Terminological exaptitude 19 May 201119 May 2011 Lately, advocates of experimental philosophy have been calling it X-Phi. What with connotations of Mulder and Scully, that’s rather cool. Then, I saw a site on mathematical philosophy call itself M-Phi. So it follows that what I do, the philosophy of science, has to be called Sci-Phi… What do we call philosophical theology? Theo-Phi? Suggestions? Later: Ah! My intertubes are back! I will do a substantive post sometime soon, just after I finish all that marking… Humor Philosophy Science
Humor Relaxation technique 3 Apr 2009 This was doing the rounds. I have to say there is absolutely no need for such techniques at my present employer institution, no sir. Read More
Cognition Notes on novelty 7: Surprise! 14 Jan 201221 Jun 2018 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 It is now time to return to the basic argument… Read More
History Is racism Christian? 21 Sep 201921 Sep 2019 I was taught that racism developed out of Johannes Blumenbach’s Anthropological Treatises in the late eighteenth century, specifically his doctoral thesis On the Natural Variety of Mankind, University of Göttingen, which was first published in 1775. In this work he outlined five races of humanity: Caucasian, Mongolian, Malayan, Ethiopean, American…. Read More
Hah! I hit submit, the site refreshed and there was the same suggestion of Dei Phi. Great minds think alike!
I’m more concerned with the philosophy of evolution: it must be e-phil, but then that’s what the creationists have been saying for a while…
How about Dog Phi A synonym for Theology is Dogma The advantage of this is that partially dsylexic philosophers would easily understand it
Which leads directly into the joke What do dyslexic, insomniac, agnostics do at night? Lay awake wondering if there is a Dog!
?Philosophy of Theology? … Why, PhilThe, of course. [Sorry, the department of bad puns just lost a major grant.] Good luck with grading!
Ah, but when will Experimental Theology appear on university timetables? Let’s see those gods in action! Whoops, correct the punctuation and spacing for scientific readers: let’s see those gods’ inaction! Or does that risk the forced renaming of university departments to become Department of Atheology?