We are all familiar with John 18:38 where Pontius Pilate asks Jesus ‘What is Truth’. That particular question is as old as philosophy itself. What does it mean to be truthful? What role does truth play in our lives? What do we lose if we reject truthfulness? No modern philosopher is better suited to answer […]
Truth and Truthfulness by Bernard Williams Read More »
The Natural History of Human Co-operation If you have ever been worried by the argument that all human behaviour is ‘genetically determined’, this could be the antidote. Without ever departing from the theory of evolution Pagel (Head of Bioinfomatics at Reading University) argues that art, music, religion and morality have truly constituted what it is
If you enjoy your crime fiction hard boiled and street tough try this one for size. The synopsis is as follows. Maureen Coughlin is in a rut. At twenty-nine, the strong Staten Island native fears she may become a ‘lifer’ at the Narrows, the faux-swank bar where she waits tables five nights a week. Nursing
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The ideas of deep thinkers in religion are often at great variance from the average congregational member. Here, John Macquarrie (d.2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Macquarrie and http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/world/europe/03macquarrie.html?_r=0), Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford, gives us a superb account of exactly those theories which have been at the frontiers of religious thought in the twentieth century. You may be surprised
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For the lover of travel writing Patrick Leigh Fermor is iconic, an intriguing blend of romance and mindfulness. He could be Matthew Arnold’s scholar gypsy of the twentieth century. In ravishing prose he recalls adventures walking all over Europe in titles such as A Time of Gifts, Between the Woods and the Water, and Mani:
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Alfred North Whitehead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead) was one of the most brilliant minds of his age. In Adventures of Ideas (1933) he offers the most accessible statement of his conception of ‘process philosophy’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_philosophy). In a nutshell this challenges over 2000 years of popular philosophical assumptions. Namely, he rejects those philosophies that value static notions of being over
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The runaway success of last year. Even if you do not read this for its fictional value it might offer protective insight into the sexual fantasies (one must be careful to say) of some women. Overwhelmed by the wealth and sophistication of businessman Christian Grey, ingénue Anastasia Steele is lured into a simpering compliance with
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A noted author of several books as well as articles in such publications as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsday, and Vogue, Susan Jacoby (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Jacoby) attempts to set the record straight by demonstrating just what sort of role both individual freethinkers as well as more general movements and groups have had on significant
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The Scots are a small nation living in the north west corner of the British Isles remote from the traditional centres of power in England and the European continent. Yet miraculously the Scots have contributed an enormous amount to Western culture and civilisation. Their contribution has been quite disproportionate to their population. Eighteenth century Edinburgh was
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