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A Phil-for-an-ill Blog
- The Toxic Legacy of Machiavelli’s The Prince 2014-04-30“…if a Prince succeeds in establishing and maintaining his authority, the means will always be judged honourable and be approved by every one.” (Chapter XVIII) Founded on the above dubious moral axiom, which may be translated as, The end justifies the means (A), in the 16th century Niccolò Machiavelli formulates the classic dissertation on how […]Philip Jonkers
- Killing Iraqi Civilians, Like a Video Game – 2007 Baghdad Civil Massacre Perpetrated by Trigger Happy US Troops (Wikileaks) 2010-04-20Short Version Long Version Related Reading: Killing Baghdad civilians and Reuters journos from the air! Neo-Cons Defend Massacre Of Iraqi Journalists, Children Attack Video Reveals Why Pentagon Wanted To “Destroy” Wikileaks In early April Wikileaks released into the public domain specific unreleased footage documenting a tragic event that could be considered as a severe incrimination […]Philip Jonkers
- Dark Knight (2008) – Excusing the Rude & Stoic Strongman Crime Fighter 2010-03-24http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/ – What is Predictive Programming? – Alan Watt – Predictive Programming; Theory and Practice – Vyzygoth Interviews Phillip and Paul Collins – Invoking the Beyond (Predictive Programming) A decent synopsis can be read on the corresponding Wikipedia page. Police State/Martial Law Scenery Let’s start with the police state scenery shown in the movie: Not […]Philip Jonkers
- Bill Gates Admits Vaccines Are Used for Human Depopulationx 2010-03-01Bill Gates Admits Vaccines Are Used for Human Depopulation In the video above are two short excerpts from a recently filmed TED presentation (Feb 2010) by none other than Bill “Microsoft” Gates. At the heart of Gates’ address lies the central Global Warming dogma, which dictates that Co2 emitted by human beings are the primary […]Philip Jonkers
- Robocop (1987) – Promoting the Militarization of Police 2010-02-11http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093870/ – What is Predictive Programming? – Alan Watt – Predictive Programming; Theory and Practice – Vyzygoth Interviews Phillip and Paul Collins – Invoking the Beyond (Predictive Programming) A decent synopsis can be read on the corresponding Wikipedia page. According to a Police magazine, “Police officers working in patrol vehicles, dressed in urban tactical gear […]Philip Jonkers
- Some questions regarding Mary K. Baxter’s “A Divine Revelation of Hell” 2010-01-14From divinerevelations.info we read: Mary Katherine Baxter was chosen by God to let the world know of the REALITY of Hell. Jesus Christ appeared to Mary Baxter on 40 consecutive nights and took Mary on a tour of Hell and Heaven. She walked, with Jesus, through the horrors of Hell and talked with many people. […]Philip Jonkers
- Commentary to the “What is Ego?” Video 2010-01-13What is Ego? (Andrew Cohen) Self-confidence can only be regarded as an attribute of the ego if the ego uses it to put other people down and tries to feel better than other people. This particular manifestation of self-confidence is called pride. On the other hand, if self-confidence is used to humbly tow other people […]Philip Jonkers
- Is it “Love vs Hate” or “Love vs Fear”? 2009-12-16In this short blog I examine the question which is a more fundamental antagonist of love: fear or hate. Hate is a strong aversive emotion connected to the subject or object of hate. The strength of hate derives from a former affection or love for that subject or object. In other words, what is hated […]Philip Jonkers
- The Downside of Talking People Down 2009-12-16There’s a risk involved in talking people down or acts of depreciation in general. If you speak negative about a certain person you’ll likely generate feelings of guilt towards that person, although the strength of these feelings depends on whether one believes that person deserves it or not. If there’s no intention of reconciliation, upon […]Philip Jonkers
- When Does Psychopathy Flourish? (Musings on Psychopathy II) 2009-12-03“Insanity – a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world.” R.D. Laing What is a psychopath? Etymology: Psychopath psyche 1647, “animating spirit,” from L. psyche, from Gk. psykhe “the soul, mind, spirit, breath, life, the invisible animating principle or entity which occupies and directs the physical body” (personified as Psykhe, the lover of Eros), akin […]Philip Jonkers
Alexander Pruss's Blog
- Rethinking priors 2023-02-02Suppose I learned that all my original priors were consistent and regular but produced by an evil demon bent upon misleading me. The subjective Bayesian answer is that since consistent and regular original priors are not subject to rational evaluation, I do not need to engage in any radical uprooting of my thinking. All I […]
- Socrates and thinking for yourself 2023-02-02There is a popular picture of Socrates as someone inviting us to think for ourselves. I was just re-reading the Euthyphro, and realizing that the popular picture is severely incomplete. Recall the setting. Euthyphro is prosecuting a murder case against his father. The case is fraught with complexity and which a typical Greek would think […]
- From strict anti-anti-Bayesianism to strict propriety 2023-02-02In my previous post, I showed that a continuous anti-anti-Bayesian accuracy scoring rule on probabilities defined on a sub-algebra of events satisfying the technical assumption that the full algebra contains an event logically independent of the sub-algebra is proper. However, I couldn’t figure out how to prove strict propriety given strict anti-anti-Bayesianism. I still don’t, […]
- From anti-anti-Bayesianism to propriety 2023-02-01Let’s work in the setting of my previous post, including technical assumption (3), and also assume Ω is finite and that our scoring rules are all continuous. Say that an anti-Bayesian update is when you take a probability p, receive evidence A, and make your new credence be p(⋅|Ac), i.e., you conditionalize on the complement […]
- Open-mindedness and propriety 2023-02-01Suppose we have a probability space Ω with algebra F of events, and a distinguished subalgebra H of events on Ω. My interest here is in accuracy H-scoring rules, which take a (finitely-additive) probability assignment p on H and assigns to it an H-measurable score function s(p) on Ω, with values in [−∞,M] for some […]
