Philosophy
In a civilized and thought-provoking debate that took place just this past week in Toronto, former British Prime Minister and recent Catholic convert Tony Blair defended the motion that religion is a force for good in the world. Opposing the motion with all his cerebral might was his compatriot, the journalist and public intellectual Christopher Hitchens.
As the eager audience seems to have correctly anticipated, the intellectual engagement was stimulating, challenging and amusing. Best of all, Hitchens and Blair both managed to steer away from cheap shots, ad hominem attacks and appeals to emotion (for the most part...). Their mutual respect for one another helped their arguments focus on the relevance of the ideas supporting their position, and the result was a highly entertaining and educational exchange.
Whatever side you agree with, you're in for a mental treat.
- The Fact That We Didn't Find Any Means They Probably Were There
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- Christopher Hitchens - The Never-ending Party
Death is one of those things we all have to confront at some point. In fact, the 20th century German philosopher Martin Heidegger thought that the very essence of human nature (or Dasein, as he called us) is our being-toward-death. Obviously, once you're...
- Tribute To Christopher Hitchens
Widely considered to be one of the Four Horsemen of Atheism, Christopher Hitchens is an intellectual hero to many agnostics, skeptics and nonbelievers. I greatly admire the man's intelligence, erudition, candor, humor and eloquence, but I have to...
- Stephen Fry Vs. Ann Widdecombe On Whether The Catholic Church Is A Force For Good
It seems that in an effort to attract a larger audience to their already impressive intellectual and rhetorical displays, Intelligence Squared, the Oxford-style debate house, is taking a page from the RSA Animate playbook and animating some highlights...
- Stephen Fry - The Importance Of Philosophy And Unbelief
While I'm somewhat suspicious of actors--always pretending to be someone else :), I do tend to admire the good ones for their ability to convey and explore the spectrum of human possibilities. Still, they're not usually the first group to whom...
Philosophy
Christopher Hitchens & Tony Blair Debate on Religion
In a civilized and thought-provoking debate that took place just this past week in Toronto, former British Prime Minister and recent Catholic convert Tony Blair defended the motion that religion is a force for good in the world. Opposing the motion with all his cerebral might was his compatriot, the journalist and public intellectual Christopher Hitchens.As the eager audience seems to have correctly anticipated, the intellectual engagement was stimulating, challenging and amusing. Best of all, Hitchens and Blair both managed to steer away from cheap shots, ad hominem attacks and appeals to emotion (for the most part...). Their mutual respect for one another helped their arguments focus on the relevance of the ideas supporting their position, and the result was a highly entertaining and educational exchange.
Whatever side you agree with, you're in for a mental treat.
Check out more fascinating debates.
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- The Fact That We Didn't Find Any Means They Probably Were There
David Corn on Christopher Hitchens: "When he did address the issue of the absent WMDs in Iraq, he took a strange turn. 'Doesn't anything ever strike you as odd," he said, "about the figure of zero for [WMD] deposits found in Iraq? ... Isn't...
- Christopher Hitchens - The Never-ending Party
Death is one of those things we all have to confront at some point. In fact, the 20th century German philosopher Martin Heidegger thought that the very essence of human nature (or Dasein, as he called us) is our being-toward-death. Obviously, once you're...
- Tribute To Christopher Hitchens
Widely considered to be one of the Four Horsemen of Atheism, Christopher Hitchens is an intellectual hero to many agnostics, skeptics and nonbelievers. I greatly admire the man's intelligence, erudition, candor, humor and eloquence, but I have to...
- Stephen Fry Vs. Ann Widdecombe On Whether The Catholic Church Is A Force For Good
It seems that in an effort to attract a larger audience to their already impressive intellectual and rhetorical displays, Intelligence Squared, the Oxford-style debate house, is taking a page from the RSA Animate playbook and animating some highlights...
- Stephen Fry - The Importance Of Philosophy And Unbelief
While I'm somewhat suspicious of actors--always pretending to be someone else :), I do tend to admire the good ones for their ability to convey and explore the spectrum of human possibilities. Still, they're not usually the first group to whom...