As with most groups, I moved the Eugene Atheist Pub Social I organize to online during COVID. The online meetings slowly devolved until I wasn’t getting very many regular attendees. I am pretty sure that this YouTube video was of the last Pub Social Zoom I did (or very nearly the last at least). IContinue reading “Zoom Trolling YouTube Video”
Category Archives: Philosophy
Measuring Morality – Metrology Part IV
I’ve had various discussions about science where people have made statements like, “That can’t be measured” and “Science can’t tell us anything about that.” Since I have yet to be presented with a well-defined concept that science is not capable of analyzing (vs. necessarily already having analyzed) I feel such statements need to be addressed.Continue reading “Measuring Morality – Metrology Part IV”
Promoting Unity and Good – Without God
The following was published as a Guest View in the Eugene Register-Guard on 21 Aug 2021 with the title: “Whose morality carries more weight?” I submitted it with the above title. I spent a fair amount of time writing this and I think it’s self-explanatory. As submitted: Saying that an entire class of people isContinue reading “Promoting Unity and Good – Without God”
Equality Rather than Gender (With a Side of J. K. Rowling)
I recently watched an episode of ContraPoints by Natalie Wynn about J. K. Rowling. A friend of mine recommended this YouTube channel and I thought I’d check it out. Since I don’t normally watch these types of commentaries, it is somewhat of a compliment that I actually watched the full 1 ½ hours of it.Continue reading “Equality Rather than Gender (With a Side of J. K. Rowling)”
Equivocation and Faith
The N. Y. Times published an opinion piece by Linda Kinstler titled Can Silicon Valley Find God? Among other things, it includes a common example of an equivocation fallacy used by religious apologists. “It is difficult not to remark upon the fact that many of those beliefs, such as that advanced artificial intelligence could destroyContinue reading “Equivocation and Faith”
Polyamory, the relationship escalator, and Dear Abby
I read the Eugene Register Guard newspaper most mornings. This, of course, includes the comics. On the page facing the comics is the Dear Abby column (no longer written by Abby). I didn’t really pay attention to it, maybe reading it once in a great while. But, when BdiJ stays over, she sometimes looks atContinue reading “Polyamory, the relationship escalator, and Dear Abby”
Detectives and Abductive Reasoning
Sherlock Holmes is often thought to engage in deductive reasoning. He even says so himself. However, Ivar Fahsing points out in an article on how to think like a detective that what Sherlock did was actually abductive reasoning (in contrast to deductive or inductive reasoning). This surprised me since, even though I am somewhat versedContinue reading “Detectives and Abductive Reasoning”
Ask culture vs. guess culture
This came to my attention from BdiJ. The following was an easy cut and paste way for me to provide the basic concept (from The Atlantic): Let’s say your husband or wife has a friend who will be coming to your city for two weeks on business. This friend writes to you and your spouse,Continue reading “Ask culture vs. guess culture”
Metrology Part III – The “soft” sciences are harder than the “hard” sciences.
Keywords: measurement, metrology, reductionism, SI units, reality Recap I’ve had various discussions about science where people have made statements like, “That can’t be measured” and “Science can’t tell us anything about that.” Since I have yet to be presented with a well-defined concept that science is not capable of analyzing (vs. necessarily already having analyzed)Continue reading “Metrology Part III – The “soft” sciences are harder than the “hard” sciences.”
Skeptical Inquirer Publication
Keywords: nonoverlapping magisteria, skepticism, publication, Skeptical Inquirer, Center for Inquiry. CSICON I have an article “Is there a Philosophical Magisterium?” published in the current issue of the Skeptical Inquirer: The Magazine for Science and Reason, Vol. 45 No. 2 | March/April 2021. My article is listed on the front cover. The Skeptical Inquirer is oneContinue reading “Skeptical Inquirer Publication”
Starting From Doubt 