I’ve been asked to comment on Peter Hacker’s bizarre claim that qualia don’t exist in his arrogantly braggish essay “The Bogus Mysteries of Consciousness.” So here goes. Say What Now? First, what are qualia? If you’re new to the idea, “qualia” means the qualitative properties of human experience. It’s a catch-all term for all the… The post The Bogus Idea…
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Everyone rags on Aristotle for totally phoning in his theory of gravity. But in perspective, (a) Aristotle was a biologist, not a physicist, so his not being the best at physics should not be held to any more account than when a modern biologist goofs some esoteric physics, and (b) Aristotle was the first in… The post Ancient Theories of…
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The Principle of Indifference is important for Bayesian reasoning, and hence for Bayesian epistemology—and hence for epistemology, full stop. Yet it has many critics. The common mistake they all make, is similar to the mistake all philosophers make when they Hose Thought Experiments: they screw up what the think they are talking about means, and… The post The Principle of…
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I recently engaged a friendly debate with Dennis MacDonald on the MythVision podcast regarding the historicity of Jesus. Much of which was the usual stuff expected of a serious, expert, secular discussion of that question (follow the link to watch). I might blog about it in future as well, as I did last time in… The post “What Did Josephus…
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Today is December 1 and I’m 51. Impossible I know but alas! This year I moved back to California to be closer to my disabled parents so I can more regularly help them out. But California is expensive. Much more than Ohio! I’m also coming up on some expensive dental work, automotive repairs, and all… The post All I Want…
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There is a strange little fringe movement, including in its ranks even atheists and other nonbelievers, that attempts to make the bizarre argument that Christians should abandon their religion because “the Bible” says the entire Christian gospel concluded its business in 70 A.D. It’s called the “Israel Only” movement, because it holds that the “original”… The post The Incompetent Crankery…
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Join these affordable, one-month opportunities to hone your knowledge and pick the brain of a bona fide expert, with all the questions you ever had, on subjects from historical methods and the historicity of Jesus, to the science and philosophy of free will or morality. Other subjects include doing philosophy, building a worldview; critical thinking;… The post All Ten of…
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As a fellow of the Westar Institute I recently attended a webcon on Eusebius, as part of their new project Seminar on the history of Christianity, and it was heartening to see their reliance on real historians and not just theologians and biblical scholars (all the lead presenters had serious credentials in ancient history and… The post How To Fabricate…
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As an Amazon Associate I earn commissions on sales I recommend, so if you want to buy some books for folks as gifts for Christmas, Solstice, Ragnarsday, or the Ascension of the Pink Unicorn, or any such thing that might be coming right soon, check out my recommendations! And if you buy through links on… The post Shopping for Christmas…
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