This morning, somebody commented on my 2016 article “On Scientific (and Philosophical and Theological) Ignorance.” “Just some guy” opined: “Your philosophy counter-‘argument’ is flawed because philosophy doesn’t mean anything if it can’t be demonstrated in reality.” (source) Alas, “Just some guy” seems not to be aware that the statement “philosophy doesn’t mean anything if it […]
self-referential defeat
Commit Hume to the Flames
“If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school of metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: for it can contain nothing but […]
‘Dawkins was Wrong.’ Come on, say it. Say it!
For those of you who, like me, were raised on a diet of “Happy Days” back in the seventies you will remember that the Fonz could not say “I was wrong”. Whenever he was expected to he would mumble and stutter and stumble over his admission, much to the delight of the viewing audience. I […]
Richard Dawkins’ foolish advice to his daughter
Thanks to Beetle for linking us to Richard Dawkins’ advice to his then ten year old daughter. I call it foolish because any advice that is self-referentially defeating is foolish. First, Dawkins tells his daughter: “Something that you learn by direct seeing (or hearing or feeling…) is called an observation. Often evidence isn’t just observation […]
