Epistemology Hume’s birthday 8 May 2011 So you may have noticed, David Hume turns 300 today. I reckon he looks a lot younger than that, almost modern. There’s an interesting discussion on the History of Philosophy of Science list about whether Hume is the greatest English language philosopher, as the Stanford article claims. Influence and importance… Continue Reading
Epistemology Discussing the Evolutionary Debunking Argument 7 May 2011 John Danaher at Philosophical Disquisitions has a blog anyone with an interest in philosophy should be subscribing to. John presents simple argument diagrams and clear analyses of philosophy papers, usually those that deal with philosophy of religion and related topics. Recently he has been discussing an argument by Guy Kahane… Continue Reading
Epistemology The undergraduate effect and the gravity wells of knowledge 7 May 201122 Jun 2018 As usual, Randall Munroe nails it (although if I were playing with that metaphor, I’d say that density distorts the sheet). But I like metaphors, because unfortunately I have the mathematical ability and skills of a drunken frog. So I am going to use a metaphor as a metaphor, if… Continue Reading
Administrative Are you a HPS scholar? 30 Apr 2011 If so I invite you to join our group blog Whewell’s Ghost, even if you already blog. You can either write for WG directly or repost some or all of your blog’s posts with alink back to your home blog, thereby increasing your readership. Contact me or the other WG… Continue Reading
Creationism and Intelligent Design Paper withdrawn from Synthese 30 Apr 2011 Massimo Pigliucci, head of the Philosophy Program at City University of New York, and Raphael Scholl from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Bern, have withdrawn a paper from Synthese. Here, with their permission, is the text of the letter they sent to the editors in chief: To… Continue Reading
Epistemology Believing and knowing 28 Apr 201129 Apr 2011 I was musing the other day, as I passed by a church school on a walk, on the difference between belief and knowledge. The teachers at that school must teach both. But, I thought, if they taught the wrong knowledge, a generation will arise in which knowledge will be corrupted… Continue Reading
Creationism and Intelligent Design Pope on evolution: more of the same teleological thinking 26 Apr 201126 Apr 2011 Recently, the Pope did what religious leaders appear increasingly inclined to do on Easter: bash science: Benedict emphasised the Biblical account of creation in his Easter Vigil homily, saying it was wrong to think at some point “in some tiny corner of the cosmos there evolved randomly some species of… Continue Reading
Biology Evolution quote: Sirks and Zirkle 25 Apr 201125 Apr 2011 At this point it might be well to insert a fact that has generally been overlooked by the historians of biology. The pre-evolutionary concept of species is generally given as a universally accepted view that species were constant and true breeding forms. Actually, the idea that species were completely stable… Continue Reading
Journalism Amis to Hitchens on agnosticism 25 Apr 201125 Apr 2011 My dear Hitch: there has been much wild talk, among the believers, about your impending embrace of the sacred and the supernatural. This is of course insane. But I still hope to convert you, by sheer force of zealotry, to my own persuasion: agnosticism. In your seminal book, God Is… Continue Reading
Academe Open thread on Synthese 22 Apr 2011 This thread is for anyone to discuss the matter in anyway they like, so long as the Comment Rules (at left) are respected. I have closed comments on the other threads, but some think the issue needs more discussion. Also see the Status Page for links to other discussions ongoing…. Continue Reading