Author: Annaleigh Curtis Categories: Philosophy of Sex and Gender, Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 990 Editor’s Note: This essay is the first in a three-part series on the topic of philosophical feminism. The first two parts, on the Sameness Approach to feminism and the Difference Approach to feminism, are by Annaleigh Curtis; the third part, … Continue reading Feminism Part 1: The Sameness Approach
Author: 1000wordphilosophy
Moral Error Theory: Are there Moral Facts?
According to the meta-ethical theory known as “error theory,” it is false that abusing children for fun is morally wrong (and false that it’s morally right, too!). This is because, according to error theory, all moral judgments are false. This essay explores this counterintuitive view.
The Gettier Problem and the Definition of Knowledge
Author: Andrew Chapman Category: Epistemology Word Count: 1000 1. The Traditional Analysis of Knowledge What is knowledge?1 To get clear on the notion of knowledge, many philosophers have proposed that we provide an analysis of the concept of knowledge. To provide such an analysis would be to lay out and explain each of the components of that concept. The … Continue reading The Gettier Problem and the Definition of Knowledge
The Problem of Evil: Is Suffering Evidence That There Is Not a God?
Many people believe in God and understand God to be an omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and morally perfect being. But the world contains quite a lot of evil or badness: intense suffering, premature death, and moral wickedness. This inspires some questions: Why would God permit such evil? Is there a good reason why? Or does it occur in part because there is no God to prevent it? Asking these questions involves engaging with the Problem of Evil. The concern is whether evil provides a reason to disbelieve in God. There are four things one might say about evil, ranging from that it proves that God does not exist to that it provides no evidence at all against God’s existence.
Free Will and Free Choice
What is free will? Do we have it? This essay surveys the main three positions on these questions.
Because God Says So: On Divine Command Theory
An introduction to the "Divine Command Theory" of ethics.
The Ethics of Drone Strikes
Author: Ryan Jenkins Category: Ethics Word Count: 1000 Very few of us are pacifists, which is to say that most of us accept that killing in warfare is at least sometimes morally justified. But the philosophical exploration of when killing in war is permissible—one area of the discipline of military ethics—is complicated by worries that arise from … Continue reading The Ethics of Drone Strikes
The Problem of No Best World
Author: Kirk Lougheed Category: Philosophy of Religion Word Count: 1000 In the words of St. Anselm, God is the being than which no greater can be conceived. Philosophers have long wondered about what sort of world God is obligated to create given his status as the very best possible being. By best being, philosophers typically mean that … Continue reading The Problem of No Best World
Speciesism: Discrimination on the Basis of Species
Speciesism typically involves prioritizing the interests of one’s own species over other species’ interests: because animals are not of our species, we may treat them in ways we would never treat human beings. Most people seem to accept speciesism. However, some philosophers argue that speciesism reflects a biased prejudice for our own group, similar to racism and sexism. This essay explains different versions of speciesism and the objections they face.
Can We Believe in Miracles?
Author: Tomás Bogardus Category: Philosophy of Religion Word Count: 1000 True story: My friend’s daughter failed a hearing test when she was two years old, and was subsequently diagnosed with a rare hearing disorder. The doctors recommended a battery of follow-up tests and procedures, both expensive and invasive. My friend was, of course, crushed by the … Continue reading Can We Believe in Miracles?