Staying with the literature theme of a few days ago and earlier today, here is another write up on Jonathan Gottschall’s new book and an article by JG himself here and a related review article of another book by John Gray here. E. O. WilsonJonathan GottschallJonathan HaidtLiteratureNew AtheismSolzhenitsynStorytelling
Good article from Adam Frank: At stake is a critical question living deep inside the heart of modern foundational physics: What are the limits of science? David Albert was having none of it. As he correctly points out: Where do the fields come from? Better yet: Where do the laws of quantum mechanics come from?…
Here’s a review of Alain de Botton’s and Roger Scruton’s latest book, the most recent entries into what has become a thriving publishing niche. The reviewer is rather scathing of de Botton: He is an aggregator of ideas rather than an original thinker, but his skill is to write simply about complex ideas and he gives…
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…
Scanning my bookshelf I chanced upon Feuerbach‘s The Essence of Christianity. Though hardly a Marxist nor indeed much of a Hegelian, I do recall that the book had an immense effect upon me (25 years ago) – and of course, translated for the Anglophonic world by none other than George Eliot – that alone impressed me.…
Here is a paper by Lynne Rudder Baker entitled “Christianity and the Extended-Mind Thesis” continuing the theme of extended mind and religion she wrote on for a symposium I put together a few years back – see the journal Zygon.
Alex Rosenberg in the NYT.
Religion, Politics and the Future of Liberal Education: The Tenth Anniversary Meeting of the Michael Oakeshott Association, 2001-2011 UNIVERSITY OF TULSA OCTOBER 13-16, 2011 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Michael Oakeshott Association, a group established to encourage the critical study of one of the twentieth century’s most important political philosophers.…
Here is a programme featuring Dennett that I hadn’t heretofore come across. Glad to see Dennett as busy and pugnacious as ever after his health scare a while back which he amusingly talks about here. Speaking of health, here is Dennett on Christopher Hitchens. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Philosopher of mind, Tim Crane, on religion and evidence in The New York Times. For what it’s worth I have repeatedly said that epistemologically speaking, the concept of God does not achieve enough clarity and distinctness to be discussable. When we cite the divine attributes—omniscience, omnipotence, and so on—I do not think we have the least purchase on…
manwithoutqualities 