Biology Did Popper and Quine invent “Aristotelian essentialism”? 7 Feb 201221 Jun 2018 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 were committed to species being natural kinds where there were… Read More
Biology Paul Griffiths on Human Nature 6 Aug 200922 Jun 2018 Below the fold is a notice for a lecture by my friend and colleague Paul Griffiths that anyone in Sydney ought to go to. Sydney, Australia, not Sydney in any other country that seems to use all other countries’ placenames… Read More
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… Read More