A prominent public intellectual, who happens to be a fellow countryman, has pursued a line of reasoning that I find – truthfully – rather problematic. Jordan B. Peterson has often defended various works of both mythology and fiction on the grounds that they (when “great”) reveal truths that are more ‘real’ than ‘life’ itself. AnContinue reading “On the Problem of Abstractions”
Tag Archives: Mind
Hume, Miracles, and the Importance of Epistemology
Fresh ink need not always be spilled upon fresh ideas, and I am of the persuasion that revivified thinking may spring from echoes of old debates. For today, I take my task as such a reinvigoration of our thoughts: I want to discuss David Hume’s rejection of miracles – a subject that has perhaps hadContinue reading “Hume, Miracles, and the Importance of Epistemology”
What Is ‘Knowledge’ and How Is It Known?
(Or The Folly of Philosophers) As is typical, the title of this post is much more grandiose than the conclusions that I will be able to come to by the end of the essay. What I intend here is a response to a specific problem that has floated about in philosophical circles, but I believeContinue reading “What Is ‘Knowledge’ and How Is It Known?”
On Being “Open Minded” – Pt. 1
The culture of our contemporary anglophone world, to my eye, seems ordered toward the ideal of ‘toleration.’ There is much wrapped up in this claim, but the general thrust is that we believe in some form of individualism and therefore want to allow each person to pursue life as he or she sees fit –Continue reading “On Being “Open Minded” – Pt. 1″
Hoping for Clarity 