Atheists. Agnostics. Freethinkers. Nonbelievers. Nontheists. Humanists.Whatever you want to call them and whatever they Famous atheists, including many career academics. want to call themselves. People who do not believe in God. I describe myself as an agnostic atheist and a secular humanist. For the sake of this article, I will
Continue readingTag: Morals, Ethics & Values
Death By Trolley: Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and its Challenge to Western Thought
I am currently reading Philosophy in the Flesh: The embodied mind and its challenge to Western thought. Authored by Cognitive Scientists George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, this book asks 1) What do major lines of Western philosophical thought assume about the mind? 2) What has cognitive science learned about the
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: Is belief in God a choice?
The following satirical video, “Gay Scientists Isolate Christian Gene”, pokes fun at the concept of a “gay gene” and religious opposition to homosexuality. The proportion of people who believe that homosexuality is chosen is decreasing. That’s not to imply that homosexuality is the phenotype expressed by a “gay gene”. Just
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: What issue do you wish you cared more about?
There are a lot of important moral/political/pragmatic issues. Far too many for one person to even be aware of, let alone be informed on and/or personally active in addressing. I believe that you cannot choose your interests or your passions. You can decide to try to get into something -e.g.,
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: The Etymology of “Death By Trolley”: Explaining The Name
Death By Trolley gets its name from The Trolley Problem, a philosophical thought experiment within the domain of morality and ethics. There are multiple formulations of The Trolley Problem. One of the most well-known versions invites the hearer to imagine that a trolley is on its way to running over
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: Buddhism for Skeptics of Religion
A non-Buddhist skeptical atheist with background in psychology, scientific research, healthcare and mindfulness meditation shows how many of the central tenets and practices of Buddhism can appeal to other skeptics.
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: Atheists are Differently Religious – and No, Atheism is not the/a Religion
A main focus of this blog is to consider and compare different political and ethical philosophies so as to promote better understanding of one’s own worldview and those of others. I frequently focus on progressivism/liberalism and libertarian conservativism, arguing that these incompletely overlapping moral/political philosophies each have their own internal logic and validity, but that […]
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: Mental Health Risks For Political Activists
Are social/political activists at elevated risk for certain mental health conditions and social problems?
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: Where do Observant Jews and Conservative Christians get their Morals, Theologically Speaking?
Theologically speaking, where do Jews and Conservative Christians get their values?
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: How homosexuality is destroying the English-speaking world
Cultural anthropologists have observed that a language and culture are keenly intertwined – language being a centrepiece and primary medium of culture – and that as one decays, so too does the other. With this in mind, I come with a warning: ***homosexuality is eroding English-speaking civilizations*** Don’t say another word before you learn about […]
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: The David Pakman Show on “The Trolley Problem”
The name of this blog, Death By Trolley, is a reference to the philosophical thought experiment, The Trolley Problem, which was a subject of discussion recently on The David Pakman Show. I discovered David Pakman in his appearances on The Top Vlog, a progressive political video-blogging project launched by The Young Turks. I’ve found him […]
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: In Defense of Abortion
In this month’s Canadian federal election, abortion was not an issue. However, whenever election time roles around in North America, the issue of abortion tends to garner at least a little bit more conversation than normal, even if it is not a specific policy issue. Social conservatives will want to elect politicians who may one […]
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