Category Archives: philosophy/ethics

James Baldwin on freedom. read

Peter Singer int. by Alex Dean: philosophu should not be morally neutral. “Effective Altruism had its break-through in Singer’s 1974 work Famine, Affluence and Morality, recently republished. “It is both a philosophy and a social movement that’s concerned with being as effective as possible in making the world a better place” Singer explained. “It draws on evidence and reasoning to work out how best to do that.”” read

Justice Alito’s attack on atheists: Jan Millhiser. “The implication of Alito’s opinion is that the only basis for a moral or ethical viewpoint is religious faith. But that is an offensive suggestion that redefines the words “moral” and “ethical” in an idiosyncratic way.” read

Rob Kall: Bottom-up as a form of intelligence. read

Keith Frankish: Is philosophy always difficult? “Academics assume an advanced knowledge of their field, as well as familiarity with conceptual nuances, contemporary references, cultural norms. All this background needs filling in for those outside the tradition. When dealing with work from another time or culture, different scholars might produce different interpretations of the original. But this openness to interpretation is merely an accident of distance…..Clear writers stand naked before their critics, with all their argumentative blemishes visible; but they are braver, more honest and more respectful of the true aims of intellectual enquiry than ones who shroud themselves in obscurity.” read