- Scoring rules and publication thresholds 2023-02-01One of the most problematic aspects of some science practice is a cut-off, say at 95%, for the evidence-based confidence needed for publication. I just realized, with the help of a mention of p-based biases and improper scoring rules somewhere on the web, that what is going on here is precisely a problem of a […]
- Epistemic goods 2023-01-30We think highly morally of teachers who put an enormous effort into getting their students to know and understand the material. Moreover, we think highly of these teachers regardless of whether they are in a discipline, like some branches of engineering, where the knowledge and understanding exists primarily for the sake of non-epistemic goods, as […]
- Making single-proposition scoring rules 2023-01-29Accuracy scoring rules measure the value of your probability assignment’s closeness to the truth. A scoring rule for a single proposition p can be thought of as a pair of functions, T and F on the interval [0,1] where T(x) tells us the score for assigning x to p when p is true and F(x) […]
- A cure for some cases of TMI 2023-01-26Sometimes we know things we wish we didn’t. In some cases, without any brainwashing, forgetting or other irrational processes, there is a fairly reliable way to make that wish come true. Suppose that a necessary condition for knowing is that my evidence yields a credence of 0.9900, and that I know p with evidence yielding […]
- The special value of knowledge 2023-01-26Suppose there is a distinctive and significant value to knowledge. What I mean by that is that if two epistemic are very similar in terms of truth, the level and type of justification, the subject matter and its relevant to life, the degree of belief, etc., but one is knowledge and the other is not, […]
- Thresholds and precision 2023-01-24In a recent post, I noted that it is possible to cook up a Bayesian setup where you don’t meet some threshold, say for belief or knowledge, with respect to some proposition, but you do meet the same threshold with respect to the claim that after you examine a piece of evidence, then you will […]
- Respecting conscience 2023-01-23One of the central insights of Western philosophy, beginning with Socrates, has been that few if any things are as bad for an individual as culpably doing wrong. It is better, we are told through much of the Western philosophical tradition, that it is better to suffer than do injustice. Now, acting against one’s conscience […]
- Knowing you will soon have enough evidence to know 2023-01-21Suppose I am just the slightest bit short of the evidence needed for belief that I have some condition C. I consider taking a test for C that has a zero false negative rate and a middling false positive rate—neither close to zero nor close to one. On reasonable numerical interpretations of the previous two […]
- Partial and complete explanations 2023-01-20Any explanation for an event E that does not go all the way back to something self-explanatory is merely partial. A partial explanation is one that is a part of a complete explanation. So, if any event E has an explanation, it has an explanation going all the way back to something self-explanatory. (1,2) Some […]
- What am I "really"? 2023-01-19What am I? A herring-eater, a husband, a badminton player, a philosopher, a father, a Canadian, a six-footer and a human are all correct answers. There is an ancient form of the “What is x?” question where we are looking for a “central” answer, and of course “a human” is usually taken to be that […]
- Probability, belief and open theism 2023-01-18Here are few plausible theses: A rational being believes anything that they take to have probability bigger than 1 − (1/10100) given their evidence. Necessarily, God is rational. Necessarily, none of God’s beliefs ever turn out false. These three theses, together with some auxiliary assumptions, yield a serious problem for open theism. Consider worlds created by God […]
- Follow-through 2023-01-17As far as I know, in all racquet sports players are told to follow-through: to continue the racquet swing after the ball or shuttle have left the racquet. But of course the ball or shuttle doesn’t care what the racquet is doing at that point. So what’s the point of follow-through? The usual story is […]
- Anthropomorphism about God 2023-01-17Consider an anthropomorphic picture of God that some non-classical theists have: God is not simple, and in particular God’s beliefs are proper parts of God. God’s beliefs change as the reality they are about changes. Putting these together, it follows that: I can bring about the destruction of a part of God. How? Easy. I […]
- Trivial and horrendous evils 2023-01-13Nobody seriously runs an argument against the existence of God from trivial evils, like hangnails or mosquito bites. Why not? Here is a hypothesis. There are so very many possible much greater goods—goods qualitatively and not just quantitatively much greter—that it would be easy to suppose that God’s permitting the trivial evil could promote or […]
- Humility and the existence of God 2023-01-13Here’s a valid argument: Humility is an appropriate attitude for everyone. For highly accomplished individuals, humility is only an appropriate attitude if God exists. Some individuals are highly accomplished. So, God exists. Premise (1) is controversial. The ancient Greeks would have denied it. But I think the reason they denied it is that they didn’t […]
Bhagwad Gita Blog
- Lord Krishna Promises His Devotees 2022-10-10Lord Krishna delivered divine teachings to Arjuna through Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Mahabharata war. Lord Krishna motivated His friend Arjuna to do his duty and also told him about deep relevance of devotional bhakti. Lord Krishna told […]
- भगवद गीता के अनुसार पापों से कैसे छुटकारा पाएं 2022-03-19हिंदू धर्म में, पाप आमतौर पर अपने द्वारा किये गए गलत कर्मो के लिए इस्तेमाल किया जाने वाला शब्द है। पाप और कुछ नहीं बल्कि ऐसे कार्य करना है जो ईश्वर की इच्छा के विरुद्ध हों, या प्रकृति के नियमों या ईश्वर द्वारा दिए गए शास्त्रों के नियमों के विरुद्ध हों। अब हम अपने पापों से […]
- माया क्या है, आओ समझे। What is Maya, Let us Understand (In Hindi & English) 2022-03-07हिंदी में:माया : उस दिन मेरा एक मित्र दार्शनिक रूप से बात कर रहा था और मुझसे कह रहा था कि यह सारी दुनिया भ्रम है, वास्तविकता में इसका कोई अस्तित्व नहीं है। हम जो कुछ भी देख रहे हैं वह सिर्फ जादू आदि है। मैं उसे सुनता रहा। फिर मैंने उसे बस अपनी आँखें बंद […]
