Category: Logic & Reasoning

Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God

Pascal's wager image: person praying in front of a pile of poker chips.
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 8 Comments

Author: Liz Jackson Categories: Philosophy of Religion, Epistemology, Historical Philosophy, Logic and Reasoning Word Count: 996 Should you believe there’s a God? To answer this, we might examine arguments for theism—like first-cause and design arguments—and arguments for atheism—like arguments from evil. These arguments offer evidence for and against God’s existence.[1] Pascal’s wager, originally proposed by … Continue reading Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God

Epistemic Injustice

~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 8 Comments

Author: Huzeyfe Demirtas Categories: Epistemology, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Sex and Gender, Philosophy of Race, Logic and Reasoning Wordcount: 996 Suppose a jury rejects a Black defendant’s testimony because they believe that Black people are often untrustworthy. Or suppose the male members of a board reject a female colleague's suggestions because they … Continue reading Epistemic Injustice

Dutch Book Arguments

A mural of Dutch books on a building in Utrecht, Netherlands.
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 4 Comments

Author: Daniel Peterson Categories: Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Logic and Reasoning Word Count: 1000 Philosophers looking to support a position about how certain we ought to be of some belief, given our other beliefs, sometimes take advantage of Dutch book arguments. These arguments show that alternative positions lead to accepting a series of bets, each … Continue reading Dutch Book Arguments

Expertise: What is an Expert?

"Lovers of prints" by Honore Daumier
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 10 Comments

Author: Jamie Carlin Watson Category: Epistemology, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy Wordcount: 989 Want to improve your golf or tennis game? Take lessons from a local “pro.” Got an obscure medical problem? See a specialist. Nasty divorce? Hire a good lawyer. In short, if you’ve got a hard question or problem, you should seek the guidance … Continue reading Expertise: What is an Expert?

Interpretations of Probability

"So you're telling me there's a chance?" From Dumb and Dumber
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 15 Comments

Author: Thomas Metcalf Categories: Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Logic and Reasoning Word count: 996 Consider this exchange from the 1994 American film Dumb and Dumber: Lloyd: What do you think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me ending up together? … Mary: Not good. Lloyd: You mean, not good like … Continue reading Interpretations of Probability

Philosophy and Its Contrast with Science: Comparing Philosophical and Scientific Understanding

~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 10 Comments

Author: Thomas Metcalf Category: Metaphilosophy, Philosophy of Science Word Count: 994 Listen here Philosophy and science are both ways of learning about ourselves and the world. Here we’ll review the two main perspectives on the question of whether and to what degree science and philosophy overlap in their methods and their sources of knowledge. We’ll … Continue reading Philosophy and Its Contrast with Science: Comparing Philosophical and Scientific Understanding

The Problem of Induction

Lonely Mountain
~ 1000wordphilosophy ~ 7 Comments

Author: Kenneth Blake Vernon Category: Philosophy of Science, Epistemology, Logic and Reasoning Word Count: 1000 1. Aulë’s Artifacts Suppose you are an ethnographer newly arrived in Middle Earth, making land on the western shore, at the Gray Havens. You follow the East Road, traveling over the Misty Mountains and through the Mirkwood, eventually reaching Erebor, … Continue reading The Problem of Induction