Published on
4 March 2011
Posted in Africa, Human Rights, Legal Affairs, Middle East, Military Ethics, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy, World Affairs
The title I have chosen is somewhat disingenuous. I do not support armed intervention in Libya, and so my intention in blogging on this subject is not to voice support for military action. Neither, however, do I oppose it. But the suggestion that the West might use force in the Arab world has once again […]
Published on
28 January 2011
SERIES ON HUMAN FREEDOM: PART THREE The third installment in our series looks at what we mean when we use the word ‘freedom’, and is based on a presentation given by a guest discussant at the first session of the Thomas More Institute’s reading group entitled ‘What’s So Good About Freedom?’. The presentation, and this […]
Published on
13 December 2010
Posted in Freedom, Philosophy, Understanding Science
SERIES ON HUMAN FREEDOM: PART TWO The second blog in our series on human freedom examines the claim that we cannot be free, because our higher faculties of knowing and willing are determined by our brain states. Many scientists today operate not only with a healthy methodological naturalism, but with an overtly philosophical naturalism. That […]
Published on
29 September 2010
Posted in Philosophy, Religion, Understanding Science
Doddering old academics in philosophy departments all over the world may very well be preparing to pack the contents of their offices into cardboard boxes now that Professor Stephen Hawking has told us, in his latest book, that ‘philosophy is dead’. Yet such nonsensical arguments as those offered by Hawking highlight why we are so […]
Published on
7 May 2010
Posted in Moral Philosophy, Philosophy, Political Economy, Understanding Science
We occasionally link to articles on our website we think might be of interest to our readers. The three most recent ones are: Morality, Rationality, and Natural Law — Robert P. George This article seeks to identify the rational basis of our moral norms, such as prohibiting murder, rape, torture, etc. To this end, it […]
Published on
28 April 2010
Posted in Christianity, Civil Liberties, Conscience, Education, Liberty, Philosophy, Religion, Understanding Science
Science Versus Religion? The Insights and Oversights of the ‘New Atheists’ — Brad S. Gregory The assertion of the ‘New Atheists’ that the natural sciences somehow oppose all religious truth claims about the natural world is false. These atheists mistakenly treat all religion as one. In fact, some teachings are far superior to other blatantly […]
Published on
14 April 2010
Posted in Education, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion, Understanding Science
Putting Ethics Back Together Again: A British Perspective — John Haldane Much of our moral confusion comes from our failure to find a replacement for the Judaeo-Christian outlook that once animated the West. We need, and generally now lack, a philosophical understanding of human life. Science and the Decline of the Liberal Arts — Patrick […]
Published on
22 March 2010
Posted in Military Ethics, Moral Philosophy, Music & Art, Philosophy
Occasionally, we summarise and link to articles on our website we think might be of interest to our readers. You will find the two most recent below. Older articles can be found here. Music and Morality – Roger Scruton In a culture which seeks to be ‘non-judgmental’, music is no longer exposed to true criticism […]