- God hears these Prayers, प्रार्थना जो भगवान सुनता है 2021-10-06Prayer is an act of addressing the God with devotion. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. Through prayer we have a personal experience & an intimate connection with our loving God. If we pray to God with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers […]
- How to Motivate Yourself in depressed situations - Bhagwad Gita Perspective 2021-10-01This article deals with how you can Motivate Yourself in depressed situations of life. When you get depressed in life then its very difficult and frustrating to cope with it. With proper guidance, you can come out of depression & eventually can come out of it. To come out of depression shall not be easy but you […]
- Complete Universe exists in God 2021-09-25In Hinduism Lord Krishna is "true" Supreme Being and creator of the universe. Lord Krishna has said it many times in His discourse of "Bhagwad Gita". Lord Krishna is the ultimate God. The entire universe exists within Him."Lord Krishna / God is omnipresent and is in every atom of this Universe". But how God is there everywhere […]
- Pray to God & God will answer your Prayer 2021-09-24All the religions of the world believe in one God. We all pray to God with different types of prayers. Prayer is basically an act of addressing the God for the purpose of worship. Prayer is a way of having a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving God, through which He listens silently […]
- Lets thank God for what we have in Life 2021-09-23Lets thank God for what we have in Life. Lets be thankful to God for, whatever, we have received in our life from Him. Let us learn to appreciate what we have in life. Listen to above musical video which thanks God in every way & its lyrics are very beautiful.You should appreciate, whatever, you […]
- Peace of Mind as per Bhagwad Gita 2021-09-22"duhkhesv anudvigna-manahsukhesu vigata-sprhahvita-raga-bhaya-krodhah sthita-dhir munir ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 56) "Sri Krishna said: One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind."दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः।वीतरागभयक्रोधः
- Whole World exists in God 2020-08-24राम वही जो रमता सकल जहान Above Hindi line meaning is that "God is omnipresent and is in every atom of this Universe". But how God is there everywhere in the Universe?Meaning of omnipresent is that one who is present everywhere. God is one who in it's un-manifest, unseen, subtle aspect is always present all around us. This […]
- Bhagwad Gita can Change Your Life Completely 2020-05-30Reading Bhagwad Gita can Change Your Life completely. If Bhagwad Gita becomes a part & parcel of your life then it shall totally transform your life. It not only shall guide you through your life journey but shall also shape the way you live your life. If you have been reading the Bhagwad Gita, then it […]
- Quotes from Bhagwat Gita on Soul आत्मा पर भगवत गीता के उद्धरण (Quotes) 2020-05-16Here are some of the Quotes from Bhagwat Gita on Soul. Description of Soul is done beautifully by Lord Krishna in Chapter 2 of Bhagwat Gita. Here below read that illustration in detail. नीचे भागवद गीता के कुछ आत्मा पर प्रसिद्ध उद्धरण (Quotes) हैं : "na tv-evaham jatu nasam na tvam neme janadhipah na chaiva na bhavisyamah sarve vayam atah param" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 12) "Sri
- People who do Bad Karmas are Punished surely by the God at one time or the another 2018-09-16Sometimes we feel that those people who do Good Karmas are not rewarded & those who do Bad Karmas are not Punished by God. But it is not so. Domain of God runs for Many lives & it is not that a person is not punished by God for his bad Karmas. So here are […]
- Beautiful Mobile App for Ekadashi Vrats 2018-09-16One of the Young Creator Mr. Raghav Sharma has developed a Beautiful Mobile App for Ekadashi Vrats to be performed by Hindus all across the world. This App is very useful for the people who are interested in regular Ekadashi Fasts. The links for the said App can be found below & people interested can download […]
- Greatness of Chapter Eighteen of Bhagwat Gita 2018-04-08Here below is explained the Greatness of Chapter Eighteen of Bhagwat Gita. Read the story below to see, how all the sinful reactions are destroyed by just reading the Chapter 18 of the Bhagwat Gita. "Lord Siva said; “My dear Parvati, Now, listen to the glories of the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagwat Gita, which […]
- कर्मणये वाधिकारस्ते मां फलेषु कदाचन - Meaning 2018-04-01"कर्मणये वाधिकारस्ते मां फलेषु कदाचन । मां कर्मफलहेतुर्भू: मांते संङगोस्त्वकर्मणि" ।। (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47) "श्री कृष्ण भगवान ने अर्जुन से कहा: आप को अपने निर्धारित कर्तव्य का पालन करने का अधिकार है, लेकिन आप कभी कर्म फल की इच्छा से कर्म मत करो (कर्म फल देने का अधिकार सिर्फ ईश्वर को है)। […]
- Greatness of Chapter Seventeen of Bhagwat Gita 2018-04-01Here below is explained the Greatness of Chapter Seventeen of Bhagwat Gita. Read the story below to see, how all the sinful reactions are destroyed by just reading the Chapter 17 of the Bhagwat Gita. “Lord Siva said, “My dear Parvati, Now, kindly hear the nectarian glories of the Seventeenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagwat Gita. […]
- Greatness of Chapter Sixteen of Bhagwat Gita 2018-03-25Here below is explained the Greatness of Chapter Sixteen of Bhagwat Gita. Read the story below to see, how all the sinful reactions are destroyed by just reading the Chapter 16 of the Bhagwat Gita. “Lord Siva said, “My dear Parvati, I will now tell you the glories of the Sixteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagwat […]
- Greatness of Chapter Fifteen of Bhagwat Gita 2018-03-18Here below is explained the Greatness of Chapter Fifteen of Bhagwat Gita. Read the story below to see, how all the sinful reactions are destroyed by just reading the Chapter 15 of the Bhagwat Gita. “Lord Siva said, “My dear Parvati, now I will tell you the glories of the Fifteenth Chapter of the Srimad […]
- Greatness of Chapter Fourteen of Bhagwat Gita 2018-03-11Here below is explained the Greatness of Chapter Fourteen of Bhagwat Gita. Read the story below to see, how all the sinful reactions are destroyed by just reading the Chapter 14 of the Bhagwat Gita. “Lord Siva said “Oh, Parvati kindly hear from Me the glories of the Fourteenth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagwat Gita, […]
Bleeding Heart Libertarians
- The End 2020-06-01Back in 2011, a group of academic philosophers started a blog called “Bleeding Heart Libertarians.” The idea behind that blog was simple, but also somewhat vague in terms of its... The post The End appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Matt Zwolinski
