Category Archives: Philosophy

Two Philosophical Bits

Posted on Friday 24 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Are you the same person you were last week? How long should you shop?

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The Gaps Between Beliefs and Reality

Posted on Tuesday 21 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today about how Americans treat Presidents’ Day and other holidays; about more Republicans lying on their resumes; why Fox News viewers don’t care the network is lying to them; and why Putin’s fabulations about his war in Ukraine appeal … Continue reading →

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The Myth of the Perfect Past

Posted on Thursday 16 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

When life was simple and everything you were supposed to know was contained in a single book. Also: why The Lord of the Rings is so appealing to the right; media libel laws; policing; and a lagniappe about a real … Continue reading →

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Longtermism (and its implications), part 3

Posted on Thursday 15 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s one more leftover saved link to an article about Sam Bankman-Fried and longtermism. It’s from a Salon writer who did two previously pieces about it/them (which I discussed on 14 Sep and on on 22 Aug), giving me the … Continue reading →

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Longtermism (and Science Fiction), part 2

Posted on Wednesday 14 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

More about “longermism,” Effective Altruism, how they relate to science fiction, and whether or not books can be reduced to six-paragraph summaries.

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Current Affairs: Concerning Morality, and Good and Evil

Posted on Wednesday 7 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

And a fun item about Christmas. That one first. Boing Boing, Gareth Braynwyn, 3 Dec 2022: In search of a more “Bible accurate” Christmas

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Daily Details and Existential Threats

Posted on Sunday 4 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Perhaps I should start with daily details? Chilly today but sunny, in between storms. Despite yesterday’s post, I decided to walk around the house for 30 or 40 minutes last night (while the TV showed Jeopardy or whatever) in order … Continue reading →

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Bertrand Russell on the Philosophical Outlook

Posted on Thursday 24 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

If you wish to become a philosopher, you must try, as far as you can, to get rid of beliefs which depend solely upon the place and time of your education, and upon what your parents and school- masters told … Continue reading →

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Quote of the Day: Recovering from Madness

Posted on Saturday 12 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Charles Mackay was a Scottish poet who lived from 1818 to 1889. He was the author of the book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, in 1841.

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Bertrand Russell on World History

Posted on Friday 28 October 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Palette cleanser.

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