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Category Archives: Philosophy
Utopia’s Biggest Problem
Blogger Marcus Ampe has written a thoughtful essay about utopianism. But he’s realistic about the impossibility of creating a perfect society. He wants, instead, to think about ways we can make society better. That’s a practical goal for which we … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Political Science, Society
Tagged Goals, Happiness, History, Humility, Morality, Philosophy, Social Change, Social harmony, Social Peace, Tolerance, Utopianism
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In Defense of Misguided People
Misguided people are all around us. Of course, which people we call misguided depends on how misguided we are, ourselves. So I want to say a few words in defense of misguided people. They might not know the facts I … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged Charity, Division of labor, Forgiveness, Honesty, Human motivation, Humility, Knowledge, Limits of knowledge
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Why Beliefs Divide Us
Why do beliefs divide us? This will sound like a joke, but it’s the truth: Beliefs divide us because it’s part of their job. We usually think of beliefs simply as being about facts: Two plus two equals four. Flowers … Continue reading
Why People Are Not Things
Is it ever justified to treat people unequally? Before you try to answer, notice something about the question: It’s not a factual question. It doesn’t ask what is, but what ought to be. We might include facts in our answer, but … Continue reading
Two Beliefs That Don’t Conflict
Some beliefs are inconsistent with each other. If you hold one of the beliefs, then you can’t hold the other. For example: The number 5 is less than the number 10. The number 5 is not less than the number … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged Choice, Human Rights, Moral Choice, Moral persons, Morality, Naturalistic fallacy
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Is Cosplay the Same as Reality?
You might think it’s a joke, but I have a few serious questions. To me, the answers are obvious, but they’re obviously not obvious to everyone. “Cosplay” (costume play) means dressing up as a fictional character. Some people earn a … Continue reading
Free Yourself and Live
“You have at least nine months. Perhaps as much as eighteen.” “The first doctor gave me from one to two years.” “I hope he’s right. What are you going to do?” “Well, I have no family. I haven’t taken a … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Science, Society
Tagged COVID-19, Fear, Freedom, Golden Age of Radio, Golden Age of Television, Lockdown, Overcoming fear, SARS-CoV-2
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Ideas That Have Harmed Humanity
The British philosopher and Nobel laureate (for literature) Bertrand Russell once wrote an essay titled “Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind.” Of course, when he wrote the essay in 1931, nobody would have taken offense at the word “mankind.” But we … Continue reading
Posted in Epistemology, Human Relations, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged Bertrand Russell, Humility, Knowledge, Models, Philosophy, Prediction, Rationalization, Social Conflict, Tolerance, Wisdom
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Ramanujan and Me
Tomorrow, April 26, is notable for two reasons. First, it’s my birthday. I’ll be 39. Again. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Second, it’s 100 years since the death of Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of the greatest mathematical geniuses … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Science
Tagged 1729, Cambridge, Continued fractions, G.H. Hardy, Number theory, Ramanujan
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