Paul Bloom in The Atlantic For the most part, I’m on the side of the neuroscientists and social psychologists—no surprise, given that I’m a psychologist myself. Work in fields such as computational cognitive science, behavioral genetics, and social neuroscience has yielded great insights about human nature. I do worry, though, that many of my colleagues…
Noë reviews Plantinga’s latest book. from a naturalistic point of view, we have every reason to doubt that our cognitive faculties are reliable. Therefore we can’t seriously believe naturalism. For to believe it would be to have grounds for doubting the reliability of our own inclinations to believe it. Alvin Plantingaand NaturalismChristopher HitchensExistence of GodReligionWhere…
Here’s an article by Elizabeth Radcliffe from TPM on Hume: He makes the astounding declaration that “Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.”
Here are the publisher’s details for this soon-to-be released volume that includes my paper “Hayek: cognitive scientist avant la lettre“
Here is a characteristically lucid piece by Ken Minogue on Oakeshott’s supposed conservatism. It should be noted that conservatism as Oakeshott understood it, is an anathema to “conservatism” understood in the American context. I take the view that these the terms are not at all helpful and are, for the most part, vulgarized. Oakeshott was…
I want to bring your attention to the first issue of the on-line journal Studies in Emergent Order (papers are freely available). I was privileged to attend the recent conference associated with the Journal. A more eclectic and interesting group one couldn’t hope to find. To listen to and chat with Gus diZerega, David Emanuel…
In the latest issue of the New HumanistAnthony Grayling pulls no punches in attacking Steve Fuller’s latest book. Steve Fuller responds; Grayling comes back. Part 1: Grayling – Origin of the specious Part 2: Fuller – Against the faith Part 3: Grayling – Bolus of nonsense A month ago, I did say that this controversy will run and…
Of all the obituaries I’ve come across on George Carlin, this one by Marty Beckerman in Reason hits the nail on the socio-philosophical head. Bravo! Postscript: It drives me mad to hear airline staff preface announcements or propositions with “at this time . . .”
Here’s a restrained and sensitive article from the Scotsman on Claude Wischik‘s work on Alzheimer’s disease. The tone of the article matches the low-key disposition and existential focus of Wischik. Speaking to an Alzheimic patient on a regular basis, I have often used synonyms for the metaphor of “tangles”: Wischik has spent 24 years studying the neurofibrillary ‘tangles’ that…
Anthony Grayling has convened a “symposium” on Reason in the latest issue of the New Scientist. Grayling’s position is very predictable but credit to him and the editors for bringing together a diverse group who for the most part seem to disagree with his conception. Neuroscientist Chris Frith, mathematician Roger Penrose and philosopher Mary Midgley are…
manwithoutqualities 