Monthly Archives: March 2016

Putnam’s Predicament — And Ours

Posted on March 27, 2016 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jerusalem Post: “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” That was one of my father’s favorite adages, second only to “talk is cheap.” It means that if you eat your cake, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, The Jerusalem Post | Tagged Belief Justification, Epistemology, Ethics of Belief, Hilary Putnam, Jewish Faith, Kierkegaard, Moral Epistemology, Rationality, Religion and Science, Wittgenstein | 2 Comments

How to Think About Transgenderism

Posted on March 20, 2016 by N.S. Palmer

My new blog post for The Jerusalem Post: In a scene from an old Monty Python movie, a mother has just given birth. She asks the doctor, “Is it a boy or a girl?” He replies, “I think it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, The Jerusalem Post | Tagged Differences between male and female, Neuroscience, Psychology, Saadia Gaon, Sex change, TG, Transgender, Transgenderism, Transsexual | Leave a comment

Could You Be Happier?

Posted on March 13, 2016 by N.S. Palmer

“I could be happier.” How many of us have occasionally thought that? While driving to work the other day, I did. And then I realized it’s not true. I’ve done a few things of which I’m proud. There is more … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, The Jerusalem Post | Tagged A worthy goal, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Eudaemonia, Happiness, Harriet Taylor Mill, How to be happy, Importance of purpose, John Stuart Mill, Meaning of life, Menachem Mendel Schneerson | Leave a comment

How Medieval Islam Influenced Modern Judaism

Posted on March 7, 2016 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jerusalem Post: In the modern era, we associate Islam mainly with terrorism, barbarism, and opposition to science. But it was not always so. Long ago, our early encounters with Islam influenced the development of … Continue reading →