This short essay is going to address the assertion that free will can be given or assigned to an individual, and that after, it can still be considered free will. The proposition can be evaluated by asking and then answering the following three questio…
Continue readingTag: philosophy
Facebook essay, "Dubito ergo cogito; cogito ergo sum." A reflection on the nature of existence through Descartes’ Principia Philosophiae
Many people recognize these famous lines: “I doubt therefore I think; I think therefore I am”, yet few know who spoke them and what they mean. Unfortunately, written reflections on existence since the time of Descartes have been scant, except of course…
Continue readingOn governance: (1) Principles
How should we govern ourselves? Since Locke’s Second Treatise, the presumption has been in favour of self-government — that is, each individual adult person has the natural right to govern his or her own life. Thus government by others is, when legiti…
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Gunsmoke
The passing of James Arness (aka Sheriff Matt Dillon) the other day reminded me of this excerpt from the Adam Curtis documentary “The Power of Nightmares” dealing with the curious TV viewing habits of Leo Strauss, the influential political philosopher … Continue reading →
On the Quebec question: (3) Nationhood
Is Quebec a nation? Is Canada a nation? Can there be a nation within another nation? These are difficult points, but some committment on these issues seems to underlie both proponents’ and opponents’ attitudes towards Quebec separation and nationalism….
Continue readingOn the Quebec question: (2) Self-determination
Yesterday, I suggested that objections to the definition of a “clear majority” in favour of separation as 50%+1 were insincere, and really masked forms of other objections. The first I want to talk about is the claim that there is something wrong with …
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The greatest of dangers
The challenge is not to become a machine. The greatest danger is not from outside: the greatest danger is ourselves – that is, the greatest danger is losing touch with our own hearts and common sense. Above all, strive to maintain compassion and pres…
Continue readingOn the Quebec question: (1) Clarity
(After this, I may just go ahead and write that Israel thing I’ve had kicking around in my head for a few years. While I’m stepping on landmines, I might as well step on them all in one go.)As newswatchers will know, there’s been a lot of chatter about…
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The system is broken: strategic voting, coalitions, and the political regime under which we live
While I can of course see the rationale for strategic voting, there is much to be said for voting with one’s conscience. When we consistently choose the lesser of two evils, our choices are reduced to evil, and the results are evil. When everyone hol…
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: The David Pakman Show on “The Trolley Problem”
The name of this blog, Death By Trolley, is a reference to the philosophical thought experiment, The Trolley Problem, which was a subject of discussion recently on The David Pakman Show. I discovered David Pakman in his appearances on The Top Vlog, a progressive political video-blogging project launched by The Young Turks. I’ve found him […]
Progressive Proselytizing: On Faith and Inductive Logic
Perhaps largely due to its strong religious associations, the word ‘faith’ is often significantly abused by both sides of the religious debate. The result has been some consistent misconceptions about the meaning and significance of the word.
Firstly,…
kirbycairo: Marxism and the Continued Cold-War Rhetoric of the Right. . . . .
Am I the only one who is amazed by the Conservatives who condemn fairly mainstream centrists and mild leftists with epithets such as “Marxist” and “Communist” because they are vaguely critical of the extremes of neo-liberalsim and afraid of the implica…
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Christopher Hitchens on Dealing with Mortality
I found this piece enormously powerful, and thought it was worth sharing. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/09/hitchens-201009
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Christopher Hitchens on Dealing with Mortality
I found this piece enormously powerful, and thought it was worth sharing.http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/09/hitchens-201009
Continue readingThe Roundhouse: Christopher Hitchens on Dealing with Mortality
I found this piece enormously powerful, and thought it was worth sharing. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/09/hitchens-201009
Continue reading