Owner: evanescent URL:http://ellis14.wordpress.com Join Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:01:02 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: On reason, science, atheism, religion, politics, and Objectivism Site statistics:Click here
Open Thread: Anthropogenic Global Warming 2007-11-16 15:22:31 Ok I need help.
Why is there so much controversy over climate change, and what are the facts?
There is so much debate between legitimate scientists, I have become very sceptical when reading anything that puts forward a strong opinion, either way, on human effects on global warming. I find I am increasing unable to take either side very seriously anymore.
Note: I am not denying global warming at all. My question is this:
Does human activity add significantly to global warming?
The Royal Society seems to think so. This is the leading scientific authority in Britain that, in a peer-reviewed analysis, claims that humans are contributing significantly to global warming:
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=4761
Yet, why have 19,000 American scientists signed a petition stating that this is not the case, and produced a comprehensive analysis of the trends of global temperature against industrial activity (and found no correlation):
http://www.oism.org/pproject/
Why have JunkScience.c Read more:Thread
, Global
Open Thread: Objectivist Ethics 2007-11-20 15:19:05 I have been having a very lively exchange with several readers on my blog regarding the ethics of Objectivism versus the altruist/collectivist theory of morality. Since the discussion was getting seriously off track I’ve relocated the discussion to here, and I encourage the original commenters and anyone else to join the thread. I am still learning the philosophy of Objectivism but will argue from its stand point.
The original thread is here: http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/ok-ok-the-biggie-atheism-vs-theism/ If you’re new to the discussion I strongly recommend you read all the comments to date. This will prevent anyone having to repost something that has already been addressed.
I was unable to move all the comments because there were so many and they were rather circumlocutory. I will post my latest response as a comment below and we’ll take it from there…
Read more:Thread
, Ethics
Carnival of the Godless # 79 2007-11-25 05:05:09 The 79th Carnival
of the Godless
is now up over at Sexy Secularist, and includes my post “Atheist, or Anti-Theist?“ Sexy Secularist has done a brilliant job of bringing it all together with witty rhyme. I suggest you pay her a visit and see what she’s done with this Carnival, and whilst you’re there read some of the excellent articles on display!
http://www.sexysecularist.com/?p=177
Teddy-bear row protestors demand death 2007-11-30 11:58:59 “Weapon-wielding mobs of Sudanese protesters have demand
ed the execution of British teacher Gillian Gibbons.
Thousands joined together on the streets of Khartoum, some with knives and sticks, shouting for a harsher sentence for the mother-of-two jailed for 15 days on Thursday.
Mrs Gibbons, 54, was found guilty of insulting Islam and escaped a punishment of 40 lashes. But her sentence was seen as lenient by Sudan’s hardline Muslim clerics.” - http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=6859416
Insulting Islam? Interesting. People all over the world have expressed outrage, rightly so, about finding somebody guilty of offending an entire religion and blaspheming by naming a teddy bear “Mohamed”. “It is outrageous!” they claim, that naming a teddy can be an insult to Islam. They’re right, but haven’t the governments and courts and everyone else forgotten something else:
Who cares? Yes, who cares if the teddy is or isn’t an insult to Islam, or bl Read more:death
Objectivism and Me 2007-12-03 06:57:47 For the past two months I’ve been reading a lot about Ayn Rand’s Objectivism. I’ve also had the pleasure of interacting with an Objectivist on his blog and over e-mail.
Immediately I was struck by how many viewpoints (political, philosophical, and ethical), resonated with me; I had held them explicitly or implicitly for a long time but was unable to articulate them or justify them properly. There were also many consequences of these viewpoints that disturbed me at first, especially political. However, as a free-thinker, consequences of truth do not bother me as much as truth itself.
I wanted to refrain from writing about Objectivism until I was knowledgeable enough to argue it properly; I have a responsibility to myself to make sure I know what I’m talking about. After being prompted by A Load of Bright though, I’ve decided to comment on it “as I go”, but I will avoid referring to myself as an Objectivist or debating the philosophy deeply for now. This is only fair t
Humanist Symposium #12 2007-12-15 18:00:23 Humanist Symposium
#12
DEDICATED TO BLUE LINCHPIN
Greetings one and all. It is my pleasure to present this Humanist Symposium, the last one of the year.
Before we go any further, I would like to take this opportunity to dedicate this Humanist Symposium to Blue Linchpin. Her last post was June 11th and she had been struggling with cancer for some time. This would be a tragedy no matter who it was, but when it happens to someone so young and so intellectually alive, it seems all the more unfair. After silence for so long, I think we all fear the worst.
I couldn't think of a particularly unique or clever way to present this Symposium (!), so I've decided to offer each submission with my personal reflections on each article.
