Category Archives: Pop culture
Kinds of drivers
As a motorcyclist, I am acutely aware of other road users, and some patterns crop up which I am certain is unique to Melbourne, of models driven by those who have no concern for other road users, and especially not those of a two-wheeled kind. So, after some 40 years' experience, and still being alive, if battered, here are the kinds of drivers to avoid.
Posted by in Australian stuff, Humor, Pop culture
Avenge the fallen
Poster template by Priyam
Posted by in Philosophy, Pop culture
The wealthy are often sociopathic. Why?
I have been encountering, in these days of political “incorrectness” (i.e., bastardry), more and more well-to-do folk who treat other folk as if they were lesser beings. Ranging from stepping over homeless people (literally) to failing to give way when you drive a Korean car and they a European one (or some varieties of Japanese). […]
Posted by in Politics, Pop culture, Social dominance
Phobosophy
As everyone knows, philosophy comes from the two Greek words philo and sophos, and means, roughly, the love of wisdom, although as everyone also knows, Socrates declared his wisdom was his knowledge that he knew nothing. In recent years (by which I mean increasingly since the 1970s), there has been a drop away from knowledge Read More...
Posted by in Freedom, Journalism, Philosophy, Politics, Pop culture, Rant, Religion, Sermon
The Abstract and the Concrete, or, the Road to Fascism
I was thinking about the way in which the anti-abortionists justify their views. I have always said that “Pro-Life” is a misnomer. Instead of being pro-life, they are pro-potential life. In order to protect potential lives, they ignore the needs and rights of those who have actual life – the women who cannot for whatever reason carry that Read More...
Posted by in Freedom, Philosophy, Politics, Pop culture, Race and politics, Rant, Religion, Sermon, Social dominance, Social evolution
Secular Calvinism
Australia is one of the most secular of developed nations. At the last census, 22% of people marked “No religion” as their affiliation, and the attendance at religious services weekly dropped to 16%, from a high in 1950 of 44%. So why is it that a sizeable minority (around 30%) of Australians oppose gay marriage, Read More...
Posted by in Australian stuff, Ethics and Moral Philosophy, Freedom, Politics, Pop culture
An unjust government
This one is about Australian politics. International readers may ignore it. There has been a lot of media and internet hype and fun had about the silly and unfair Australian government and its abortion of a budget in which the poor, the unemployed and the future of our nation, students, are unfairly targeted while the […]
Posted by in Australian stuff, Politics, Pop culture, Race and politics
Morality and evolution 4: Is morality fitness-enhancing?
[Morality and Evolution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7] If we agree that morality enhances fitness, because it enables cooperation, several questions arise: what sort of fitness enhancement does it provide and to what? In short, what is the selection process tracking? To say that morality provides a foundation for social cohesion and the consequent benefits that accrue is not […]
Accommodating Science: the backfire effect, and conclusion
[This is the final section of the book. I will return to the section on neurobiology and religion later.] The backfire effect If science is to be communicated to the wider community in a way that will change how people … Continue reading
Posted by in Accommodationism, Epistemology, Journalism, media, Philosophy, Pop culture, Religion, science