Category Archives: Religion and philosophy

Quantum mechanics and free will

Physicists believe in cause and effect, meaning that every event (effect) has a cause (or series of causes) immediately preceding it. Mathematics can be used to explain and predict these causes and effects, with direct observation being used to test … Continue reading

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Morality (yet again!)

I’ve taken a position in previous posts about how I think “morality” should not be used as the basis for laws, and after thinking about this a bit more I think some clarifying might be in order. First, it might … Continue reading

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Salisbury, the Magna Carta and lawmaking today

A couple of months ago Cathy and I vacationed in Southwestern England. Our in-laws (Cathy’s sister Nancy, her husband Dan and their son Conner) joined us there, largely because Nancy had traced the family ancestry to some small towns there … Continue reading

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What is the source of law?

Roy Moore is a former Chief Justice for the Alabama Supreme Court who is currently running for office for the US Senate; specifically for the seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he was tapped by Trump to be his new … Continue reading

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Should morality determine legality?

In my last couple of posts I talked about the legalization of marijuana throughout the country as it is already in more than half of the states (I think it would be a good thing). That got me thinking about … Continue reading

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Drugs, booze and personal choice (part 2)

In my last post I made a case for legalizing marijuana use across the country, as it already is in 26 states including my own. I think we’re being hypocritical as a society in making that particular activity a crime while … Continue reading

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Payday, retribution or its own reward?

During my cab ride to the Miami airport this week I had a very pleasant conversation with my driver. (I am making a point that it was a nice conversation because in writing this it’s not possible to get right the … Continue reading

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An old debate, redux

My friend Mark and I had a discussion the last time we were together that somehow devolved into free will vs determinism. This is a topic of philosophers since, well, forever, and of course Mark and I weren’t going to … Continue reading

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Anti-intellectualism

In my last post I explored where I think the current denigration of intellectual rigor may have come from (I think it has its roots in the American rejection of British class distinctions and a more egalitarian, personal-opportunity model). But … Continue reading

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How did “elite” come to be “elitism”?

I’ve commented in several posts here how concerned I am at what appears to be a devaluing of intellect and the loss of critical thinking skills. These are obviously not the same thing, but I think they are related, and … Continue reading

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