Let's get started:
A Load of Bright presents a treatise On Patriotism. This is a brief but excellent summation of the arbitrary nature of nationality, and why the author identifies himself as a citizen of earth first and foremost, instead of re Read more:Humanist
Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants 2007-12-15 15:38:05 A simple ribonucleic acid string replicates itself. Genes compete in a ruthless environment for selection. Simple, at first, and then more complex machines are constructed unconsciously by genes to further their survival. These survival machines reproduce and compete. Competition for sustenance and procreation forces genes to engineer better machines. These machines, very slowly over eons, increase in complexity. Some machine parts are phased out, some machine parts are phased in or upgraded, becoming interdependent on other parts. Some of these natural machines become very good at detecting and interacting with the world around them, and they process and store these experiences in a vast network of complex interrelated fibres and cells. In one variety of machine, the machine's structure allows this plexus to increase in complexity and sophistication. The processing and analytic power of this machine's encephalon steadily increases over time. Slowly, and at some temporall Read more:Standing
, Shoulders
, Giants
What is Morality and what are Rights? 2007-12-08 09:41:50 Humans are not like animals. It is not our level of intelligence that differentiates us from animals; it is the nature of our intelligence. Humans think and reason on a conceptual level, whereas animals no matter how higher their brain functions, operate at the perceptual level. Without the ability to abstract and form concepts, rational thought is not possible.
Animals act on instinct, and have the necessary behaviour that allows them to survive. An animal will hunt, and prey, flee, or build a nest, based on instinctive behaviour. Humans are not like this; we must discover how to survive. We must think, create, produce. To live as a man means to live as a rational being. Man cannot live as a man without thinking. A man who rejects reason surrenders himself to life as an animal, with only luck ensuring his survival.
How does man think his way to survival? He must discover what is good for his life or not. He must discover what is of value to him or not. Implicit in this dis Read more:Morality
, Rights
Animals Have NO Rights 2007-12-22 14:11:36 I've recently explained what morality is and where rights come from. When discussing what human rights mean, we must define exactly what we're talking about, and justify our definition. When doing so, another interesting topic arises, which is that of animal rights. I have always held the belief that animals have rights, of a sort. For example, the right "not to suffer". I was wrong, because animals have no rights at all.
First of all, consider individual rights. A human being is a creature that makes decisions based on reason. Unlike an animal which is automatically equipped with the knowledge to select its values, human beings must discover, through a process of reason, what is good for our lives and what is bad. We discover rational values with our ultimate value, life, as the standard. This code of values to guide our decisions is Objective Morality. Therefore, man, to function as a man, must be a moral being. If he is anything less he is living like a beast, not Read more:Animals
, Rights
My Top 10 TV Shows Of All Time 2007-12-21 09:17:33 Breaking away from the serious discussions of late, I thought I'd write something more light-hearted. Here is my top ten television shows of all time, based on what I've enjoyed through my life. (In other words, there may be shows here I don't watch anymore).
10 Family Guy
Bizarre and abstract at times, and with no regard for political-correctness, Family Guy is one of the few shows that can make me laugh out loud time and again, even on repeats. The way nothing is safe from being parodied is hilarious and very clever too.
9 FRIENDS
I'm not a fan of FRIENDS anymore, but I had to put this in as I was for many years, and in its first 4 seasons the show really was genuinely funny, moving, and original. In its later seasons, it tries to copy itself, and episodes and jokes become formulaic and, the worst sin of a sitcom, simply not funny. But FRIENDS' early seasons, especially the humour of and between the three men, will always make me laugh.
8 Spaced
Wit
There’s Something Wrong With You 2008-03-09 11:43:09 Is there any religion that doesn’t tell you that you’re dirty, tainted, immoral, and flawed? If there is such a religion, there certainly isn’t a monotheism that doesn’t.
Why?
Here’s why: virtually all religions share a standard of morality in common with secular beliefs, as much as the Humanists and New Atheists would like to believe [...] Read more:Wrong
My 40k 2008-03-08 05:42:22 The hit count on my blog has just smashed through the 40,000 barrier in just under 12 months, and although I’ve not researched this properly, I’m pretty sure that makes it the best blog ever written, ever.
Here are some not so interesting facts about the number 40,000:
It comes after the number 39,999
There is a game [...]
Ben Elton Interview - Worth A Quick Look 2008-02-29 16:24:15 A friend of mine showed me a 7 minute interview on YouTube of the author and satirist Ben Elton
. As an Objectivist I would have to totally agree with everything he says (apart from an incorrect use of the word “sacrifice”), and Elton manages to cram in such an intelligent and insightful critique of today’s [...] Read more:Worth
, Quick
, Quick Look
Objectivist Round-Up 32 2008-02-28 15:13:03 OBJECTIVIST ROUNDUP # 32
Welcome to the 32nd Objectivist Round-up. I must apologise for the lateness of this week’s post; the time difference is always a factor. I will endeavour to post much earlier next time!
Rational Jenn presents “Freedom From Feds”
And says: “Many so-called “homeschool-friendly” politicians have been advocating a Homeschool Tax Credit to help [...]
Free Speech Versus Respect 2008-02-22 04:46:25 “The Secretary-General strongly believes that freedom of expression should be exercised responsibly and in a way that respects all religious beliefs” – Marie Okabe, spokeswoman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Two years ago the Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan: “believes that the freedom of the press should always be exercised in a way [...] Read more:Speech
, Free Speech
Total Lunar Eclipse - Wed 20th Feb 08 2008-02-20 12:28:23 Today (Wednesday 20th February 2008 – yeah that’s right America, I put the date in the correct format!) sees a total lunar eclipse. Or more precisely, tonight does.
