Category Archives: Philosophy

Detoxifying Social Media

Posted on October 18, 2018 by

Social media started as an enjoyable way to chat with people who shared our interests. But it soon developed a dark side. It started to generate hostility and hysteria. Crazed mobs started to harass and threaten people who made social … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Philosophy, Political Science, Society | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Respect the Other Person

Posted on October 17, 2018 by

When you disagree with someone, how can you keep the argument focused on the issues? You don’t want to get sidetracked, and you especially don’t want the discussion to turn into a screaming match. The previous blog post (“How to … Continue reading →

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How to Argue Productively

Posted on October 16, 2018 by

Most arguments aren’t productive. But argument can be productive if you do it right. The First Rule The first rule of productive argument is the same as in many other areas: Define your goals. Do you want to discover the … Continue reading →

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Can We See Past Our Own Foundations?

Posted on October 15, 2018 by

You can’t understand anything in terms of nothing. That much is obvious. What’s less obvious is that it’s a barrier to communication and understanding. Each of us has a foundational viewpoint that biases how we see the world. It includes … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Philosophy, Political Science | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Legitimacy Matters

Posted on October 11, 2018 by

Any society needs rules; an authority to resolve disputes; and the population’s broad willingness to respect the authority. Continue reading →

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Dialogue Is Not Harmful

Posted on September 5, 2018 by

“There’s a lot of difference between a reasoned discussion and a screaming match.” Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Are People Basically Good?

Posted on August 30, 2018 by

“People are neither basically good nor basically bad. They are basically free.” Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments