All entries by this author

Hello? Remember Africa? *

Jul 22nd, 2003 | Filed by

Why is the left so indifferent to what’s happening in the Congo and Liberia?… Read the rest



Habermas and Derrida Have a Plan *

Jul 22nd, 2003 | Filed by

Can emotional European patriotism be created? If so, can a rationalist and a deconstructionist do the job?… Read the rest



If it Contradicts Bush, It Isn’t True *

Jul 21st, 2003 | Filed by

The Right is also capable (to say the least) of judging truth claims via ideology instead of vice versa.… Read the rest



What Are Long-term Impacts of No GM Foods? *

Jul 21st, 2003 | Filed by

‘We cannot know everything’ but there are risks in not using GM crops too.… Read the rest



‘The Last Taboo’

Jul 20th, 2003 8:01 pm | By

As long as we’re talking about religion and science, the futility or non-futility of scientists, atheists, rationalists, skeptics, and secularists arguing with believers, whether or not people can change their minds, what kind of influence religion has in the public realm, and related matters, we might as well add this famous New Republic article by Wendy Kaminer to the mix.

Obviously, people carry their faith in God, Satan, crystals or UFOs into town meetings, community organizations and voting booths. Obviously, a core belief in the supernatural is not severable from beliefs about the natural world and the social order. It is the inevitable effect of religion on public policy that makes it a matter of public concern. Advocates of

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Conflict of Interest? Surely Not!

Jul 20th, 2003 7:16 pm | By

Well I feel vindicated. I read an article in The American Prospect a couple of weeks ago that I thought made some staggeringly stupid remarks based on some even more staggeringly stupid assumptions. I almost wrote a Note and Comment about it, but then got too busy with other subjects and so let it slide. But now there is a review in The Washington Post of a book by the same author, pointing out some of the flaws I noticed and some others besides – in particular, the fact (which the Prospect did not make clear enough) that Danny Goldberg is an entertainment industry executive, so his enthusiasm for popular culture has considerable financial interest behind it. There I was … Read the rest



Michael Ruse on Matt Ridley *

Jul 20th, 2003 | Filed by

‘…the nature-versus-nurture, biology-versus-culture, genes-versus-environment dichotomy has broken down.’… Read the rest



War-crimes not a resigning matter

Jul 20th, 2003 10:17 am | By

Tam Dalyell, UK MP and father of the House of Commons, may not be fashionable, but I’m pretty sure he has “nonsense” inscribed on his forehead. At the end of March, he had this to say about Tony Blair:

I…believe that since Mr Blair is going ahead with his support for a US attack without unambiguous UN authorisation, he should be branded as a war criminal and sent to The Hague.
The Guardian, March 27th 2003

Okay, so maybe there will be one or two Baathists reading this who will think that this is not such a bad idea. But I wonder what they will think about Mr Dalyell’s latest offering in today’s Observer/Guardian:

My view is that, depending on

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The Absentation of Actuality *

Jul 19th, 2003 | Filed by

Is there a law that requires postmodernists to write badly?… Read the rest



The Hip-hop Archives *

Jul 19th, 2003 | Filed by

Henry Louis Gates decides not to skip Harvard, rebuilds African-American Studies department.… Read the rest



Medieval History is Not Merely Ornamental *

Jul 19th, 2003 | Filed by

Not that anyone really said it was, but the story got attention, so that helps.… Read the rest



When in Doubt, Show Tits *

Jul 19th, 2003 | Filed by

French feminists attack Green campaign that features a female breast for no apparent reason.… Read the rest



Cynthia Ozick on Azar Nafisi *

Jul 18th, 2003 | Filed by

Theocratic tyranny, a bus full of writers on the edge of a cliff, vigilantes and fanatics take over the revolution.… Read the rest



Where Cheap Servants Come From *

Jul 18th, 2003 | Filed by

Underpaid, easily-fired Third World women do the domestic work no one else wants to.… Read the rest



Science and Religion

Jul 17th, 2003 | By

There is an entrenched idea, even among many atheists, secularists, skeptics that arguments about religion – arguments between atheists and theists, science and religion, believers and non-believers – are futile, at best a waste of time and at worst offensive if not cruel. But the trouble is there seems to be no such idea on the other side. Believers and theists seem to have no hesitation or diffidence whatever about assuming their beliefs are both true and synonymous with virtue, and saying as much. This is a peculiar arrangement, any way you look at it. The side that has it right, that considers evidence and logic and probablities, is politely silent. The side that, if forced to choose between evidence … Read the rest



Exclude Men but not Women? *

Jul 17th, 2003 | Filed by

Is it a good idea to exclude men from sport to achieve gender equality, but not exclude women from university to achieve the same thing?… Read the rest



Flattery, of a Sort

Jul 16th, 2003 7:52 pm | By

Well here’s a turn-up for the books. Plagiarism now. Someone has helped himself to the article I wrote for In Focus recently, ‘What Is Elitism?’ and posted it on a philosophy forum without so much as a by your leave. Not a word about B and W, not even a shy mention of the fact that he hadn’t written it himself. Well except the dopy last sentence, he may have written that; I certainly didn’t. But I bloody well did write the rest of it.

I’ve been emailing him on the subject, but answer came there none. He did append a vague (and highly overdue) remark to the effect that ‘a version’ of this article appeared somewhere or other, naming … Read the rest



Line Between Religious Belief and Delusion *

Jul 16th, 2003 | Filed by

The second deficit means being unable to discard the impossible experience.… Read the rest



The Whig View of Religious History *

Jul 15th, 2003 | Filed by

From millions of gods to one – this is progress?… Read the rest



Tensions

Jul 14th, 2003 8:30 pm | By

A UN representative says the UK government is breaching the United Nations convention on children’s rights by imposing a targets and testing regime in English schools that ignores their needs. This is an interesting notion, and one is tempted to mock it noisily. There is a right not to be tested? Who knew! If only that right had been discovered when I was twelve! How much more fun I would have had. But perhaps one ought to resist the temptation. But perhaps one still ought to point out some problems with that idea, without actually mocking.

Of course, the whole question of tests and testing is a controversial, endlessly-debated one. There is much to be said for both sides, … Read the rest