Other/Misc.

First off, I'm back! It's been a long time, yes, but I am now ready to post more.

I'm going to preface this by stating that I am an atheist. I think, as do many other philosophers, that the question is largely settled. Prominent philosophers of religion such as Keith Parsons (founder of the journal Philo, among other things) have actually decided to move on to other subfields.

However, for those who do not think the question is settled, or who simply find some ...

The question of patriotism (as opposed to nationalism) is one that has been given more attention in public debate than in philosophy proper. I'm not sure to what degree I embrace patriotism, but I felt compelled to point out what I thought was a failed argument against patriotism.

Patriotism, unlike nationalism, is an attitude/disposition/sentiment, and not a doctrine of hard-and-fast inference rules in political matters. The failure of many anti-patriotic arguments lies in the ...

Inspired by the feature of the same name, created by Princeton philosopher Richard Chappell, I've decided to post a "web of beliefs" where I post my current opinions on certain key areas of philosophical inquiry. This will not only give a better picture of my thought for reader, but is also a useful tool for tracking the evolution of my own thought. NOTE: I do not have what I consider an informed opinion on everything. I've only posted my opinions on areas of philosophy where I think ...

In his seminal work Reasons and Persons, the philosopher Derek Parfit outlines the notion of an indirectly self-defeating theory. To do so, he asks us to consider the self-interest theory of rationality, which he calls S. S tells us that what is rational to do is whatever makes our lives better in the long run. However, there are many circumstances in which one would better fulfill the goal of S by not adhering to S.

Consider this from a virtue standpoint, one of cultivating an ...