Category Archives: Logic and philosophy

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 →

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

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 →

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

by | March 4, 2012

What, however, is the EAAN?

[Previous posts: One and Two] I may have been too hasty in my acceptance that Plantinga’s Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism was not what I had originally given. As commenter Nick Matzke pointed out, Plantinga seems to be doing a bit … Continue reading →

22 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Religion

by | March 3, 2012

Plantinga’s EAAN revisited

Blogs are places where one tosses out a hastily constructed piece of argument, or commentary, and not where one slowly and thoughtfully writes something that one will eventually earn an income from (unless you are PZ Myers). So when I … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Logic and philosophy, Philosophy, Religion, Science

by | February 18, 2012

Doxastic biases and arguments for religion (and other things)

Helen De Cruz has the results of a fascinating survey on how various arguments for and against the existence of God are treated by philosophers… according to their general stance – atheist, agnostic, or theist. Basically it considers not whether … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Logic and philosophy, 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 →

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

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 31, 2012

Plantinga’s EAAN

A post now up at the Philosopher’s Carnival discusses Alvin Plantinga’s Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism (EAAN), and comment how it is like (not exactly the same) as a global skepticism argument being self-defeating. Plantinga’s argument goes like this: P1. If … Continue reading →

41 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Religion, Science

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 15, 2012

Notes on Novelty 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo

Notes on Novelty series: 1. Introduction 2. Historical considerations – before and after evolution 3: The meaning of evolutionary novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation 6: Levels of description 7: Surprise! 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, General Science, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Truisms