- Anti-Competition as the Incel Mentality 2020-06-01Observe: Incel: “Stacy choose Chad over me. I have the right to retaliate by killing Stacy and/or Chad.” Michael Fett, a guy on Facebook, justifying Guitar Center being looted: “Guitar... The post Anti-Competition as the Incel Mentality appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- The AAAS Agrees with Magness and Me 2020-06-01New report on the state of the humanities: https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/media/document/2020-05/hds3_the_state_of_the_humanities_in_colleges_and_universities.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0lCu4KOkSq62KnkXdaOOaQtMBkxJN6affH61kgOctQZks7GsEJqzulHow It concurs with what Phil and I say in Cracks and our other published work: 1. Adjuncts are not replacing full-time... The post The AAAS Agrees with Magness and Me appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- An Excerpt from *When All Else Fails* 2020-05-30Here are the concluding paragraphs of When All Else Fails. Over the past eight chapters, we’ve examined a wide range of arguments which attempted to show that government agents enjoy... The post An Excerpt from *When All Else Fails* appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- Is It Time for Private Punishment? 2020-05-29When All Else Fails is about defensive actions, not punishment. If someone had justly and rightly shot the cops who murdered George Floyd, they would be trying to stop them... The post Is It Time for Private Punishment? appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- The Two Big News Cases and Philosophy 2020-05-27Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd by crushing his neck with a knee while he lay prostrate, helpless, and handcuffed. This is precisely the kind of case When All Else... The post The Two Big News Cases and Philosophy appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- How Government Leaders Violated Their Epistemic Duties During the SARS-CoV-2 Crisis 2020-05-20Written with Eric Winsberg and Chris Surprenant, forthcoming in The Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal. Abstract: In spring 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, world leaders imposed severe restrictions... The post How Government Leaders Violated Their Epistemic Duties During the SARS-CoV-2 Crisis appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- What Is Public Choice? 2020-05-14Here’s some silliness from Henry Farrell. Why is public choice specifically unhelpful here? Rather than starting from the many definitions of public choice offered by its enemies, I’ll begin with... The post What Is Public Choice? appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- Likeville Podcast about the Quarantine 2020-05-12Here. Eric Winsberg, Chris Surprenant, and I talk to John Faithful Hamer about the quarantine, precautionary principles, political incompetence, civil liberties, the problems with the data and models policy-makers relied... The post Likeville Podcast about the Quarantine appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
- How Did the Great Recession Affect Academic Employment? 2020-05-12Here are the total number of people employed as full-time assistant professors in the United States over the past 20 years, according to the US Department of Education. The figure... The post How Did the Great Recession Affect Academic Employment? appeared first on Bleeding Heart Libertarians.Jason Brennan
Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog
- Great moments in (extremely) obscure rock 'n' roll: Creepy John Thomas, "Gut Runs Great Stone," 1969 2023-02-04Following up last week's discovery, I've been listening to his first album, which has many good tunes. This is the lead number:Brian Leiter
- The latest escalation of the war in Ukraine 2023-02-03MOVING TO FRONT FROM JANUARY 31--A LIVELY, AND GENERALLY QUITE INTERESTING DISCUSSION IN THE COMMENTS, AS BEFORE Provision of tanks to Ukraine in the West's proxy war against Russia is another dangerous escalation of the conflict. We haven't discussed the...Brian Leiter
- Raz memorial service at Balliol, Oxford... 2023-02-03...is now available online.Brian Leiter
- Why British university faculty are striking 2023-02-02A pretty grim state of affairs. What the author does not note is that the so-called "marketisation" of higher education in the UK was actually the worst of both worlds: universities continue to be under the control of state bureaucrats,...Brian Leiter
- "Endings," professional and personal 2023-02-02Philosopher Daniel Kaufman comments, and it's a very interesting read.Brian Leiter
- A documentary about "free will" 2023-02-02The trailer: Among those I recognized were the philosophers Daniel Dennett, Robert Kane,and Gregg Caruso, as well as the physicist Sean Carroll and biologist Jerry Coyne. Oddly, the trailer features Dennett saying, incorrectly, that we have had the problem of...Brian Leiter
- Blast from the past: when Jordan Peterson threatened to sue philosopher Kate Manne.... 2023-02-02...back in 2018 (with a guest appearance by the dishonest weasel Jonathan Ichikawa).Brian Leiter
- Scholars of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy rally to the side of Viktor DeSantis in Florida 2023-02-01Not really, but there may be a silver lining for them in the latest rain cloud: DeSantis’s proposals include requiring that students at the colleges take certain core courses “grounded in actual history, the actual philosophy that has shaped Western...Brian Leiter
- Lateral moves/retirements (etc.) since the 2021 Philosophical Gourmet Report: 2023 edition 2023-02-01In addition to the separate posts announcing (generally tenured) faculty moves, I will keep a running list of all lateral moves (and retirements and deaths) not reflected in the faculty lists for the last PGR (some moves that took place...Brian Leiter
- Richard Marshall interviews Ludwig Büchner... 2023-02-01...at 3:16 AM. Büchner was something like the Richard Dawkins of his day, a proseltyzer, not for Darwin, but for physiology and materialism. His Kraft und Stoff was the best-selling book in Europe in the second half of the 19th-century...Brian Leiter
- Charlie Kirk "solves" the Euthyphro dilemma 2023-02-01It's not fair to idiots to observe that Mr. Kirk is one, but this video certainly drives it home: (Thanks to David Livingstone Smith for the pointer.)Brian Leiter
