Does Religion have any role in morality in 21st Century?
When considering morality, easy answers can be tempting. When tested, such easy answers often don’t work. So what is the best solution?
Philosophy
Religious moral claims and the is-ought problem
Religious moral claims often boil down to “because the Bible says so”. No attempt at any reason or justification beyond that is offered. Sometimes there are attempts to articulate a religiously-inspired but reason-based moral stance. Generally what you will find is that it is most probably an example of the infamous is-ought fallacy. The what? … Read more
A message for you from Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell, the great British philosopher and social critic, appeared on the BBC program Face-to-Face in 1959 and was asked a closing question: What would you tell a generation living 1,000 years from now about the life you’ve lived and the lessons you’ve learned. His answer is short, but pithy. You can read a transcript … Read more
The long reach of reason – Steven Pinker and Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Now this is interesting, it’s a TED talk, but in a format I’ve never seen before – they have animated it, and also it is a duo, not a single individual. The TED site describes it as follows … In a time when irrationality seems to rule both politics and culture, has reasoned thinking finally … Read more
Philosophy Games for Children
Children can benefit from learning philosophy from a young age. It is not necessary to drill them on Descartes and Kierkegaard; children can learn logic, evaluate ethical dilemmas, learn empathy, and consider the way they experience the world around them by playing philosophical games that are fun and simple. Keeping the age of the children … Read more