Category: Archive

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

What the slogan means and how it gets misused You can’t travel far on the internet without hearing the slogan: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. It’s often announced as if merely repeating it settles the matter, without any explanation of what counts as extraordinary. The saying was popularized in Carl Sagan’s 1979 book Broca’s Brain in reference…… Continue reading Do Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Evidence?

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

What is metaphysics and why is it important? When most people hear the word metaphysics they think of mystical things like ghosts, auras, and supernatural beings. It’s a logical way to interpret the meaning of the word. Meta means beyond and physics means physical stuff. We naturally think of immaterial things. But this is almost…… Continue reading Metaphysics — Mysticism for the Intellect

The idea we can neatly divide the world into the natural and the supernatural is a distinctively modern way of thinking. Many people take it for granted the supernatural exists only as a vestigial belief, a cognitive echo of the superstitions of our primitive ancestors. It’s commonly thought that as scientific knowledge advances, it’s proving…… Continue reading Naturalism’s Folly – How a method morphed into a metaphysics

The value of philosophy is often denigrated by high-profile scientists in the popular media. The most common accusation is that philosophy makes no progress and produces no useful knowledge. These criticisms reveal a deplorable ignorance of what philosophy is from otherwise well-educated scientists. Of course, if the critics are right and philosophy isn’t contributing any knowledge,…… Continue reading Philosophy – The Timeless Art of Clear Thinking