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Wittgenstein: belief, behaviour and beetles
Published on 2012-11-28 10:24:00
The topic of today’s post is the meaning of mental-state terms, such as ‘belief’ and ‘desire.’ These terms are commonly used to refer, somewhat mysteriously, to strange things going on inside our heads. When a person says ‘I believe that
Some thoughts about 'atheism', 'theism' and 'agnosticism'
Published on 2012-10-17 16:08:00
It is common for people to describe themselves in relation to the question of the existence of God as 'atheist', 'theist' or 'agnostic'. Even before we get into the interminable debate as to whether there really is such a thing as God, I think there are a few things to be clarified in terms of how these labels are used. The following points are criticisms of what I take to be common assumptions concerning the use of the terms 'atheist', 'theist' and 'agnostic'.'Atheist'It is popular among self-c [..]
Colin McGinn on the limits of explanation
Published on 2012-10-11 07:50:00
McGinn: mean but fairThere has been a widespread assumption in philosophy, and other disciplines, that the problems of the world are there waiting to be solved, and that indeed they can and will be solved by human beings. The problem of consciousness, for example: though consciousness remains mysterious from a scientific perspective, philosophers have put forward a range of views and arguments for both physicalism and dualism (see, for example, Chalmers on zombies) which seek to explain consciou [..]
'If time-travel is possible, where are all the time-travellers?'
Published on 2012-08-31 03:44:00
Philosophy Of... returns, after a short leave of absence!
Strange loops
Published on 2012-05-13 15:28:00
In 'The Barber Paradox' and 'The Pinocchio Paradox', I gave examples of self-reference paradoxes. Douglas Hofstadter, in 'Godel, Escher, Bach' introduces the notion of a 'strange loop', saying:'The "Strange Loop" phenomenon occurs whenever, by moving upwards (or downwards) through the levels of a hierarchical system, we unexpectedly find ourselves back where we started.' (GEB, p.10).'Strange-loopiness' is best expressed in the paradoxes mentioned above, but it also crops up elsewhere, Hofstadter [..]
Mary and the black and white room
Published on 2012-05-09 09:40:00
Is there 'something-it-is-like' to see red, over and above the
What is knowledge?
Published on 2012-05-06 12:33:00
If knowledge isn't Justified True Belief, then what the hell is it?Philosophers like to analyze concepts; that is, to take a concept and give conditions necessary and sufficient for that concept. For example, an analysis of ‘talking bullshit’ might go something like:A person p is talking bullshit if and only if a) p says that a statement is true or false, and b) p does not know whether that statement is actually true or false, and c) p is indifferent to the truth or falsity of that statement [..]
The 'Pinocchio paradox'
Published on 2012-05-02 18:08:00
As usual, Philosoraptor makes an intriguing point. As far as I can see, it's a type of self-reference paradox; that is, if it is a paradox at all.The possible paradox can be phrased as follows:
The supposed passage of time
Published on 2012-05-01 15:49:00
Time seems to pass - at least, that’s what plenty of people (some philosophers included) seem to think. However, on reflection, it’s pretty baffling what this claim is supposed to amount to. Taking it literally, we might suppose that time flows literally like a river, with moments passing by like water passing from one section of the river to the next.'The Persistence of Memory' by Salvador DaliHowever, if this is the way in which time flows, it makes sense to ask the question ‘how fast do [..]
In defence of William Lane Craig
Published on 2012-04-27 17:22:00
William Lane Craig, or 'Bill' to his mates.William Lane Craig is a Professor of Philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is best known for his 'Christian apologetics', which has led him into combat with some of the world's most famous atheists and agnostics. However, he has become a much maligned figure in the public eye recently, and I have a few words to say in his defence.Craig is often mischaracterized, usually by his ideological opponents, so it is necessary to take [..]
Really great introductions to philosophy
Published on 2012-04-25 18:11:00
I thought that since this is a popular philosophy blog, I should at some point list some of the best popular philosophy books I've come across which serve as an introduction to the subject. I'll stick the list in the sidebar as well for future reference and keep adding to it.What to read- The Problems of Philosophy - Bertrand Russell. A bit dated in its theories (sense-data, anyone?), but still an excellent introduction by the man who was largely responsible for giving 20th Century philosophy th [..]
The Ship of Theseus
Published on 2012-04-23 06:45:00
The Ship of Theseus (but which one?)The wandering adventurer of Greek myth, Theseus, has had many an epic voyage in his time, but has decided to call it a day. Among the possessions to be stored away is his magnificent ship, which has seen better days. Theseus asks his followers to repair the ship, and restore it to its former glory by replacing all the planks of wood out of which it is made. So one by one, the old planks are replaced by new planks, and then piled up in a heap. Finally, the work [..]
The Ontological Argument for God's existence
Published on 2012-04-20 09:37:00
Nobody's claiming the argument proves THIS...Ontological arguments seek to prove the existence of God simply by armchair reasoning - by thinking through concepts logically rather than venturing out into the world to find material evidence. Ontological arguments usually start from a definition, from which the existence of the entity logically follows. Here is one example:By definition, God is a supremely great existent beingTherefore, God exists.The argument is valid (see previous post). However, [..]
Soundness, validity, and life on Mars
Published on 2012-04-18 10:48:00
In philosophy, an argument is valid if it is not possible that all the premises be true and the conclusion false. The following is the paradigm (often repeated) of a valid argument:All men are mortalSocrates is a manTherefore, Socrates is mortal.(1) and (2) are the premises, and (3) is the conclusion. In this argument, it is not possible that both premises be true, and the conclusion false. Therefore, the argument is valid. However, validity has nothing to do with the actual truth of the premise [..]
