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Hi, First, thanks for creation of this site. Second, I need some information about a greek philosopher with the name of "HEGESIAS" and also his philosophy called "philosophy of death/suicide". I searched in my country (Iran): books,magazines and also asking some professors but I don`t find my wanted, yet. Please if possible mention to some sites (links), books and so on.
Richard Heck
December 23, 2005
(changed December 23, 2005)
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A Google search will turn up a handful of articles on Hegesias. Or you can start with the article at Wikipedia.
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I am a physician, and cannot find literature references to recent cognitive neurophysiological research which should theoretically radically impinge on modern philosophical understanding of reasoning. I have read that we should be starting to call the love of wisdom 'neurophilosophy', but I haven't seen much collabaration in print. Is it happening, or are the two disciplines sitting snugly in their separate ivory towers? If it is happening, could you direct me to books/publications, etc. which are not too dense. With thanks, Paul Maher
Richard Heck
December 23, 2005
(changed December 23, 2005)
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There are many philosophers who take a serious interest in neuroscience. Perhaps the best known are the two who were, I believe, responsible for the term "neurophilosophy", Paul and Patricia Churchland, both of whom are at UC-San Diego. But I'm no expert in that area and wouldn't know prec... Read more
It is often said that if we ever make contact with extra-terrestrials the only language we might share would be mathematics. Whilst prime numbers or pi might communicate “we are intelligent life forms”, can mathematics really say anything more than this?
Richard Heck
December 23, 2005
(changed December 23, 2005)
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I'm not sure what this "often said" remark is supposed to mean. Mathematics is not a language but a subject-matter. We use language, and different people use different languages at different times, to speak about mathematics. So mathematics isn't any different, in this respect, than anythi... Read more
In relation to the debate raging in the US about evolution and Intelligent Design, I would like to know whether positing the existence and prior activity of an intelligent designer is a scientific or a philosophical question. Is it scientifically conceivable that the existence of a designer and of things having come about purposefully as opposed to randomly could ever be deduced from available or putative evidence?
Douglas Burnham
January 29, 2006
(changed January 29, 2006)
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If I may add one additional point to the ones already given: there is an all important difference between an intelligent designer that is a human being or an advanced alien civilisation, and an intelligent designer that is divine. The former could have evidence in its favour, and could be... Read more
If archaelogy or some other science were to prove in some manner or another that God really existed, would faith still be necessary? Would faith still exist? I'm not sure if this is a proper philosophical question, but could you guys/gals find it in your hearts to respond? Bernie Hebert Lafayette, LA
Richard Heck
December 22, 2005
(changed December 22, 2005)
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As Alex said, one can presumably imagine there being lots of empirical evidence for God's existence. But if so, then I'm not sure why faith would be needed there any more than it is needed in ordinary scientific inquiry. But that doesn't mean faith wouldn't be required: The mere belief tha... Read more
In Question 325 (is there a difference between justice and law), Peter Lipton said that a law can be unjust. Reading it, I couldn't move past that question, because if a law is unjust, shouldn't it arguably lose its status as law? I mean it might be a law technically, written down on paper as law, but surely it can only have bad consequences if people follow it and understand it to be law - like the laws regarding Jews and other minorities in Nazi Germany. Is this a valid point at all?
Richard Heck
December 22, 2005
(changed December 22, 2005)
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I'm inclined to think, yes, that if a law is unjust it should lose its status as a law, but it doesn't immediately follow that one has no obligation to follow that law. In the case of profoundly unjust laws, such as those regarding Jews in Nazi Germany, presumably it would, at least, be pe... Read more
Could math have possibly developed without the cartesian coordinate system? Or is this a necessary and therefore inevitable construct that would must be discovered "sooner or later"? - andy c. nguyen
Richard Heck
December 22, 2005
(changed December 22, 2005)
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Well, the first thing to say is that mathematics did develop for some time without the Cartesian co-ordinate system. And there are plenty of branches of mathematics where it isn't terribly important, for example, abstract algebra. It's also worth saying that there are lots of other co-ordi... Read more
In relation to the debate raging in the US about evolution and Intelligent Design, I would like to know whether positing the existence and prior activity of an intelligent designer is a scientific or a philosophical question. Is it scientifically conceivable that the existence of a designer and of things having come about purposefully as opposed to randomly could ever be deduced from available or putative evidence?
Douglas Burnham
January 29, 2006
(changed January 29, 2006)
Permalink
If I may add one additional point to the ones already given: there is an all important difference between an intelligent designer that is a human being or an advanced alien civilisation, and an intelligent designer that is divine. The former could have evidence in its favour, and could be... Read more
I really love my wife and of course I never want to hurt her, but is it moral to cheat on her if I'm 100% sure that she won't know (and therefore she won't be hurt)?
Richard Heck
January 2, 2006
(changed January 2, 2006)
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Extending Alex's last point, one might say that you would harm your wife were you to cheat on her, whether or not she ever discovered your infidelity. Of course, it wouldn't cause her emotional pain, but one might suppose that she has an interest in your fidelity that is quite independent of h... Read more
Since all decisions are made from our brains and we do not get to choose what brain we are born with, do we really have control over our decisions and are we really responsible for these decisions?
Alexander George
December 22, 2005
(changed December 22, 2005)
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First, I'm not sure I'd say that my brain makes my decisions for me. I make my own decisions. When you win a game of chess, it's you who won it, not your hand (which you used to move the pieces around). But alright, so I use this tool, my brain, to make my decisions and, yes, I didn... Read more