Hang on – I’m getting an idea 4 Mar 2016 So, it’s been a while. My brain went into recess while my finances collapsed, I changed jobs and generally got unwell for a while. I aim to start writing again soon. Nothing too deep, just random brainfarts. I’ll also blog for money 😉 Philosophy
Biology Why is Darwin’s theory so controversial? 24 Nov 2012 So asks this essay and gets the whole thing wrong. Darwin’s theories (plural) are not controversial because they imply that species are mutable. This was a widely held view by preachers, moralists, Aristotelians, naturalists, breeders, formalists, folk biology, and even biblical translators. Darwin was not controversial because he implied racist… Read More
Epistemology Positivism about agnosticism 22 Nov 201122 Nov 2011 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 a secularist or skeptic. Why? Because: Agnositicsm points this excellent… Read More
History The doctrine of double truth 8 Jun 2009 Somewhere on the internecks, I engaged in a discussion of the origins of the “double truth” theory. I wish I could find it again (let me know if you know), but I was asked where the doctrine arose. I have done a little digging, and this is a report on… Read More
That sounds potentially dangerous, and exciting, so for us Yanks it’s quintessentially Australian. Carry on.
“What are our ideas or ambitions? Play. Ideas! Why, that bloody bleating goat Temple has ideas. MacCann has ideas too. Every jackass going the roads thinks he has ideas.” – Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Dr. Wilkins, glad to see you back! I was just thinking about you a few days ago. Hmmm, spooky action at a distance!
It will be good to have you back! While there are greater injustices in the world, I have found your misfortunes personally saddening and outrageous, given your abilities and your decency.
Have you been making fairy circles while not blogging? Is this your work? http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/14/science/fairy-circles-australia.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=mini-moth®ion=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below