- A nice write-up about philosophy at Wake Forest University... 2023-01-31...where the major is thriving!Brian Leiter
- In Memoriam: Kent Greenawalt (1936-2023) 2023-01-31Philosophers who work in moral, political and legal philosophy will no doubt be familiar with Professor Greenawalt's work; there is a notice and links at my law school blog for those interested.Brian Leiter
- The NYT tunnel vision about race comes up against reality 2023-01-31Perhaps someone there should look at the evidence: "The fact that the five officers charged with Mr. Nichols’s murder are Black complicates the anguish." That's because in police killings, race is the not the primary variable, but rather class (as...Brian Leiter
- Class, not diversity 2023-01-30Kenan Malik comments at The Observer: If debates about poverty have become warped by a longstanding view that attributes blame to the individual, debates about inequality have become distorted by a more contemporary trend: the increasing tendency to look at...Brian Leiter
- Did you know you have a "right" to "revelatory autonomy"? 2023-01-30Me neither, but if you make up such a right, The Guardian will write about it. It does seem a bit odd to think friends and family act wrongfully by offering advice about major decisions in life, but the ever-evolving...Brian Leiter
- On the neoliberal identity politics of the fake "left" in America 2023-01-30This essay makes a number of good points (although readers will notice echoes of Adolph Reed, the essay overall lacks his more sophisticated theoretical framework); an excerpt: [Ne]oliberal identity is u]sing one’s identity or personal experience as a justification for...Brian Leiter
- In Memoriam: Edward Erwin (1937-2022) 2023-01-30This seems to be the year for belated death announcements, but Michael Tooley just alerted me to the fact that Professor Erwin, a longtime member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Miami, died last spring. He was...Brian Leiter
- Great moments in (extremely) obscure rock 'n' roll: Creepy John Thomas, "Down in the Bottom," 1970 2023-01-28Reader Dave Wasser kindly flagged the long-forgotten Mr. Thomas for me; born in Australia, he recorded this number in London for his second album and it's not bad! He later played with the Edgar Broughton Band and with his own...Brian Leiter
- Nyholm from Utrecht to LMU Munich 2023-01-27Sven Nyholm (applied ethics [esp. ethics of technology], ethics), currently Associate Professor in the Ethics Institute at Utrecht University, will become Professor of the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence on the philosophy faculty at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich this...Brian Leiter
Of special interest!
The usual phlegm and philosophy
- Consciousness as Representing One’s Mind: Rethinking the Higher-Order Thought Theory of Consciousness 2022-06-06Word on the street is that I am allegedly writing a book on consciousness…woah betide us, this is certainly the final indicator that we are in the most absurd of simulations! At any rate,I don’t have a contract or anything but there is ‘some interest’ in my completing a draft from a press, which is […]Richard Brown
- 2021 in Review 2021-12-22Like most people (I assume) I can’t believe that 2021 is almost over. This year has really flown by and I am feeling very burnt out. I feel like I am getting less and less done and yet at the same time being more and more overwhelmed by what I do manage to get done. […]Richard Brown
- Mark Solms Live! 2021-09-18Join me for a discussion with Mark Solms, Chair of Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital (Departments of Psychology and Neurology), as we discuss themes from his work and his recent book the Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness Mark’s book: The Hidden Spring Mark’s wikipedia pageRichard Brown
- Brown on Philosophy of Religion 2021-07-15I have been thinking about the philosophy of religion lately and I noticed that I don’t really have my posts on this organized. So here are some of the things I have written on this topic. I am pretty much a layman in this area and have not published any of this stuff except as […]Richard Brown
- Lucia Melloni, Liad Mudrik, and Michael Pitts Live! 2021-07-10Join me for a discussion with Lucia Melloni, Liad Mudrik, and Michal Pitts as we discuss COGITATE -an innovative Open Science, preregistered adversarial collaboration focused on arbitrating between two leading theories of consciousness, Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Neuronal Workspace theory (GNW) COGITATE project websiteRichard Brown
- The Immorality of God 2021-07-07I have been talking about my views on religion and God lately because I was recently invited to be a guest on a couple of podcasts but I have written about these things extensively over the last 10 years or so here and I have been thinking about these issues for my entire life. One […]Richard Brown
- Claire Sergent Live! 2021-07-06Join me for a discussion with Claire Sergent, a Professor at the Université de Paris, in the Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, as we discuss the neuroscience of consciousness and the Global Workspace Theory Sergent land website: https://clairesergent1.wixsite.com/sergentlabRichard Brown
- The Argument for Simulation via Traditional A Posterori Arguments for God’s Existence 2021-07-03I had a fun and interesting discussion with Canadian Catholic on his Global Skeptics podcast the other day. In the course of our discussion something clicked that has been loosely kicking around in the back of my mind. I have previously suggested that the argument from design is an argument for simulation and that the […]Richard Brown
- Cevin Soling Live! 2021-06-23Join me for a discussion with Cevin Soling, a filmmaker, philosopher, musician, music producer, and artist, as we discuss his defense of solipsism -the metaphysical view that there is only one mind and that mind is Cevin Soling Cevin’s websiteRichard Brown
- Megan Peters Live! 2021-05-26Join me for a discussion with Megan Peters, an Assistant Professor in the UCI Department of Cognitive Sciences, as we discuss her work on consciousness and metacognition Megan’s website Fund Consciousness Neuromatch Academy M-STEP paperRichard Brown
- Season Four of Consciousness Live! Continues 2021-05-24It has been a very busy spring and I have been having a great time discussing all things consciousness, having already done 13 discussions! Because of various reasons I will only be able to do two discussions a month over the summer. Below is the schedule through September. Megan Peters -May 25 at 12:00 pm Cevin […]Richard Brown
