Category Archives: Sermon

For the gospel of Eighth Day Adventism, or Chocoholism, depending which religion I am that day.

by | January 22, 2012

Dark days

In case you didn’t notice, just recently a number of web giants, as well as innumerable other websites, went “dark” in protest against the attempts to control the internet by the US government. But the US isn’t the first nation … Continue reading →

15 Comments

Filed under Freedom, Politics, Rant, Sermon

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 →

1 Comment

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

by | November 25, 2011

Prescriptions for atheists

Jeez. You go away for a few days, to the beach and countryside, and come back to find that progress has been made in philosophy; in particular regarding the right view to hold about religion and the religious. The story … Continue reading →

25 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, Humor, Logic and philosophy, Philosophy, Rant, Religion

by | November 22, 2011

Positivism about agnosticism

Following up from my last post on the logical and semantic aspects of agnosticism, I wish to make a comment regarding this ill-tempered piece by Jennifer Michael Hecht. It seems that one may not be an agnostic if one is … Continue reading →

18 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, History, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Sermon

by | October 28, 2011

Why am I not speaking at 2012 Global Atheism?

Next year, in Melbourne, where I live and 2 hours from where I have been living over the past several years, the Global Atheism Convention will be held. I am an Australian practical atheist (and philosophical Agnostic, which will become … Continue reading →

32 Comments

Filed under Metaphysics, Philosophy, Rant, Religion

by | September 10, 2011

Goodbye freedom

Ten years ago tomorrow tonight I was watching an episode of West Wing, and, as I do, channel surfing during the ads. One channel showed a fire in the World Trade Centre, which less than a month earlier I had … Continue reading →

9 Comments

Filed under Censorship, Freedom, History, Politics, Rant, Religion

by | September 6, 2011

The principle of charity, qualia, and philosophy

I’ve hurt my back, so I aim to rant a little. When I teach critical reasoning just about the first thing I teach is the principle of charity. It has many formulations: This policy calls on us to fit our … Continue reading →

75 Comments

Filed under Epistemology, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Rant, Truisms

by | September 3, 2011

It goes on…

Zach Weiner nails it again. Damned Epicurean!

2 Comments

Filed under Humor, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Truisms

by | August 22, 2011

An education reform

You, like me, are most likely sick to the back teeth of education reforms. Every few years along comes another proposal to “fix” the education system, which everyone who has ever had any contact with it knows is broken. Each … Continue reading →

24 Comments

Filed under Education, Rant