Author: Michael Klenk Category: Ethics, Philosophy of Science Word Count: 999 We often follow what are considered basic moral rules: don’t steal, don’t lie, help others when we can. But why do we follow these rules, or any rules understood as “moral rules”? Does evolution explain why? If so, does evolution have implications for which … Continue reading Evolution and Ethics
Author: David Antonini Category: Social and Political Philosophy, Historical Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 997 When you make an agreement of some significance (e.g., to rent an apartment, or join a gym, or divorce), you typically agree to certain terms: you sign a contract. This is for your benefit, and for the the other party’s benefit: … Continue reading Social Contract Theory
Author: Thomas Metcalf Categories: Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Logic and Reasoning Word Count: 1000 Suppose that Lemmy is playing poker, and the only card he needs in order to win is the Ace of Spades. If he’s drawing randomly from a standard deck, it’s easy to figure out how likely he is to draw the … Continue reading Introduction to the Probability Calculus
Categories: Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics Author: Bailie Peterson Word Count: 1000 Theists believe God exists, atheists believe that God does not exist, and agnostics suspend judgment on the issue. But what do each of these mean by ‘God’? What is the concept of God that underlies the debate?[1] This essay explains three important features of … Continue reading Attributes of God
Author: David Antonini Category: Social and Political Philosophy, Phenomenology and Existentialism Word Count: 1000 Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), born in Hanover, Germany, was a public intellectual, refugee, and observer of European and American politics. She is especially known for her interpretation of the events that led to the rise of totalitarianism in the twentieth century. Arendt … Continue reading Hannah Arendt’s Political Thought
Authors: Michael Milona & Katie Stockdale Categories: Ethics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion, Social & Political Philosophy Word Count: 994 Hope is ubiquitous: family members express hope that we find love and happiness, politicians call for hope in response to tragedies, and optimists urge people to keep their hopes up. We also tell ourselves to maintain hope, … Continue reading Hope
Author: Marc Bobro Categories: Historical Philosophy, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind and Language, Philosophy of Religion Word Count: 999 Editor’s Note: This essay is the second in a two-part series on Descartes’ Meditations. The first essay is here. 4. Meditation 4: The Source of Human Error Descartes argued in Meditation 3 that since God exists, … Continue reading Descartes’ Meditations 4-6