- The Death of Mr. Porter 2021-05-17Every once in a while I get an idea for a short story. Usually they pop in and out rather quickly and I just let them go but I recently decided to jot them down when they come (first one here). Sentenced to death The words washed over him and he felt a bit numb. […]Richard Brown
- Sensory Qualities, the Meta-Problem of Consciousness, and the Relocation Story 2021-05-08I have been so swamped lately with teaching, research and Consciousness Live! that I haven’t been able to do much else, but I have had a couple of blog posts kicking around in my head that I wanted to get to. I’ll try to jot them down when I get the chance. Chalmers’ Meta-Problem of […]Richard Brown
- Adrien Doerig Live! 2021-05-05Join me for a discussion with Adrien Doerig, currently a Postdoc with Tim Kietzmann at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behavior, as we discuss empirical criteria for theories of consciousnessRichard Brown
- Evan Thompson Live! 2021-05-04Join me for a discussion with Evan Thompson, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and an Associate Member of the Department of Asian Studies and the Department of Psychology (Cognitive Science Group), as we discuss Biopsychism -the view that mind and consciousness are co-extensive with life. Evan’s websiteRichard Brown
- Hedda Hassel Mørch Live! 2021-04-27Join me for a discussion with Hedda Mørch, a philosopher and associate professor at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, as we discuss her work on causation and panpsychism. Hedda’s websiteRichard Brown
- Peter Carruthers Live! 2021-04-21Join me for a discussion with Peter Carruthers, a philosopher at the University of Maryland, as we discuss themes from his new book Human and Animal Minds: The Consciousness Question Laid to Rest Peter’s websiteRichard Brown
- Tony Chemero Live! 2021-04-15Join me for a discussion with Tony Chemero, a professor of philosophy and psychology at the University of Cincinnati, as we discuss Radical Embodied cognitive Science find out more about Tony’s workRichard Brown
- Kate Pendoley Live! 2021-04-06Join me for a discussion with Kate Pendoley, a philosopher currently at Hunter College, CUNY, as we discuss her work on the emotions. Kate’s websiteRichard Brown
- Nicholas Shea Live! 2021-04-01Join me for a discussion with Nick Shea, a Professor of Philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy, University of London, as we discuss his book Representation in Cognitive science Nick’s Website Representation in Cognitive Science (open access book!)Richard Brown
Sanjeev Sabhlok's occasional blog
- Public health can’t run on the basis of “ethics”, e.g. the “ethics” of the Church 2023-02-04Public health needs to run on the basis of science and “public” impacts, not on the basis of ethics. The Church has largely supported public health tyranny. Its “ethical” expertise has entirely failed the world. SUPPORT FOR MASKS 19 March 2020: Directive for “adoption of a suitable distance, the use of protective masks” 1 December […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
- My next TOI blog post: Public health is not a science 2023-02-02See: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/seeing-the-invisible/public-health-is-not-a-science/ I’ve added this comment to the article: I’ve discovered that I’m not the first person in human history to discover that public health is not a science. Eminent public health specialists have said so: 1988: “public health is not a science, but a form of social activism” (Sander Greenland of the UCLA School […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
- BBC’s documentary on Modi and related UK government papers 2023-01-25LINKS TO THE DOCUMENTARY ‘India: The Modi Question’ Both episodes in High resolution: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sICYixYu7kz1MVBwm5UVoFUBQsod-0aQ Episode 1: On Daily Motion | On Rumble | On Telegram | Episode 2: On Daily Motion | On Odysee | On Rumble| On Archive.org | On Telegram | Another on archive.org | Don’t forget my two videos: 1. Modi’s culpability […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
- Draft book and article for public comment 2023-01-15I’ve recently put out two documents for public comment: Please write to me with suggestions, etc. as soon as you can. Grateful. Draft book on critical thinking for children Draft article to refute claims that Australia’s lockdown has been a success.Sanjeev Sabhlok
- Cost-benefit analyses of the 2020 lockdowns 2023-01-10An extract from the draft CBA that I’d worked on with Prof. Gigi Foster There are a number of ways to undertake a cost-benefit analysis. A useful summary of methods is provided by Paul Frijters in the Vienna Yearbook of Population Research.[1] Different authors inevitably use different methods and currencies, and include different factors in […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
- Children’s drawings about the lockdowns and “pandemic” 2023-01-10I’ve posted this tweet which contains the source of the images below.Sanjeev Sabhlok
- A shorter article on disbanding public health – in Mises Wire 2023-01-02Mises Wire has published this on 29 December 2022: https://mises.org/wire/case-disbanding-public-health-agencies Keywords Disband/ Abolish Public Health.Sanjeev Sabhlok
- Vaccines are POSSIBLY a cause of the 6.7% decline in births in Sweden in the first half of 2022 2022-12-19ADDENDUM DATED 25 JANUARY 2023 [Source: https://dailysceptic.org/2023/01/24/the-link-between-the-massive-drop-in-birth-rates-and-mrna-vaccines-is-undeniable/ This chart confirms that birth rates have a LOT of natural variation. The cause of current decline in birth rates can be linked to vaccines ONLY by demonstrating that pregnant women had a lot of stillbirths. Simplistic correlations are not proof. [TO READ: https://dailysceptic.org/2022/12/15/are-covid-vaccines-behind-the-drop-in-birth-rates-in-2022/ and https://twitter.com/boriquagato/status/1618248520892559360?t=CX4FElGw0PMtlL0xfgEMlQ&s=19 ==ORIGINAL== Sweden is […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
