’s Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World2004Biography of engineer and inventor Narcís Monturiol, exploring the intersection of technology, idealism, and society. The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World2006Intellectual history connecting Leibniz and Spinoza, examining how metaphysics and theology shaped modernity. The Management Myth: Debunking the Modern Philosophy of Business2009Critique of management theories and the business-school complex from a philosophical perspective. Nature’s God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic(date)Investigation into the philosophical and theological underpinnings of the American Revolution, including radical thinkers and heterodox influences. The 9.9 Percent: The New Aristocracy That Is Entrenching Inequality and Warping Our Culture(latest)Analysis of a rising elite stratum in the U.S. (the “9.9%”) and its cultural, political, and economic implications. An Emancipation of the Mind: Radical Philosophy, the War over Slavery, and the Refounding of America(upcoming / recent)A book exploring radical philosophy’s role in debates over slavery and the re-founding of the American political order.

Stewart’s work often places intellectual ideas in context: how philosophy interplays with political, cultural, and economic life.

Intellectual Outlook & Impact

Philosophical Approach

Stewart tends to approach philosophy in an engaged, history-informed way, less as abstract system building than as tracing the consequences of ideas in culture and politics. His style is accessible, sometimes polemical, blending wit, irony, historical narrative, and critical insight.

He is critical of intellectual pretensions—for example in management theory—and often looks for hidden assumptions or incoherences in dominant paradigms. The Management Myth is emblematic of this.

In his historical books, he examines philosophical lineages often overlooked (heretical, non-mainstream) to show how they shaped modern institutions and ideas. Nature’s God is a good example of this method.

Reception & Influence

  • His book Nature’s God was long-listed for the National Book Award.

  • He is often featured in public intellectual spaces: his essays appear in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review.

  • His critique of inequality in The 9.9 Percent has resonated in contemporary debates about class, elites, and social mobility.

While he is not a mainstream academic philosopher in the traditional sense (his work is more public-philosophy than technical philosophy), his voice has carved a space bridging scholarship and public discourse.

Famous Quotes

Here are some notable statements by Matthew Stewart:

“If you want to succeed in business, don’t get an M.B.A. Study philosophy instead.”

“The class divide is already toxic, and is fast becoming unbridgeable. You’re probably part of the problem.” (From The 9.9 Percent)

“Most of management theory is inane.” (as featured on his website)

These captures of his style show him as provocative, skeptical, and willing to challenge widely accepted ideas.

Lessons from Matthew Stewart

From Stewart’s life and work, we can draw several lessons:

  1. Crossing disciplines can reveal blind spots
    His experience in management and philosophy lets him critique business theory from a fresh vantage.

  2. Accessible scholarship matters
    He demonstrates that philosophical ideas need not remain cloistered; they can—and perhaps should—speak to society’s pressing issues.

  3. Question the orthodoxies
    His books encourage skepticism toward prevailing assumptions, whether in management, political ideology, or economic life.

  4. Historical context enriches critique
    Understanding the genealogy of ideas (where they came from, how they mutated) strengthens social and philosophical analysis.

  5. Courage in public discourse
    Stewart often takes bold, contrarian positions—even when uncomfortable—to provoke reflection and debate.

Conclusion

Matthew Stewart is a distinct kind of philosopher: not a cloistered theoretician, but a thinker who pushes ideas into public life. He interrogates business, power, intellectual tradition, and inequality with a skeptical and historically informed eye. His work challenges readers to rethink the ideologies and assumptions that underpin contemporary culture.

Articles by the author

For me, the only sources of moral values are the pursuit of understanding and the pursuit of happiness.

Matthew Stewart