I encourage everyone to take a walk outside tonight and look up and check out this fantastic phenomenon. Or if you live in Manchester, just poke [...] Read more:Total
, Lunar
, Total Lunar
, Total Lunar Eclipse
Why Selflessness is Immoral 2008-02-15 12:42:32 Selflessness or altruism means putting the interests of others above yourself. Just as “selfishness” has negative connotations in society of self-interest at the expense of others, “altruism” is often thought of as kind or generous acts for others. This view is wrong. It is wrong because the originator of the term himself, Auguste Comte, meant [...] Read more:Immoral
Objectivist Round-Up 30 2008-02-07 03:30:26 Objectivist Round-Up #30
Welcome everybody to this week’s Objectivist Round-Up. This is my first time hosting this carnival and it’s a privilege to give Rational Jenn a well-deserved rest for a week!
Here are the accepted submissions for this week, in no particular order:
RationalJenn wants to know which states are currently complying?, and says…
“Somehow, [...]
The Problem with Atheists 2008-02-02 08:07:47 Self-professed atheists think they have come to the conclusion that there is no god through a process of critical thinking and logical reasoning. They either make the positive intellectually-certain claim “there is no god” or what many believe to be the more “balanced”, “less radical” position of “I have absolutely no reason to believe [...] Read more:Problem
, Atheists
Liars and Plagiarists 2008-01-26 06:45:24 I came across a blog a while ago on Myspace because it linked to my blog here at Wordpress, as there were hyperlinks in the article. As soon as I started reading, I noticed how well-written and articulate it was – and how much I agreed with the viewpoints expressed. In fact, it [...] Read more:Liars
The Nihilism of Subjectivism 2008-01-23 13:44:54 I’ve been involved in a discussion over at AtheistForums with several atheist posters. Despite being otherwise rational when it comes to obvious issues such as the existence of god, we see here evidence that just being an atheist says nothing about the accuracy of your worldview, or your rationality as a person. That [...]
Animal Welfare and Cloning 2008-01-19 06:46:54 “The RSPCA has called for an immediate ban on cloning animals for food following a report questioning the ethical justification of doing so.” -
The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) did not categorically rule out the idea but said: “Considering the current level of suffering and health problems of surrogate [...] Read more:Animal
, Welfare
, Cloning
Salary capping is Evil 2008-01-16 15:51:50 I was reading a sport-related article on MSN before, and there was a vote asking readers whether they thought footballer’s salaries should be capped. Over 70% of people had voted yes. I wondered why. Before I venture a guess, let’s answer the question of “should footballer’s wages be capped?”, by extending it [...] Read more:Salary
Abolish the Welfare State 2008-01-10 15:34:11 I’ve never really liked the NHS historically, for one very important reason: poor service. Justice requires that the consumer receive the service he or she has paid for. That’s fair trade; it is the most basic principle of legitimate human interaction; exchanging value for value.
The reason I object to the NHS on principle [...] Read more:Welfare
, Abolish
, State
The 25 Most Inappropriate Things An Objectivist Can Say During Sex 2008-01-08 15:47:38 I was sent this recently and found it quite amusing so thought I’d present it here! I don’t know who the original author is, but if anyone knows feel free to comment. The last one is my favourite! (Edited to add: here is the source of the article: )
1. [...]
One of the Pleasures of Life 2008-03-14 15:26:50 In my opinion, there are very few pleasures in life greater than music. Okay, there’s friendship, love, sex etc. But I’m not even sure how you’d classify the pleasure you can derive from listening to a song you love. A great song, a great voice, great lyrics, can be pleasurable emotionally, intellectually, [...]
Planetarium for your PC 2008-03-16 07:42:10 I came across a piece of software this morning that is a must, if you like astronomy or planetariums!
It allows you to scan the heavens in 360 degrees, external to earth. It’s also in real time so you can see the earth as it would look in space right now, and where day and night [...] Read more:Planetarium
The Meaning of Life? - It’s Right Here! 2008-03-18 18:08:27 Welcome again, gentle reader! This post might take a little longer than I’d like, so please bear with me. Rest assured, this has nothing to do with my ability as a writer and everything to do with your ability as a reader. To this end, I’ll try not to use too many [...] Read more:Meaning
, Right
The Meaning of Life? - It’s Right Here! 2008-03-21 06:00:27 Welcome again, gentle reader! This post might take a little longer than I’d like, so please bear with me. Rest assured, this has nothing to do with my ability as a writer and everything to do with your ability as a reader. To this end, I’ll try not to use too many [...] Read more:Meaning
, Right
Just To Say… 2008-04-01 15:49:14 …I haven’t posted anything for a while now, because most of my writing effort is going into a work of fiction that is taking up what free time I have that I’d usually spend blogging.
This gives you, the reader, the perfect opportunity to read some of my archived material and discover for yourself why my [...]
Recommend Site To A Friend
