Category Archives: Philosophy

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

Evolution quotes: Theories are not the whole of science

I opened Structure of Scientific Theories asserting that the “most central or important” problem in philosophy of science is “the nature and structure of theories . . . . For theories are the vehicle of scientific knowledge and one way … Continue reading

32 Comments

Filed under Philosophy, Quotes, Science, Theories

Empirical Perspectives

Jim Goetz, frequent commenter here, has started up what looks to be a physics and science blog at Empirical Perspectives. Go visit and make rude comments.

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Filed under Administrative, General Science, Science

Why eat meat?

A while back, the New York Times held a blog competition on justifications for eating meat, in 600 words or less. I submitted mine, but I bet it didn’t get far up the selection tree, as the winner is effectively … Continue reading

35 Comments

Filed under Ethics and Moral Philosophy, Evolution, Philosophy

Analytic thinking, religion and science – the rhetoric and the psychology

Over the past few decades there has been an increasingly large literature on styles of thinking and cognitive biases (to which I am grateful to Jocelyn Stoller, a reader of this blog, for introducing me) in psychology, culminating in the marvellous … Continue reading

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Filed under Cognition, Epistemology, Evolution, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Social evolution

Community, unbelief, and the rise of secularism

One of the things that losing full use of a limb causes, is that everything takes four times as long as it used to. So I haven’t blogged due to my being very busy, tired, or both. Sorry. I promised … Continue reading

56 Comments

Filed under Creationism and Intelligent Design, General Science, Philosophy, Rant, Religion

Update

I spent the weekend going to the Global Atheist Conspiracy Convention, courtesy of PZ Myers, the organisers, and Neil Thomason who drove me. I will write some extended reflections on it over the next few days, but I have a … Continue reading

24 Comments

Filed under Philosophy

The Knight’s Song, or What is a [scientific] theory?

“Or else it doesn’t, you know. The name of the song is called ‘Haddocks’ Eyes.’” “Oh, that’s the name of the song, is it?” Alice said, trying to feel interested. “No, you don’t understand,” the Knight said, looking a little … Continue reading

31 Comments

Filed under Biology, Creationism and Intelligent Design, Ecology and Biodiversity, Epistemology, General Science, Metaphysics, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Sermon, Species and systematics, Systematics

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

Bayes, evolutionary clocks, and biogeography

I just received a review by Gareth Nelson of Michael Heads’ book Molecular Panbiogeography of the Tropics (publishers’ site). I should have blogged this before, since I got a copy, being on the editorial board for this series (the same one … Continue reading

41 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Systematics