There are few social and ethical debates today as controversial as those that swirl around the simple statement “Transwomen are women.” Here is an argument against the statement in the form of modus ponens. If transwomen are women then the cis man who refuses to date transwomen in principle is a transphobe. The cis man […]
philosophy
An Introduction to God, Science, Ideology (Guest Post with Joseph Hinman)
In this guest post, Joseph Hinman introduces his new book God, Science, Ideology. A summary of my new book: God, Science, Ideology (GSI) makes the argument that New atheism is not scientific in its appraisal of God belief, but uses science ideologically. I begin with a discussion of what scientism is, the name I used to […]
Jesus was a Great Philosopher
Jesus was a great philosopher. — Tentative Apologist (@RandalRauser) September 14, 2021 The majority got this right: Jesus was indeed a great philosopher. Some respondents claimed he was less than this: in their negative judgment, they are apparently unfamiliar with his eminently philosophical concerns, sophisticated argumentation with his interlocutors, unparalleled teaching style, and monumental impact. […]
An Interview with Elephant Philosophy
The Ways of the Progressive Philosopher: A Conversation with J.L. Schellenberg
Canadian philosopher John L. Schellenberg is Professor of Philosophy at Mount Saint Vincent University. He is widely lauded as one of the leading atheist philosophers working in the philosophy of religion. In the early 1990s, Schellenberg developed the widely discussed problem of hiddenness which has elicited extensive discussion among philosophers. He is the author of […]
Biblical Violence, Donald Trump, Morality, and Ten Other Things: My Interview with Purple Pill Philosophy
Is the lack of consensus among Christian theologians a problem?
The success of science is paid for by a limitation of its ambitions
The title of this article is a quote from Dutch philosopher of science Willem Drees. It’s a great quote and it communicates a profound truth. Science offers a systematic and ordered investigation into the structure and processes that govern the natural world. And when it is liberated to pursue that ambition, it is a gloriously […]
Philosophy and Magic: What’s the difference?
It all started with my Wittgenstein tweet. That prompted a reply from philosopher and atheist, Stephen Law and in a moment we were off discussing philosophy vs. magic. I divided our flurry of tweets into two tracks dealing with the two issues I raised. Blessedly, we ended on some point of agreement. Score one for […]
A famous atheist contrasts philosophy, science, and theology
At the beginning of his classic History of Western Philosophy, Bertrand Russell offers the following distinction between philosophy, theology, and science: “Like theology, it [philosophy] consists of speculations on matters as to which definite knowledge has, so far, been unascertainable; but like science, it appeals to human reason rather than to authority, whether that of tradition or […]
A Master List of Movies for exploring Theology and Philosophy
We are story-tellers by nature, and so stories speak to us with a unique power. So it should be no surprise that stories can be, among other things, marvelous catalysts for exploring important theological and philosophical concepts. With that in mind, the other day I posted the following tweet: What is your favorite movie for exploring […]
Should you get a Philosophy PhD?
When folks ask me whether they should do a PhD in philosophy (or theology, for that matter) I typically respond, “Yes, if you’re okay with being the smartest barista at Starbucks.” I then go on to describe the bleak prospects for humanities PhDs generally, and philosophy (and theology) in particular. Since you might not have […]
Cultural Relativism: at least they meant well
When I was in university twenty plus years ago, cultural relativism was very popular. The essence of cultural relativism is that ethical judgments (good and evil; right and wrong) can only be made from within cultural frameworks. The truth of various ethical judgments are constituted relative to the socially embedded practices in which they are made. […]
On Scientific (and Philosophical and Theological) Ignorance
Today I came across the following retweet courtesy of Secular Outpost. (I must say, Twitter is an endlessly fecund resource for blogging ideas.) https://twitter.com/mikejmartin/status/810746258424037376 While I might word things a little differently, I share the exasperation of this meme at those who opine on matters of which they are clearly not qualified. My only caveat […]
