Search found 261 matches

by Rortabend
Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:54 pm
Forum: General Philosophical Discussion
Topic: Reading suggestions
Replies: 5
Views: 2533

Re: Reading suggestions

http://leiterreports.typepad.com/

This is the world's most popular academic philosophy blog. Good way to keep up with recent trends but you will have to go through the inevtiable job adverts, etc.
by Rortabend
Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:51 pm
Forum: Political Philosophy
Topic: Margaret Thatcher, R.I.P.
Replies: 32
Views: 9253

Re: Margaret Thatcher, R.I.P.

If you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all...
by Rortabend
Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:24 am
Forum: Book Club
Topic: The Darwinian Mob
Replies: 95
Views: 34428

Re: The Darwinian Mob

Darwin's claim that all life arose from a primordial single organism into which "life was breathed", is poppycock. There is still no known mechanical or naturalistic explanation as to how life started. The latter is demonstrably false: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller%E2%80%93Urey_expe...
by Rortabend
Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:04 pm
Forum: Philosophy of Science
Topic: Science and philosophy fiction.
Replies: 7
Views: 3513

Re: Science and philosophy fiction.

Olaf Stapledon wrote two of the greatest sci-fi books ever written and his day job was in a philosophy department.
by Rortabend
Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:02 pm
Forum: Ethical Theory
Topic: Vegtarian posses a dilemma for fellow vegetarians
Replies: 37
Views: 13461

Re: Vegtarian posses a dilemma for fellow vegetarians

I don't see the dilemma. Nothing about vegetarianism forces you to eat the baby. The fact that vegetarians value other animal life higher than meat-eaters does not mean that they value animal life simpliciter . Questions of respect for human life, societal norms, revulsion, self-loathing would clear...
by Rortabend
Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:24 am
Forum: Articles in Philosophy Now
Topic: New Atheists and Old Atheists
Replies: 19
Views: 6550

Re: New Atheists and Old Atheists

I am an atheist but I'm not keen on the new atheists and I certainly agree that their is a whiff of the totalitarian about them, particularly with Dawkins. Advances in science and its ability to explain phenomena previously falling under privileged religious explanations have understandably led them...
by Rortabend
Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:43 pm
Forum: Introduce Yourself
Topic: Greetings forum
Replies: 2
Views: 2144

Re: Greetings forum

Welcome to the asylum!
by Rortabend
Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:35 pm
Forum: Articles in Philosophy Now
Topic: Mary Daly
Replies: 6
Views: 3528

Re: Mary Daly

Mainstream theologian dislikes radical theologian. News just in...dog bites man. The most disturbing thing about all of this is that a tenured academic thought it appropriate to offer derogatory views on a former colleague to someone who wrote him a letter. That the colleague in question is no longe...
by Rortabend
Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:27 am
Forum: Philosophy of Science
Topic: Dawkins on "Why we are here"
Replies: 31
Views: 12875

Re: Dawkins on "Why we are here"

In Aristotle's taxonomy of explanations in terms of 4 basic kinds of cause, evolution ticks three out of four boxes. It provides a material, formal and efficient cause of why we are here. However, as others have pointed out, it fails to consititute a final cause because it does not explain our aim o...
by Rortabend
Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:26 pm
Forum: Articles in Philosophy Now
Topic: Hawking contra Philosophy
Replies: 10
Views: 5544

Re: Hawking contra Philosophy

Why are scientists dismissive of philosophy? I don't think they are. They are however dismissive of philosophers! It would be easier for scientists to take philosophy seriously if philosophers would take time out to think about issues collaboratively (as scientists are accustomed) to rather than tr...
by Rortabend
Tue Nov 22, 2011 2:47 pm
Forum: Articles in Philosophy Now
Topic: Hawking contra Philosophy
Replies: 10
Views: 5544

Re: Hawking contra Philosophy

This article by Norris includes a disastrous misinterpretation of Thomas Kuhn, as a relativist. For rebuttal, see for instance my book, KUHN. Perhaps. But he is not alone in this reading of Kuhn. One only has to think of his influence on SSK. This is also Rorty's idiosyncratic interpretation of Kuh...
by Rortabend
Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:15 pm
Forum: Book Club
Topic: Animals in the Third Reich by Boria Sax
Replies: 2
Views: 3373

Re: Animals in the Third Reich by Boria Sax

He was totally evil. That would include being a vegetarian and an animal rights activist to me.
You think vegetarians are evil!?
by Rortabend
Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:28 am
Forum: Logic and Philosophy of Mathematics
Topic: philosophy of mathematics
Replies: 82
Views: 36763

Re: philosophy of mathematics

Lovely stuff.
by Rortabend
Wed Oct 26, 2011 2:44 pm
Forum: Logic and Philosophy of Mathematics
Topic: philosophy of mathematics
Replies: 82
Views: 36763

Re: philosophy of mathematics

Toot-and-come-in!

(I'm trying to cheer up Chaz. He seems to be a bit grumpy at the moment and I know he likes jokes about Ancient Egypt.)
by Rortabend
Wed Oct 26, 2011 1:50 pm
Forum: Logic and Philosophy of Mathematics
Topic: philosophy of mathematics
Replies: 82
Views: 36763

Re: philosophy of mathematics

How do you use an Ancient Egyptian doorbell?