- My next TOI article: The case for disbanding public health in its current form 2022-12-18This is in four parts. I’ll provide the links below but also the Word and PDF versions for download. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/seeing-the-invisible/the-case-for-disbanding-public-health-in-its-current-form-part-1/ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/seeing-the-invisible/the-case-for-disbanding-public-health-in-its-current-form-part-2/ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/seeing-the-invisible/the-case-for-disbanding-public-health-in-its-current-form-part-3/ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/seeing-the-invisible/the-case-for-disbanding-public-health-in-its-current-form-part-4/ DOWNLOAD WORD | PDF COMPLETE TEXT BELOW In March 2020, Sweden showed us how public health should be managed ethically (see my two articles on 25 April 2020). But the rest of […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
- Do lockdowns and border closures serve the “greater good”? A cost-benefit analysis of Australia’s reaction to COVID-19 – Gigi Foster with Sanjeev Sabhlok 2022-12-13I’ve finally found some time to create this page for the Foster-Sabhlok CBA. Also scanned a relatively high resolution image of the front cover. Custom bit.ly link: bit.ly/fostercba Executive summary (Free of cost): https://www.thegreatcovidpanic.com/_files/ugd/23eb94_33b4f30ef8fa4e6eaf1a7e62d571a9a7.pdf Where to purchase: Connor Court | Amazon | Barnes and Noble. Also available from: Book Depository, Wordery, Fishpond, Abbey’s, AbeBooks, Blackwell’s, Booktopia, […]Sanjeev Sabhlok
Tom Gilson
- The Very Alien Question of Marriage (from The Stream’s Pastors’ Corner) 2022-03-25(Also published at The Stream.) What is marriage? What is it for? Why does marriage matter? Ten years ago, those were the hottest questions on the planet. Now they’re … nothing. No one even asks anymore, at least not in public. That’s okay to a certain point: I don’t mind the public debate going silent […]Tom Gilson
- Find Your Authentic Self, or Find an Authentic View of God? 2022-02-08Everyone’s in a rush to find their “authentic self.” We’re going about it the wrong way, though. We find our true selves by giving up false gods and finding the true God. We’ve missed his reality, however. Even Christians have, in my view. That’s why I say in this message to The River Church in […]Tom Gilson
- Pastors’ Equipping Series: Sample Sermon on Christian Exclusivism vs. Pluralism — Christmas Themed! 2021-12-14Christians aren’t supposed to say we have the one truth, right? So goes the opinion around our culture, anyway. We’re supposed to be “humble” about our beliefs; to give equal worth and respect to all other beliefs. That’s what culture tells us, but what does God say? Clearly Jesus claims to be the one way, […]Tom Gilson
- Pastors’ Equipping Series: Sample Sermon on the Faith-Science Challenge (Special Focus on the Virgin Birth) 2021-11-05Faith vs. Science: It feels like David approaching Goliath, with no sling and no stones. Or at least, that’s the way a lot of people want us to feel it. As pastor, you know there’s pressure on Christians to deny the faith in favor “almighty science.” In cooperation with The Stream’s Pastors’ Corner, we offer you a […]Tom Gilson
- Alisa Childers: ‘Reading Through Your Book Was … Exciting’ 2021-10-07Alisa Childers, gifted speaker, former ZOEgirl singer, and author of the outstanding book Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity, graciously invited me on her podcast to talk about my own book Too Good to Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality. I really appreciate her words about the […]Tom Gilson
- Pastors’ Equipping Series: A Sample Sermon on Critical Race Theory 2021-09-30Updated: See the summary explainer article at The Stream! Critical race theory: Could you preach on it in church? Teach it in a small group? How would you approach it? Should you even address it in church? That last question calls for a definite answer yes. It’s too influential, and too much of a false […]Tom Gilson
- So You Think Critical Race Theory Is a Useful Analytical Tool? 2021-09-13I was with my new friend Howard that afternoon, and he was pumping me with questions about some of my projects so he could do some graphic design work. That’s still in process, and you’ll see the result when we’re done with it. We have a lot of opinions in common, including thoughts on critical […]Tom Gilson
- At Last! Moving Forward Into the Heat to Light Pastors’ Equipping Series! 2021-08-30The time has come, at last, tell some of the story, and then very soon to launch the new church-equipping initiative that I’ve been building toward for months, or maybe for most of a lifetime. It’s called Heat to Light: Leading Your Church Through Cultural Heat to Spiritual Transformation. (With just one more meeting coming […]Tom Gilson
- Cincinnati Apologetics Conference with Alisa Childers September 10-11! 2021-08-11I’ll be speaking as well. Kudos to Tim Waugh, pastor of Faith Community United Methodist Church, who wants to be a light for the truth of Christ in his community and among United Methodists! Click for the full-definition flier, downloadable: The post Cincinnati Apologetics Conference with Alisa Childers September 10-11! appeared first on Tom Gilson.Tom Gilson
- Creative Common-Sense Apologetics — Video Here! 2021-07-21They say you can’t use the Bible to prove the Bible; it’s circular reasoning. Yes. Except… there are exceptions. Valid ones, not fallacious. The Bible actually demonstrates its own reality through its own internal character, along with some general common-sense knowledge about books and literature with which we can compare it. That’s one perspective you’ll […]Tom Gilson
- Update on Pastor Equipping Ministry: ‘Heat to Light: Guiding Your People Through Cultural Conflict to Spiritual Transformation’ 2021-07-01It’s coming together in ways I never expected, and that’s a good thing. If you’ve been following me here on the blog or the podcast, you may be wondering exactly what it’s going to look like, and when it begins for real. I’ve been calling it “Heat to Light: Guiding Your People Through Cultural Conflict […]Tom Gilson
- Apologists and Pastors Connecting for Ministry: Stories of How You Can Do It 2021-06-26(Hear more of the story at the Thinking Christian podcast.) Apologists need to connect with pastors, and vice versa. We need each other. Pastors need the best possible understanding of changes in our culture, which apologists are uniquely equipped to offer. Apologists need to learn practical ministry from pastors, and they also need church leadership […]Tom Gilson
