A friend of Philosophy Matters recently linked me to an interesting article discussing new funding opportunities for philosophers researching some of the “Big Questions.” Research funding for philosophers is something that has, essentially, never happened before. Now multi-million dollar grants are being awarded for looking at questions regarding free will and immortality. First and foremost, I’m thrilled… Continue reading On Disagreeing
Democracy and Education part 4
The last section of Dewey’s [amazon_link id=”1613822812″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Democracy and Education[/amazon_link] discussed the importance of the scientific method to the way we now learn. He argued that this method broke down the opposition that had existed between rationalism and empiricism in philosophy. Now, empiricism was called to check on that which reason and… Continue reading Democracy and Education part 4
Intentional Communities
JJ: This past week we watched [amazon_link id=”B004QL7K6Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wanderlust[/amazon_link] and traveled to Fairhope, AL, which got us thinking a lot about intentional communities. I asked my friend Clay Parks to join our discussion. He’s looking to start an intentional community in Missouri. Below are his answers to the questions that we presented him.… Continue reading Intentional Communities
Moral Monday: The Trolley Problem and Your Mom
Before you ask, no, this week’s post isn’t a Your Momma joke! It’s another in a series of questions about the moral problem of the trolley. Last week’s poll was interesting; in the population at large, most people would choose to push the fat villain in front of the trolley in order to save the… Continue reading Moral Monday: The Trolley Problem and Your Mom
Weekend Meditation: Rethinking Labor Day
“A mind always employed is always happy. This is the true secret, the grand recipe, for felicity.” – Thomas Jefferson While it’s never bad to take a break from the day-to-grind of our jobs, I was struck when I visited Jamaica a few years ago by how differently they celebrated their labor day compared to… Continue reading Weekend Meditation: Rethinking Labor Day
Film Friday: Wanderlust and Fairhope, AL
This week we picked up [amazon_link id=”B004QL7K6G” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wanderlust[/amazon_link] on a whim from our local Redbox, without really knowing very much about it. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that it focused heavily on intentional communities, something that’s been coming up in conversation frequently lately. After losing his job when his company is shut… Continue reading Film Friday: Wanderlust and Fairhope, AL
5 Reasons To Power Down During Dinner
Lately I’ve been very focused on food. It’s something that we probably don’t think about often enough but permeates pretty much every aspect of our lives and is a major focus of each and every day. I didn’t know anything about calories until college, and really didn’t start to expand my palate to include delicacies… Continue reading 5 Reasons To Power Down During Dinner
Hurricane Katrina: 7 years later
Hurricane Isaac will be making landfall 7 years to the date of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I was three months into owning my first home when Katrina struck and rendered it unlivable for the next four months. Several things still stand out very strongly to me since then: Devastation emphasizes the importance of community. After… Continue reading Hurricane Katrina: 7 years later
Book Club: Democracy and Education part 3
This week, we are continuing our discussion of Dewey’s Democracy and Education. One of his themes that has been on my mind is that passing on communities through education is important, but the size of that community affects what gets passed on. I believe that this reflection is extremely important when considering the current educational… Continue reading Book Club: Democracy and Education part 3
Moral Monday: The Trolley Problem and the Fat Villain
This week, we are going to look at the third in a series of trolley-related moral dilemmas. In the first poll, the majority of you guys said you would flip a switch to divert a trolley headed toward five people toward only one instead. In the second poll, the majority of you said you would… Continue reading Moral Monday: The Trolley Problem and the Fat Villain