Philosophy
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 I'd turn for intellectual stimulation, so it's especially refreshing when one of them is not only eloquent and worldly but sophisticated, subtle, perceptive and genuinely interesting.
In this short interview, Stephen Fry exalts the virtues of philosophy (the real kind, the one that requires systematic thought), and makes the case that the assumption of the absence of an afterlife becomes an imperative to lead a fuller, better and more interesting life. The ideas are probably already familiar to you, dear readers, but it's always nice to hear them expressed with a British accent :)
And as someone who loves books, it was only fitting for Stephen to make a wonderful documentary about Gutenberg and his revolutionary printing press.
Oh, and you don't want to miss him in this awesome debate (alongside Christopher Hitchens) about whether the Catholic Church is a force for good.
Spoiler alert: it's not :)
.
- 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...
- Christopher Hitchens - We'd Be Better Off Without Religion
I've just learned that the prolific essayist and inimitable public intellectual and agitator Christopher Hitchens has succumbed to the cancer he's been battling over the past year. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know...
- 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...
- 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...
- "living Popular Scientist" Poll
Who is your choice for living "popular" scientist? Brian Greene...0 Freeman Dyson...3 Lawrence Krauss...0 Neil deGrasse Tyson...2 Stephen Hawking...3 Somewhat surprised. I suppose Hawking would lead...he is quite an icon. I expected Krauss to be at the...
Philosophy
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 I'd turn for intellectual stimulation, so it's especially refreshing when one of them is not only eloquent and worldly but sophisticated, subtle, perceptive and genuinely interesting.In this short interview, Stephen Fry exalts the virtues of philosophy (the real kind, the one that requires systematic thought), and makes the case that the assumption of the absence of an afterlife becomes an imperative to lead a fuller, better and more interesting life. The ideas are probably already familiar to you, dear readers, but it's always nice to hear them expressed with a British accent :)
And as someone who loves books, it was only fitting for Stephen to make a wonderful documentary about Gutenberg and his revolutionary printing press.
Oh, and you don't want to miss him in this awesome debate (alongside Christopher Hitchens) about whether the Catholic Church is a force for good.
Spoiler alert: it's not :)
.
- 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...
- Christopher Hitchens - We'd Be Better Off Without Religion
I've just learned that the prolific essayist and inimitable public intellectual and agitator Christopher Hitchens has succumbed to the cancer he's been battling over the past year. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know...
- 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...
- 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...
- "living Popular Scientist" Poll
Who is your choice for living "popular" scientist? Brian Greene...0 Freeman Dyson...3 Lawrence Krauss...0 Neil deGrasse Tyson...2 Stephen Hawking...3 Somewhat surprised. I suppose Hawking would lead...he is quite an icon. I expected Krauss to be at the...