The search for the foundation of ethics. Everyone wants to live a good life, but what does that mean? Generally we picture a life with enough money to make us independent, time to pursue activities we enjoy, and opportunity for sensual pleasures. But can you live a good life even if you don’t have the…… Continue reading In Pursuit of the Good Life
Author: Prudence Louise
The Fingerprints of God – A finely tuned universe
Modern physics has produced some amazing insights into the nature of the universe. One of the most astonishing is the discovery the fundamental forces of nature are balanced with a delicate precision. Upset this delicate balance and the universe could have collapsed in on itself before getting started. No atoms could form, which means no…… Continue reading The Fingerprints of God – A finely tuned universe
The Presumption of Atheism on Trial
It’s become fashionable to say atheism has no burden of proof. It’s said atheism is the default assumption and the onus is on the theist to prove, not on the atheist to disprove. While this idea has the superficial gloss of rationality, under a critical cross-examination it falls apart. Rather than promoting rational methods, it…… Continue reading The Presumption of Atheism on Trial
The End of Knowledge – Introduction to Vedanta
Vedanta has been called the science of spirituality. It’s one of the six schools of Indian philosophy and takes its inspiration from the literature of the Upanishads. Upanishad means to sit nearby. It suggests the texts contain the secret knowledge of the sages. The Upanishads give the conclusions of India’s sacred Vedic literature. Veda means knowledge…… Continue reading The End of Knowledge – Introduction to Vedanta
Why is there Something Rather than Nothing?
The cosmological argument for God. The cosmological argument is a formidable argument for the existence of God. It’s not a single argument but a family of arguments with a similar theme. While there are several different versions of the argument, it’s unfortunately one of the most misunderstood. This is a vast topic, but in this…… Continue reading Why is there Something Rather than Nothing?
The Impossibly Hard Problem of Consciousness
In 1994 the philosopher David Chalmers raised questions about consciousness which ignited a zombie apocalypse. These weren’t questions no one had asked before. These were questions that rattled the established orthodoxy and challenged the complacent modern assumption that science had settled all such questions. Many people assume it’s no longer an open question whether there…… Continue reading The Impossibly Hard Problem of Consciousness
Do Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Evidence?
Exposing the skeptics linguistic sleight of hand. You can’t travel far on the internet without hearing someone chanting the mantra: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. It’s often assumed that merely reciting the incantation is sufficient to reject any idea its power is aimed at. The saying was popularized in Carl Sagan’s 1979 book Broca’s Brain in reference to…… Continue reading Do Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Evidence?
Rhetoric: The ancient art of persuasion
Communication tools to inspire and motivate. Rhetoric has a bad reputation. It’s often used as an insult to suggest speech which is intended to deceive. In connection with the speech of politicians it implies they’re misrepresenting the facts. We associate rhetoric with propaganda, not truth. There is some basis for this reputation. But to place a…… Continue reading Rhetoric: The ancient art of persuasion
The Invisible Mythology of our Modern World
Why our ideas of human progress could destroy us. In the modern world, our civilization has a story. It conveys our vision of who we are, the expression of our self-image. There are many versions of the story, but they all have a similar theme of progress. Our stories of progress permeate our culture. The…… Continue reading The Invisible Mythology of our Modern World
How to Practice Intellectual Charity
A philosophical principle to help you avoid bigotry and dogmatism. The Principle of Charity is a fancy way of saying we should be open minded and reasonable. It’s a method used in philosophy to avoid bigotry and dogmatism. If we’re mindful of this principle, it helps us assess every viewpoint — including our own —…… Continue reading How to Practice Intellectual Charity
Unity in Difference 