Philosophy – Page 103 – William M. Briggs

Bioethicist Calls Unborn “Innocent Aggressors”

Introduction This was originally written very badly and in the wrong spirit. I beg the reader's forgiveness. It is now better but still imperfect. Charles C. Camosy1 is a bioethicist---Yours…

Culture Philosophy Statistics

That IQ And Atheism Study

A lovely, but not at all unexpected conceit, held firmly by a certain sort of atheist, is that he has based his non-belief on his superior intelligence. He quotes, "A…

Culture Philosophy

Belloc On The Limited Intelligence Of Scientists

From Hilaire Belloc's Richelieu, J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia & Londen, 1929, p. 23, in the context of disproving the social theory of historical events, i.e. the one which claims individuals…

Book review Philosophy

Our Brains Are Not Us: Review of Brainwashed

My nomination for Worst Use of Inference in a Scientific Paper (2009) is "The neural correlates of religious and nonreligious belief" by brain scientist cum philosopher Sam Harris and colleagues.…

Philosophy

We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Researchers

Blockbuster science headline of last week was "Neuroscientists plant false memories in the brain." The whetted some intellects---if intellects can be whetted---and caused others to tizzy. Philip Dick turned out…

Philosophy

C.S. Lewis On The Validity of Reasoning

From Miracles (Touchstone edition, 1996, pp 23-24; original 1947): All possible knowledge, then, depends on the validity of reasoning. If the feeling of certainty which we express by words like…

Philosophy Statistics

More On True Models And Predictive Inference

Not all models are false. So much we have discussed before. To say a model is false is to show that one of the premises which comprise the model is…

Philosophy Statistics

There Is No Such Thing As Unconditional Probability: Update

I am awarding a Briggs Internet Prize---the coveted BIP---for anybody who can demonstrate even one instance of a probability which is unconditional on any evidence whatsoever. The prize will not…

NLR on Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI PachinkoMay 7, 2026
It appears that Dawkins does not have a well thought out philosophy of consciousness and so he has psyched himself…
Johnno on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
Hence we descriptively say in plural... a "calamity of victims." Or a "catastrophe of Expurts." Or an "academy of failures."…
Brian (bulaoren) on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
So, three circumlocutors walk into a bar...
Cary D Cotterman on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
When an academic paper has "intersectional," "decolonial," "disabilities," "intersect," "social," "structural," "injustices," and "diverse" in one sentence, you know you've…
Bill Hankel on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
I decided to accept your challenge, knowing with near certainty that your intuition was correct. I invested 15-20 seconds total…