Philosophy Now Forum

Godfree, Zoom out just another notch or two. to see the past in it's true light , is a bit uncomfortable for some in the west , It's not just the west, it's all of human history. The Muslims did the same thing in their empires, and want to do it again. The Christians did it in their empires and want...

Words can be different things to different people so I try to be as explicit and clear as possible , "the absolute" sorry sounds like fudge for god or something else equally flaky , and if you don't define it more clearly then for the religious amongst us they will see that , as you sayin...

I think what you meant to say was that "so many people need to create a connection to the absolute, without evidence, as to what it really is." No, i said what i meant to. An emotional need is separate from creativity. Most people can't make a connection to an absolute that they don't eve...

Interesting. Except for the grammatical tick that's stuck to everyone nowadays, he didn't annoy me at all. That's rare in a Youtube lecture - really, any kind of lecture. Good presentation; excellent organization of the material; just enough science; well paced; a large subject covered adequately in...

You obviously have no understanding of religion, and even less of capitalism. On the contrary, Xenu is the one here, so far, who has made the clearest exposition on both those topics. Religious institutions invariably prop up the prevailing political power structure, which, in turn, supports the st...

No, you were not crazy. You were free of the paranoia which is infecting almost every community and poisoning almost every normal social interaction. What are the odds of a rapist, kidnapper or serial killer driving up that road at just that time? That depends on what percentage of the male populati...

I am intrigued by the headline and by the quotes, but mystified as to the intent of this thread.

What do you want to discuss?

On the other hand, though, isn't it worthwhile investing in a special place to keep these religious nuts? Like a ReligiousNut Preserve, where we can keep an eye on them, contain then if they start exhibiting hydrophobic symptoms, and they can't harm anyone who doesn't go there voluntarily? (Except f...

So yes I agree , religion should be taxed to the max , no charitable trusts for religion if we ever want to get rid of it , currently most western governments fund religion , and then claim to be a secular democracy , I didn't say anything about taxation; only that science class must be kept free o...

And about being 'mired in far too many deepities on forums' ... there being 'a nascent philosopher who wants to find profound meaning in his own imperfect grasp on words or concepts' - do you have an example in mind, eg on the PN forum ? No, since i haven't been here very often lately, and can't re...

Of course they are. If no link is missing, they'll claim that the whole chain is flawed, from fossils onward. If it's perfectly clear, both to scientific observation and mundane experience, that all animals have the same needs, drives, mode of operation and characteristics, escalating in degree and ...

Here is a good habit to develop: whenever you see a rhetorical question, try – silently, to yourself – to give it an unobvious answer. If you find a good one, surprise your interlocutor by answering the question. Yes. "silently, to yourself" is the key. First, be sure you understand what ...

Then, you can think about the extended family, the community, the environment, the culture, the education system....
Really, in an insane society, it's very difficult to be fair, decent and kind. And yet, some people manage it!

If one is intent on being bad, nothing can stop him. I suppose a mean woman can love her child and teach it bad behaviour. You asked what makes a beautiful character and i named the single most important factor that i'm aware of. If a child starts out in the world with a sense of emotional security ...

Maybe I should include another question: what makes a person's character beautiful, what should make a person's character beautiful and how does a person acquire a beautiful character? A loving mother. It helps to have a healthy body and sound mind; it helps very much to have good nutrition and phy...