To formulate a statement that reduces a universal domain that includes myself and my thoughts or statements, to one or more factors that affect truth-value domain-wide, I must nevertheless transcend that universal domain so that I can make that factor-exempt statement itself, as well as any factor-exempt arguments that I might want to offer for […]
Entries from January 22nd, 2011
Fallacy Friday: What is an Argument?
January 21st, 2011 45 Comments
When I was doing my PhD at the University of Otago, Madeleine and I would try to save up for a “date night” once a fortnight. Often we would go to the movies. On more than one occasion we would stand in the theatre and look at various options. Madeleine would suggest we see one […]
Tags: Fallacy Friday
Fallacy Fridays
January 21st, 2011 5 Comments
Over the past few years I have occasionally been asked by para-church, church and home-schooling groups to put together a critical thinking or “mini logic” course, with a focus on fallacy spotting, and teach it to their youth. I have done this from time to time and have often found as many adults in attendance as youth; […]
Tags: Fallacy Friday
Transitioning to University
January 20th, 2011 1 Comment
What is university like? Is it possible to be a Christian there? What does it mean to live well as a student? If you know someone heading off to university this year, they may be asking themselves these kinds of questions. If they’re not asking these, it’s definitely to be encouraged. To help, I’m pleased […]
Alexander Pruss on Scientific Rigour
January 19th, 2011 166 Comments
Given the debate raging on JT’s Progressive Enslavement: The Seductions of Scientism I thought it timely to share this comment left on The Prosblogion by Baylor University Associate Professor of Philosophy and blogger Alexander Pruss, “Given the pessimistic meta-induction, or given the fact that we know that at least one of the two central theories in […]
Tags: Alexander Pruss · Humour · Science and Religion
Hear Matt Speak on Divine Command Theory @ Auckland Uni
January 17th, 2011 4 Comments
The Auckland Reason and Science Society have invited Matt to speak on Divine Command Theory at an upcoming meeting: What: Divine Command Theory with Dr Matthew Flannagan Date: Friday 4 February 2011 Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm Location: Auckland University – Room to be advised From the Facebook event page: “Venturing back into ethics and […]
Tags: Events · Reason and Science Society
A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.
Progressive Enslavement: The Seductions of Scientism
January 18th, 2011 138 Comments
One of the silly characteristics of our age is the credulous and naive veneration of science. It has led to the emergence of what we call scientism–faith in science as the ultimate source of truth and wisdom. This faith is pervasive. How many social issues or ethical questions are falsely claimed to be resolved by […]
Tags: J Judd Owen · John Dewey · R J Rushdoony · Science and Religion · Scientism · Stephen Prickett