Humor It goes on… 3 Sep 201122 Jun 2018 Zach Weiner nails it again. Damned Epicurean! Continue Reading
Pop culture More on tone 4 Jul 20117 Jul 2011 The “Tone Wars” revive from time to time, most recently in PZ Myers’ justified criticisms of Richard Dawkins’ objections to feminist objections to sexist language and moves. The story so far: Jen McCreight, who blogs as Blag Hag (why can’t I think up such clever names?) was commenting on the… Continue Reading
Ethics and Moral Philosophy Philosophy hand signals 20 Mar 201122 Jun 2018 Courtesy of Brian Leiter, the APA Philosophy Referee Handsignals. I now want someone to make these into semaphore format. And for Sam Harris: Continue Reading
Philosophy On dictionaries, movements and rhetorical flourishes 9 Feb 2011 Lately, PZ Myers has been on a tear. He has rejected what he calls “Dictionary Atheism”. I have to admit, he has a way with words. I love it that he can come up with such things as the Courtier’s Reply, his Complexity Design Argument, and so forth. It’s fun… Continue Reading
Epistemology Classic quotes: Hume 30 Sep 2010 You propose then, Philo, said Cleanthes, to erect religious faith on philosophical scepticism; and you think, that if certainty or evidence be expelled from every other subject of enquiry, it will all retire to these theological doctrines, and there acquire a superior force and authority. Whether your scepticism be as… Continue Reading
Humor For every philosopher 8 Sep 2010 It’s an old joke: the one rigid and true law of economics is “For every economist, there is an equal and opposite economist”. But the joke was anticipated by Cicero back in the Roman times: “”There is nothing so absurd but some philosopher has said it.”[1] I would like to… Continue Reading
Education Dicks, niceness and evil: a rant 29 Aug 2010 The ongoing blogbattle over whether to be nice or a dick skeptic continues. Phil Plait gave a speech suggesting that niceness works better. There was blowback, of course, which he discusses here and here. The Great Tone Debate seems to resolve down to those who think that minds are changed… Continue Reading
Epistemology On knowledge and consistency 10 Mar 2010 Well, the cat and the pigeons are having a field day, although it is open yet to interpretation which are the cats and which the pigeons. Josh Rosenau’s post, which I approvingly cited and riffed off, has led to a number of critical blog posts in the ongoing accommodationism war…. Continue Reading
Philosophy More civil insolence 22 Jan 2010 My disclaimer/policy on comments here has occasioned a bit of discussion on the tubes. Isis reckons that those who say it is a bad thing to piss on the rug will do it anyway when things get heated. Golden Thoughts compares this to the Civil Rights movement, and that those… Continue Reading
Administrative Lazy Manager Theory 18 Nov 2009 Some people have asked me how I did a PhD, and wrote and taught a subject, while I was also manager of a department of graphic artists, receptionists, and animators, and did the annual report and various other publications. The answer is: Lazy Manager Theory The principle is: if you… Continue Reading