- RELEASED TODAY ON KINDLE! Too Good to be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality 2021-06-17It came a day or two earlier than I expected, so I’m scrambling to catch up — but I’m very excited to announce the release at last on Kindle — of Too Good to be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality. Includes a new preface for 2021! Typically Amazon takes a few days […]Tom Gilson
- Apologists and Pastors, Here’s How We Can Finally Work Together (And We’d Better Get To It!) 2021-06-13I met a pastor from my home town at a conference a couple years ago, actually a pastors’ pastor, who ministered to dozens of others in our area. I was grateful when he agreed to meet for lunch. As we started in over our chips and salsa, I asked him to tell me his story, […]Tom Gilson
- Pastor, Your Job Is About Cross-Cultural Missions Now. Could You Use Some Help? 2021-06-01The world has changed, and the pastor's job description must, too. It's cross-cultural missions and ministry now wherever you may be. The post Pastor, Your Job Is About Cross-Cultural Missions Now. Could You Use Some Help? appeared first on Tom Gilson.Tom Gilson
- A Conversation with Gay/Progressive Leader Brandan Robertson 2021-05-10I had a most interesting conversation on Thursday with Brandan Robertson, who’s a leading spokesman for gay and progressive Christianity, on everything from the character of Jesus, to the nature of the Bible, to Christianity’s connection to slavery. Not much on homosexuality; it wasn’t one of our topics this time. We connected originally through an […]Tom Gilson
- Streaming Live on Thursday: Conversation with LGBT Activist Pastor Brandan Robertson 2021-05-06Brandan Robertson is a globally prominent gay activist pastor with whom I’ve been exchanging emails over the past couple weeks. It’s been a cordial conversation, and he and I have agreed to move to a live online video conference tomorrow evening. It starts at 7 pm Eastern time, and will be showing live on The […]Tom Gilson
- Heat to Light: Our Lost Moral High Ground, and How to Begin Reclaiming It 2021-05-03Remember when Christianity held the moral high ground? Maybe not. Depends on how long you’ve been around. It sure isn’t the case now, at least not in the minds of many of our contemporaries. (This post accompanies the Thinking Christian Podcast of the same title.) I’m talking perception here, not reality, but perception is powerful. […]Tom Gilson
- Moving From Heat to Light: Worldviews in Conflict 2021-04-25(You can listen to this blog post here.) Cultural conflict doesn’t come from just nowhere. Ours has been building for a while. The intensity of it comes out of Westerners’ incredibly diverse worldviews, our way of seeing reality. For much of European history most people shared a more-or-less common worldview, and the same has been […]Tom Gilson
- Heat to Light 2: Grace and Truth 2021-04-14(This post accompanies my latest podcast, Episode 2-2, Grace and Truth in Heat-to-Light Conversations.) I’m continuing today with my extended series on “Heat to Light: From Cultural Conflict to Spiritual Transformation.” (That title is still a bit in flux, but it’ll settle in soon enough.) Here’s where we’re heading with this. I see three principles […]Tom Gilson
Thoughts Arguments and Rants
- Value and News in Evidential Decision Theory 2018-05-11A discussion of what desirabilities in Jeffrey's theory of decision ultimately mean.Brian Weatherson
- Absolute Value 2018-05-11An objection to the version of Desire as Belief that Stephen Daskall defended in "Absolute Value as Belief".Brian Weatherson
- Over Time, Citations Get More Uneven 2017-05-18In an earlier post, I compared the distribution of citations within Journal of Philosophy, 1976 and Philosophical Studies, 2009. And I noted that although the two ended up in similar places, they got there in different ways. Journal of Philosophy was largely relying on some hugely cited papers; while the distribution of citations in Philosophical […]Brian Weatherson
- Citations are Getting More Evenly Distributed 2017-05-12I claimed yesterday that citations within journals are getting more egalitarian. To verify this, I pulled the citation data for two prominent years: The Journal of Philosophy, 1976 and Philosophical Studies, 2009. I couldn’t find an easy way to get just the citations in Arts & Humanities, so this table includes all the citations in […]Brian Weatherson
- Two More Graphs 2017-05-11Just as a follow up to the previous post, here are the graphs for six more journals. First their citations in the other 31. Then their citations in the whole of Web of Science Arts and Humanities. (Note that this sometimes severely understates how many citations they have elsewhere in the academy, especially for philosophy […]Brian Weatherson
- Changes in Who is Cited 2017-05-11The dataset of citations I’m looking at starts in 1976. And I can break down not just which journals are cited, but which years of those journals are cited. (And which years they are cited in, but I’m setting aside that data for now.) So as well as asking which journal is the most cited […]Brian Weatherson
- Citation Graphs, One Journal at a Time 2017-05-10The big graphs I posted earlier have so much information, that much of it gets lost in the mess of lines. So I’ve broken down the data to create a graph just involving each journal’s interactions with the other 31. Here are the graphs. (As always, click on each for a larger image.) British Journal […]Brian Weatherson
- Citation Graphs and Methodology 2017-05-04Last week I posted some graphs showing how often various journals cite other journals. Here is one of those graphs, just to remind you what they looked like. I didn’t say particularly clearly how I got the data, or even exactly what the graphs meant. So here’s the long methodology post showing how I ended […]Brian Weatherson
- Citations of History Journals 2017-04-27Yesterday I posted some data about how often journals cite other journals. And one of the things that jumped out was how rarely generalist journals cite various specialist journals. I suggested an inference from that: generalist journals are not as generalist as they are often thought to be. And I think that’s largely correct, and […]Brian Weatherson
- Citation Patterns Across Journals 2017-04-26I’ve been interested for a while in the different things that get attention in different philosophy journals. Part of what got me interested in this was looking at the ways that different well known articles get cited, or not, in different journals. Below is a table showing how many times (according to Web of Science), […]Brian Weatherson