Philosophy
The ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras is famous among other things for arguing that "man is the measure of all things." According to Plato's interpretation, this is the philosophical birth of relativism, the idea that there is no universally objective and mind-independent truth: everything depends on one's point of view.
Though highly discredited in philosophical circles, and logically proven to be a false doctrine because of its entailment of a devastating logical contradiction, there is still an important lesson to be learned from relativism: our beliefs (but not reality) usually depend on the kind of creatures that we are.
In the following short clip, and combining this important insight with an evolutionary account of our own origins, the late Douglas Adams provides a fascinating and amusing account of our natural propensity to think teleologically and how, being tool-makers, we are are likely to phrase our questions about the existence of the universe in terms of the intentionality of some other tool-maker.
I'll be posting the entirety of this lecture soon. Stay tuned...
.
- Is Existence Necessary?
A student of mine was discussing a debate he viewed concerning the existence of God and the team arguing in favor of the thesis began with an axiom that existence of the universe is a necessary truth. Is it? Is it possible that nothing could...
- Carl Sagan - A Universe Not Made For Us
If we are seriously devoted to the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom, our search for truth must be a courageous enterprise indeed. Soteriological concerns, pressing on the human condition as they might be, cannot be the basis or the criterion upon which...
- Rory Sutherland - Life Lessons From An Ad Man
We philosophers tend to take the etymology of our profession rather seriously: we are sort of obsessed with the love of wisdom. And because wisdom requires knowledge, and knowledge requires truth, we tend to focus on 'objective' truth, the kind...
- Richard Dawkins: Growing Up In The Universe - The Ultraviolet Garden
Continuing his Michael Faraday Christmas Lectures, Growing Up in the Universe, Richard Dawkins begins by asking a seemingly simple question: what are living organisms (bees, for instance) for? The question seems so innocent that there is a very long tradition...
- Josh And Brian "sci-phi" Blog
Sci-PhiA most interesting blog. As stated... Sci-Phi is an interdisciplinary blog that looks at the scientific and philosophical topics of the early 21st century. Josh studies biological sciences, with a future in nanomedicine. He covers all science topics,...
Philosophy
Douglas Adams - Where Does the Idea of God Come from?
The ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras is famous among other things for arguing that "man is the measure of all things." According to Plato's interpretation, this is the philosophical birth of relativism, the idea that there is no universally objective and mind-independent truth: everything depends on one's point of view.Though highly discredited in philosophical circles, and logically proven to be a false doctrine because of its entailment of a devastating logical contradiction, there is still an important lesson to be learned from relativism: our beliefs (but not reality) usually depend on the kind of creatures that we are.
In the following short clip, and combining this important insight with an evolutionary account of our own origins, the late Douglas Adams provides a fascinating and amusing account of our natural propensity to think teleologically and how, being tool-makers, we are are likely to phrase our questions about the existence of the universe in terms of the intentionality of some other tool-maker.
I'll be posting the entirety of this lecture soon. Stay tuned...
.
- Is Existence Necessary?
A student of mine was discussing a debate he viewed concerning the existence of God and the team arguing in favor of the thesis began with an axiom that existence of the universe is a necessary truth. Is it? Is it possible that nothing could...
- Carl Sagan - A Universe Not Made For Us
If we are seriously devoted to the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom, our search for truth must be a courageous enterprise indeed. Soteriological concerns, pressing on the human condition as they might be, cannot be the basis or the criterion upon which...
- Rory Sutherland - Life Lessons From An Ad Man
We philosophers tend to take the etymology of our profession rather seriously: we are sort of obsessed with the love of wisdom. And because wisdom requires knowledge, and knowledge requires truth, we tend to focus on 'objective' truth, the kind...
- Richard Dawkins: Growing Up In The Universe - The Ultraviolet Garden
Continuing his Michael Faraday Christmas Lectures, Growing Up in the Universe, Richard Dawkins begins by asking a seemingly simple question: what are living organisms (bees, for instance) for? The question seems so innocent that there is a very long tradition...
- Josh And Brian "sci-phi" Blog
Sci-PhiA most interesting blog. As stated... Sci-Phi is an interdisciplinary blog that looks at the scientific and philosophical topics of the early 21st century. Josh studies biological sciences, with a future in nanomedicine. He covers all science topics,...