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Antinomy
Science is offered in support of everything nowadays, true and false, good and bad. Without a capacity to distinguish the difference between good and bad science, ‘the science’ means nothing. How do you develop a capacity to distinguish between good and bad science?
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Esoteric Protreptics
1. Society will support whatever it values. Society does not support philosophy. Evidently, society does not value philosophy. Philosophers should put all their efforts into demonstrating the value of what they do. 2. The value of philosophy can only be seen by those who understand it. Few people understand philosophy. Consequently, few people can see […]
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Reflections on the Fate of Philosophy in the University
I wonder if it’s easier to see what might be on the other side of the wall once you’re on the other side of the wall? When I left the university I asked: ‘how can philosophy survive without the university?’ Now I wonder if philosophy can only survive without the university. The university, as it’s […]
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Reply to Echazú
The International Journal for Philosophy of Religion published an article recently: ‘Does moral anti-theodicy beg the question?’ In this article, the author, Gabriel Echazú, identifies some important points and potential confusions in the debate about moral anti-theodicy. And since I am the source of some of these confusions, I thought I’d better reply.
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Palinode to the Rion
I recently wrote a satirical piece about popular philosophy. I was happy enough with it to put it online, because I think what it shows is interesting, but beyond that the net effect was to leave me thinking I probably won’t do this kind of thing anymore. As I recently seem to have discovered, I am currently writing to discover why I write, and what I seem to have discovered here is that, whilst I’m happy enough to write things that show something important about philosophy, I have no interest in writing anything combative, critical, or ‘snotty’. […]
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The Rion: An Ancient Dialogue for Our Times
The Exile: Very nice to meet you, Rion. Am I talking to you at home? Rion: No, I’m in a hotel just outside of Bullton right now; I’ve been here to give a talk at a conference on mental health. Ex: And did they have many philosophers talking at the conference? Ri: Oh for sure, […]
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Why Do I Write?
Why do I write? When I say write I mean writing philosophy. I could try writing other things, I suppose, but what I have been writing up to now is philosophy. And not only writing it but also putting it online for all to see. What is the purpose of this? […]
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Trading
Philosophers trade arguments like traders trade commodities. But whereas a trader looks to make a profit, a philosopher looks to make a loss, because it is better to lose an argument and learn your error than win an argument and remain in it.
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Trash
Most philosophy online is trash. It’s either people trying to be academic but failing, or people not trying to be academic and therefore failing.
An experiment with philosophy as a way of life
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