Category Archives: History

I’m 50% a historian so I do some history of science. When something strikes me as useful, I use this category. Check out Whewell’s Ghost blog for other work.

by | May 20, 2012

Metaphysical determinism

There is a hypothesis called the Sapir-Whorf Thesis (also known as linguistic relativity) in language that one can only think what one’s language permits you to think, and indeed forces you to think. This idea that some conceptual scheme can … Continue reading →

7 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, General Science, History, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Science, Sermon, Theories

by | May 1, 2012

Carnival of Evolution 47: All the Evolution News that’s Fit to Blog

Welcome to the 47th edition of the Carnival of Evolution. We have had our science reporters out in force hunting down the best of the blogosphere on evolution and related subjects, and here they are for your delectation and delight … Continue reading →

15 Comments

Filed under Ecology and Biodiversity, Evolution, Genetics, History, Natural Classification, Species and systematics, Systematics

by | April 3, 2012

Evolution Quotes: Twain on inference about the past

Now, if I wanted to be one of those ponderous scientific people, and “let on” to prove what had occurred in the remote past by what had occurred in a given time in the recent past, or what will occur … Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, History, Philosophy, Quotes, Science

by | March 18, 2012

Hume’s Dialogues: A coloured edition

Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is one of the very best philosophical works ever written, as I was reminded this morning while seeking a passage. But it is not easily available in a decent format online. Sure, you can download a … Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under History, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Religion

by | February 16, 2012

Quote: Nominalism

Nominalism has often been misunderstood in the past, perhaps because of the associations of the word itself. Properly conceived, nominalism has nothing to do with names. It is, quite precisely, the thesis that everything which exists is an individual, and is … Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under History, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Quotes

by | February 11, 2012

Is Santorum the finest mind of the 13th century?

Apparently a reviewer of one of his books so called him that because he applies natural law theory to moral and political policy. I think he’s just warmed over neo-Thomism with a dash of Newman, no small thing in itself, … Continue reading →

18 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, History, Science

by | February 7, 2012

Did Popper and Quine invent “Aristotelian essentialism”?

There are many narratives told about evolution. One of the most widely told is the Essentialism Story, replayed in textbook, popular storytelling and philosophy alike. It goes like this: Before Darwin, biologists were constrained by essentialist thinking, in which they … Continue reading →

14 Comments

Filed under Biology, Evolution, History, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Species concept, Systematics

by | January 21, 2012

A philosophical apology from 1919 for not being pro-war

Leiter posted the PDF of this on his site. I can’t help but reproduce some of the choicer quotes: “DEAR FRIEND: Your letter gently but un-mistakably intimates that I am a slacker, a slacker in peace as well as in … Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under History, Logic and philosophy, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Sermon, Social evolution, Truisms

by | January 18, 2012

The Shandyan dilemma

Reginald Hill, author of the Dalziel and Pascoe detective series among many others, has died. This is a partial post I started some time back, so I thought I’d post it as is. In Recalled to Life, Reginald Hill has … Continue reading →

18 Comments

Filed under Evolution, History, Philosophy, Social evolution

by | January 12, 2012

Evolution quotes: Quetelet on populations

Populations arise imperceptibly; it is only when they have reached a certain degree of development that we begin to think of their existence. This increase is more or less rapid, and it proceeds either from an excess of births over … Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Evolution, History, Quotes