Arbitrary Marks

Martha Nussbaum’s Kantian conception of freedom is not just another word for “nothing left to lose,” but rather describes a state centrally connected to personhood.  She is a liberal, not in the sense of being a Democrat, but defined by the belief that human worth revolves around our power of moral choice.  Humans are valuable because [...]

What is it to be human?  This seems a simple question, answerable by biological examination.  Check the subject’s DNA — if they’re a hairless ape with bipedal locomotion — then they’re a human.
However, there’s more to say about the topic, since we have varying intuitions about just what a “good” human life looks like.  Are [...]

This artist has created a 200 pound Jesus out of chocolate, in time for Easter.  Catholic groups are offended, since the idea of an edible Christ is blasphemous.  Er, wait.  Since chocolate candies are not part of the Easter season.  Er, no, that’s not it.  Come to think of it, what is the problem?  (Hat [...]

A comic strip written by a PhD student in philosophy. Check out yesterday’s strip, entitled “Science works, bitches.” Hysterical.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Earlier posts in this series:
Introduction: A Long Overdue Essay
Myth of Origins: Ursula Goodenough
The first time I heard of Martha Nussbaum was in the context of a heated blog debate about various “isms”–feminism, misogynism–as well as biases like homophobia and racial bigotry.  My position was that, while separate phenomena, the intersection of gender and race together [...]

Terry Gross interviewed Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins on back-to-back episodes of Fresh Air this week.  I’ll be anticipating PZ Myers’ response to the shows (and put a link if he posts one link and welcome Pharyngula readers–browse around, but be kind to a self-avowed religious humanist!), but in the meantime, here are the highlights from my [...]

You can catch the interviews on NPR: Francis Collins, Richard Dawkins. Of course, I’ll have a synopsis and brief analysis later as well.

While I don’t watch much TV, Law and Order: SVU is one of my guilty pleasures.  It has similar problems as CSI-style dramas, in that it eroticizes violence against women, but on a much lesser scale (for one thing, the camera doesn’t lovingly dote on every inch of the deceased’s flesh, and repeatedly re-enact their [...]

A group called the HVN suggests alternate ways for handling auditory hallucinations, destigmatizing them, and explanations for their origin.  In the NY Times Magazine.

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On why the brain is not like a computer.

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