Category Archives: Jewish Philosophy

Why Evil Exists

Posted on April 12, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

Today is Easter 2020, when Christians in Western countries celebrate (where permitted by law) the resurrection of Jesus. Eastern Orthodox Christians in Greece, Turkey, Russia and thereabouts celebrate it next week. Today is also the middle of Passover, when we … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy, Science | Tagged Ethics, Ethics of Belief, Evil, God, Good and Evil, Metaphysics, Morality, Ontology, Problem of Evil, Theodicy | Leave a comment

If We Can Learn, We Can Do Better

Posted on April 1, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

The world is scary right now. But it won’t stay that way. Things will get better. The pandemic will subside. We will mourn our dead, be they many or few. We will go on. But if we can learn, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Life, Society | Tagged Constructive attitude, Experience, Family, Get priorities straight, Learning from experience, Optimism, Politicization, Positive attitude, Priorities, Priorities in life, Social Peace, Tolerance | Leave a comment

Eavesdropping on God and the Devil

Posted on October 14, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Eavesdropping isn’t exactly a sin, but it’s certainly impolite. And yet I couldn’t help it. Much. I was getting some coffee in the break room. Outside, in the hallway, God was having an argument with the Devil. I tried not … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Philosophy | Tagged Excusivity, Free choice, Free Will, Inclusion, Inclusivity, John Milton, Moral Choice, Moral order, Moral universe, Paradise Lost, Problem of Evil, Theodicy | Leave a comment

What Is Humanity?

Posted on July 1, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Back in the 1960s, the great rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote Who Is Man? based on lectures he gave at Stanford University. But to ask “who is man?” assumes that we’ve’ previously answered the question “what is man?” If humans are … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life | Tagged Fukayama, Heschel, Human Dignity, Human life, Human Rights, Human worth, Identity, Justice, Materialism, Morality, Scientism, The other, What is man | Leave a comment

Some Comforting Thoughts

Posted on May 31, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Life can be troubling, especially during periods of heated social conflict. Politicians and the media are no help. Most now devote themselves to fomenting hatred and division. Schools are no help. Most now devote themselves to replacing knowledge with superstition. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology | Tagged Adages, Courage, Optimism, Perseverance, Serenity, Stoicism, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?

Posted on March 27, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

On his blog, philosopher Eric Kaplan posed a serious question (paraphrased here): If our weapons can destroy all life on earth, can we still afford to believe in a God who plays favorites? People sometimes claim that God is “… … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged Aggression, Atheism, Belief in God, Kin Selection, Philosophy of Religion, Religion, Sapolsky, Steven Weinberg, Theism, War | 3 Comments

We Don’t Always Need to Talk

Posted on January 19, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

“We need to talk.” Those words inspire dread. They usually portend something unpleasant. At home, your spouse might be angry because you forgot to take out the trash. At work, your boss might scold you for neglecting to put cover … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology | Tagged Communication, Confucius, Consideration for others, Kindness, Silence, Small talk, Talking | Leave a comment

Is There a “Problem of Goodness”?

Posted on January 10, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

“The problem of evil” has long been a thorn in the side of Judaism and Christianity. It’s a fairly simple argument: Judaism and Christianity say that God is infinitely good and infinitely powerful. If God is infinitely good, then He … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy | Tagged Bart Ehrman, Book of Job, Brand Blanshard, Divine goodness, Existence of Evil, G.E. Moore, Problem of Evil, Suffering, Theodicy, Theology | Leave a comment

We Can Have Unity Without Unanimity

Posted on November 24, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was Prime Minister of England during World War II. He rallied his people to fight back against Nazi Germany even though some of them advocated surrender. Faced with such disagreement, Churchill said something that’s still relevant in … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Jewish Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Compromise, Disagreement, Fundamental values, Negotiation, Politics, Priorities, Setting priorities, Social discord, Social Peace, Social unity | 1 Comment

Is the Bible Worth Reading?

Posted on November 12, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

Is the Bible worth reading? I think it is, but you can find intelligent, moral people on both sides of that question. American novelist Mark Twain, best known for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, had a low opinion of the … Continue reading →