Philosophy
Today is the 706th anniversary of the death of William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led the revolt against Edward I who claimed rule over Scotland. When tried for treason, his defense was that he could not be guilty of treason against a government to which he never swore allegiance. The defense failed in practice, but raises an interesting question -- if the basis for civil society is, as Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and others have argued, a social contract, then can you be made a party to this contract against your will? In general, for a contract to be valid, one has to enter into it freely, but is this also so with the social contract that distributes rights and responsibilities within the community into which you are born? Is mere presence the equivalence of informed consent? Does the social contract have a dotted line?
- Why Be Moral?
Heard an interview with theologian Bart Ehrman the other day in which he was saying that because Jesus was an apocalypticist who believed that the world as we know it would end in the very near future and the Kingdom of God would arrive on Earth in a...
- The Romanticizing Of Outlaws
Today is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid. He was not the serial killer that his legend holds him out to be and, indeed, was not well-known until Pat Garrett, the sheriff that ultimately did him in, wrote...
- The Ethics Of Encores
I got drafted to write a piece in the forthcoming Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy, so I've decided to start thinking about encores. The E Street Band is famous for two and three encore performances, with the encore being the length of other bands'...
- Hud Secretary Jackson Was Not Drunk Last Night...
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson ? the one who said that only the best residents should be allowed to return to New Orleans public housing - publicly declared that he won't give government contracts to people based on their...
- Justice - What Is The Right Thing To Do?
Episode 5. The previous lecture opened up the question of whether state conscription violates citizens' right to life, or whether and under what conditions this practice might be legitimate. Would it be preferable to have a paid mercenary army controlled...
Philosophy
Does the Social Contract Have a Dotted Line?
Today is the 706th anniversary of the death of William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led the revolt against Edward I who claimed rule over Scotland. When tried for treason, his defense was that he could not be guilty of treason against a government to which he never swore allegiance. The defense failed in practice, but raises an interesting question -- if the basis for civil society is, as Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and others have argued, a social contract, then can you be made a party to this contract against your will? In general, for a contract to be valid, one has to enter into it freely, but is this also so with the social contract that distributes rights and responsibilities within the community into which you are born? Is mere presence the equivalence of informed consent? Does the social contract have a dotted line?
- Why Be Moral?
Heard an interview with theologian Bart Ehrman the other day in which he was saying that because Jesus was an apocalypticist who believed that the world as we know it would end in the very near future and the Kingdom of God would arrive on Earth in a...
- The Romanticizing Of Outlaws
Today is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid. He was not the serial killer that his legend holds him out to be and, indeed, was not well-known until Pat Garrett, the sheriff that ultimately did him in, wrote...
- The Ethics Of Encores
I got drafted to write a piece in the forthcoming Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy, so I've decided to start thinking about encores. The E Street Band is famous for two and three encore performances, with the encore being the length of other bands'...
- Hud Secretary Jackson Was Not Drunk Last Night...
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson ? the one who said that only the best residents should be allowed to return to New Orleans public housing - publicly declared that he won't give government contracts to people based on their...
- Justice - What Is The Right Thing To Do?
Episode 5. The previous lecture opened up the question of whether state conscription violates citizens' right to life, or whether and under what conditions this practice might be legitimate. Would it be preferable to have a paid mercenary army controlled...