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LOL X-)

Now I am the master!

Thanks for posting this, I read it a while ago but mostly forgot about it. I particularly like one of the comments on the article, which says that we ...

I gotta say, as much as I enjoy cold weather and snow, I'm ready for a rainy spring. There is something reinvigorating about spring, like a re-birth. ...

Well, it went from a thread about having confidence in one's beliefs to explicitly theological semantics.

Perhaps we should make a different thread?

Sam Harris, philosopher? Bah

Why is it that when someone runs out of arguments, this kind of cop out bullshit hand wave gets used? The more I learn about conservative philosophy i...

However, should we attempt to not latch on to any intellectual theory (scientific and philosophical alike), since it most likely is false?

Although I agree with your correspondence theory of truth, as I understand it there are two other major theories, pragmatism and coherentism. Pragmati...

I hate labels as well but they are useful for communication purposes.

Glad you enjoyed it! I only hope that the producers don't milk the cow dry.

Agreed.

Whoops, I meant to say that Pascal's Wager is the most convincing argument to have a belief in god.

Very well stated response in general, Thorongil, but especially this part. Nowhere do I see any adequate explanations for why the "first cause" must b...

Alright, here we go! I particularly enjoyed the introduction, and how it highlighted how faith necessarily needs a rational basis. Not that I actually...

I am. Why?

Sweet, this rings very true with me. Philosophy, in my opinion, should be about untangling the crap in our minds and clarifying the basic suppositions...

Interesting response, Mongrel. I share your annoyance with a lot of philosophical "deep-shit" philosophy that hides behind sophisticated word-language...

Take twice as long reading it than should be required. Thanks Quine.

I got that impression as well. As much as I enjoy writing good polemical rhetoric, it's a pain in the ass when someone writing a professional article ...

I think this applies to anything, really. I mean, what's the final goal of, say, astronomy? To capture every single star in the universe? To know ever...

Now that I'm thinking about it more, it's really not that big of a deal, especially if you don't accept multiple universes. But if you did, you would ...

Presumably it would contradict certain modalities.

I'm sympathetic to the view, since it's central to trope theory, which I'm also sympathetic to.

I don't know if I quite agree with your definition of truth. I would say that what is true is what state of affairs obtains. A state of affairs makes ...

Keep in mind that I'm not totally confident in my opinion on universals. I dislike the Platonistic "second world" of abstract objects. Rather, these u...

Chop up some kale, put it on a pan, add some oil and some salt and place in the oven for a minute. Now you have salty, tasty kale chips. Delicious.

Eh, you can have an opinion, no doubt, but it's somewhat less authentic. It's pretty vague; you ask anyone why they are alive today and you won't usua...

I'm holding out on voting, but I think I'm leaning towards "yes". Yes, a life worth living is dependent on the knowledge within it. I don't see this t...

Interesting post, tgw. I, too, share your interest in meta-philosophy. I can't remember exactly where I saw it, but to the Pre-Socratics (up to Socrat...

Don't forget your helmet!

I'm the same way. Can't stand solving just bland mathematical problems. I need to be able to see how this is actually applicable (i.e. physics).

Then this whole talk of "pleasure" and "goodness" is just equivocation.

Presumably into something that they prefer. I used this example elsewhere, but a rape victim might feel pleasure during the act of rape but still not ...

Not unless they simply re-define what counts as pleasure.

No spoilers (unless you read those inane comments below the video); John Williams did a fantastic job on this score from the new Star Wars film: https...

It's funny how often it is that something that is hard for me I don't usually like, but later after I get the hang of it, it's actually quite fun. Cal...

I will be honest here, I don't know very much about quantum mechanics. But I'm interesting in purchasing a book on the philosophy of physics which wil...

Reminds me of Ta?h?. I think this would essentially be pursuing your passions. For example, you could desire to know more about something, and take pl...

The Ego Tunnel by Thomas Metzinger. Great blend of philosophy and empirical science.

Pretty excited for this one. I think I might actually be able to participate, and it's a nice change from basic introductory books.

10/10 I'm perfect :D

I am going to start an arcane, tribal chant "Kuh-Wal-Ish Kid; Kuh-Wal-Ish Kid" in the hopes that it summons him from the ancestral realm. Current stat...

I don't think the person who has major unfulfilled desires is happy. I consider happiness to be contentedness and a lack of general suffering. A dicta...

Because a person who is content with what they have and does not desire certain things is far better off and happier than a person who is stuck in rat...

Then it is the case that the person should re-evaluate their picture on life and temper some of these desires.

People want to be fulfilled. They want to have something they can look back on and say "huzzah!" about. I don't see how self-actualization is in any w...

Interesting video I found that touches on the hierarchy of needs and also general happiness. Might be worth a watch.

Looks like they pulled the plug on the public access.