Reading Time: 10 minutes In 2004, a tsunami and earthquake killed almost 230,000 people in 14 Indian Ocean countries. Many forms of relief then mouldered on the beaches—used clothes, high heel shoes, expired medicines—because “in-kind” donations are well known not to be effective forms of aid on a global scale. The wrong hair products to survivors of Hurricane Katrina. […]
philosophy
Posted inHistory
On the brink: How yesterday’s fears can help us move through today’s war
Reading Time: 9 minutes In 1919, a poet started drafting what would eventually become one of our most oft-quoted poems, especially in times of struggle and disaster. In its earlier forms, it referenced tensions on the Russian border, before being scrubbed of precise details and left with a more all-encompassing sense of dread. As the poet was writing it, […]
Posted inPhilosophy
Can you even calculate a best possible world?
Reading Time: 5 minutes One of the arguments in my most recent book 30 Arguments Against the Existence of “God” concerns OmniGod creating this world, and that this world must be the best of all possible worlds. This is because OmniGod is constrained by his characteristic of being all-loving. In being omnibenevolent, God’s actions must always conform to this […]
Posted inEthics and Morality
We need to talk about the dark side of the Golden Rule
Reading Time: 6 minutes The Golden Rule, that much-loved staple of low-calorie morality, does more harm than good. Humanists UK posted this on their Facebook page as part of their #HumanistVoices campaign: “A naturally occurring moral philosophy based on reason and empathy,” says Humanists UK about the Golden Rule. “It’s really not complicated,” says Dan Snow. Is that true? […]
Posted inPhilosophy
Is simulation theory just another form of religion?
Reading Time: 4 minutes You’ve likely heard of simulation theory—the idea that the world we live in isn’t actually real but was created by hyper-intelligent beings for their own ends. If this is a new idea for you, also know that the theory is taken very seriously by some very serious thinkers. Adherents of the theory usually argue that […]
Posted inPhilosophy
6 ways to stay optimistic when the world doesn’t want to cooperate
Reading Time: 5 minutes When the world seems dark and hanging on to optimism is a challenge, here are some suggestions for renewing the wellspring of happiness and calm in your life.
Posted inFilm/TV
Can any civilization ‘Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach’?
Reading Time: 9 minutes There are many useful narrative structures for humanist stories, and all tend to get airtime in classic Star Trek series. Some involve a juxtaposition of multiple storylines, to hold different crises and outlooks in tension. Others present the full problem early on, allowing different perspectives and conflicts to emerge as characters struggle to find a […]
Posted inFilm/TV
Strange New Worlds: Star Trek’s return to humanist form
Reading Time: 9 minutes I almost didn’t watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which started airing this month. I’m glad I did: it’s deservedly being called the best of the recent Treks, and there’s a lot to be said about this series as a humanist. I had reason to be reluctant. The franchise hasn’t been in great shape for […]
Posted inCulture
If you can, read this: The hidden wisdom of bumper stickers
Reading Time: 4 minutes OnlySky · If you can, read this: The hidden wisdom of bumper stickers | Jack Bowen In my years researching and writing If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers, I discovered one thing to be true: bumper stickers have the potential to really rile people up. And it should be no surprise. […]
Posted inPsychology
Sports are for losers: On unavoidable suffering and learning to flourish
Reading Time: 5 minutes The recent Olympic Games, the ensuing NCAA March Madness Tournaments, and all other competitions produce an exorbitant amount of one category of athlete: losers. All told, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games alone sent home more than 2,000 losers. Sports and competition itself is a uniquely unforgiving institution. It’s designed so a large majority of participants lose […]