Trolley problems
Published on 2012-04-15 15:35:00
A train is rushing out of control down the track. 5 people are tied to the track, unable to get out of its way. If the train is allowed to continue, they will all be killed. Watching from a nearly signal-box, you are given an opportunity to influence the scenario. A pull of a lever will divert the train, and send it into a side-track, where there is only one person tied up. The five people will be saved; however, the one person will be killed if the train is diverted. Do you pull the lever?From [..]
What philosophers think
Published on 2012-04-13 11:00:00
A philosophical variant of Michaelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam.'Philpapers.org conducted a survey a few years ago into the views of contemporary academic philosophers on a range of issues. The survey can be found here: http://philpapers.org/surveys/. In amongst the jargon, there are interesting findings to be had.The survey shows that 72.8% of philosophers (faculty members, sample of nearly 1000) ‘accept or lean towards’ atheism, whilst only 14.6% ‘accept or lean towards‘ theism, the v [..]
The firing squad
Published on 2012-04-12 12:17:00
Imagine the following scenario. You are put before a firing squad as punishment for a serious crime. Ten expert marksmen are lined up, each with his rifle cocked and loaded, and pointing at your head. You grit your teeth, close your eyes, and prepare as best you can to face your seemingly inevitable demise. The roar of the ten rifles explodes in your ears...... but you’re still alive. Gingerly, you open your eyes to discover, to your amazement, that all ten expert marksmen have missed the targ [..]
Many possible worlds
Published on 2012-04-10 18:20:00
Though it's easier to imagine possible worlds like parallel universes,there's actually nothing 'parallel' about them - they are disconnected.A ‘possibility’ is a way the world might have been. So for example, if I were to say that ‘flying pigs are possible’, this is to say that our world might have contained flying pigs, if it doesn’t already. There’s nothing contradictory about the idea of a flying pig; and furthermore, there is nothing in the laws of nature that rules out the exist [..]
The Philosophy Song
Published on 2012-04-09 12:27:00
The Monty Python team approach the subject of philosophy in their typically amusing style. See also their 'philosophers' football match' -
Zombies
Published on 2012-04-06 14:49:00
Zombies are dead behind the eyes, and stagger around seeking sweet, sweet brains. In the context of philosophy, the staggering around is less important - what philosophers focus on is the notion of a being lacking in conscious experience.A ‘philosophical zombie’ is a being who physically resembles a normal, healthy human being, but inwardly does not experience the conscious experiences that human beings ordinarily experience. Zombies can think, talk and act, but they do not experience sensat [..]
Animal suffering
Published on 2012-04-05 11:44:00
A cat suffering through a bad punA common argument for awarding animals moral rights is based on the notion of animal suffering. Since animals can suffer pain, some argue, they have moral rights. Thus we are morally obliged to prevent animal suffering. This conclusion is often directed at supporting the animal rights movement, and opposing the maltreatment of animals in the production of meat for human consumption, or animal testing.Arguments such as this raise interesting questions surrounding [..]
The barber paradox
Published on 2012-04-04 13:39:00
Paradoxes seen in 'Portal' as a means of confusing logic-based systems.In a particular imaginary town, it is a policy that all men must be shaven. There are only two options available to each man - either the man must shave himself, or he must visit the barber to be shaven. There is only one barber in town, and his business is predictably doing well.However, consider the barber. Who shaves him?Perhaps the barber shaves himself. If a man shaves himself, then he must not be shaven by the barber - [..]
Time travel and the grandfather paradox
Published on 2012-04-03 18:48:00
Marty's mother would have married his father even without Marty'sheroic efforts to make sure it that it happened.Is time travel the stuff of legend? Actually (and rather pleasingly), contemporary philosophers take the possibility much more seriously than you might think. Since it is generally considered that modern physics doesn’t conclusively rule out the possibility of time travel, room has opened up for philosophical speculation about what the possibility of time travel would mean for us as [..]
Philosophers have beards
Published on 2012-04-03 15:41:00
A couple of the 4th Century BC's greatest philosophers:PlatoAristotleA couple of the 20th Century AD's greatest philosophers:LewisKripkeIdeas may advance, but beards remain in vogue.
The Explanatory Gap
Published on 2012-04-03 08:33:00
Does contemplation of the Explanatory Gap suggest a God-given soul?What is a mind? Are minds physical, or are they made out of a separate mental substance, a ‘soul’? Perhaps the way we live and the way we use language assumes the second option - that we have souls inside our heads, and that somehow, ‘I’ is a special subject, distinct from ‘my brain.’ In fact the mere phrase ‘my brain’ seems to imply that there are two things here - a brain and an owner, the person ‘within’ th [..]
Brains in vats
Published on 2012-04-02 18:06:00
'Do you know? But do you REALLY know?'Descartes invites us to imagine a scenario where everything we have ever experienced, and continue to experience, is a simulation, controlled by an evil demon with an aim solely to deceive us. More recently, philosophers have spoken of ‘brains in vats’ - imagine that we are actually brains floating in vats, in the lab of an evil scientist who is feeding us thoughts and experiences.Both these possibilities entail that the external world (i.e. what we gene [..]
Philosophy of...
Published on 2012-04-02 17:31:00
The School of Athens - RaphaelPhilosophy can sometimes be frustrating, and sometimes near-impossible (unless you’re one of those people with particularly penetrating philosophical-logical insight, of which there are few, myself obviously not included). Insofar as ‘developments’ can take place in the philosophical community, these have generally been down to a handful of extremely gifted individuals (perhaps the same goes for science too). The rest of us can but ponder and remain uncertain, [..]