Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. The etymology of a word is not exactly the same as the use or definition. Consider how a direct translation of a phrase from French to English might not always make sense, but we would…
Discussing Discussions (and Debate Styles) – SciPhi: 027
Why Discuss Discussions? Conversations online frequently become heated, and no ground is given with nothing learned. In this stream, we hope to expand on the dialectic and eristic argument styles. If you have any questions, want us to go into more detail about something, corrections, critique etc. feel free to leave us a message either…
If Atheism is true… SciPhi: 026
What do you mean ‘If Atheism is True?’ We quite often hear objections from fellow atheists into statements that include ‘If atheism is true’ – on this stream we address why some atheists have an issue with it, and also how this is a valid phrase. It comes down to context and understanding the other…
Critical Thinking and Scepticism – SciPhi: 025
Critical Thinking and Scepticism In this stream, we discuss what makes one a good sceptic as well as discuss pseudo-scepticism, denialism, and cynicism. Are you a good sceptic or are you actually a denialist? Please note, this is not a tutorial in regards to either critical thinking or scepticism, it is a brief overview and…
What’s in the Box?? – SciPhi: 024
No Really, What’s in the Box? Dave recently released an article called ‘What’s in the Box?: A Three-Pound Rabbit‘ We discuss a common argument about evidence and a typical claim that something is ‘not evidence’ unless conclusive. ‘Imagine that someone presents us with a box. That box weighs three pounds. The person presenting us with…
Feedback on: Morality and Misconceptions – SciPhi: 023
What’s this feedback stream about? Having streamed ‘Morality and Misconceptions’ Found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhLwA… We have collated the feedback we have received so far. Some were minor tweaks about the ordering of the slides, which we have amended for the final PDF/Slideshow available here: Morality-Misconceptions-CardsDownload Whilst others were questions and critique – some from very long…
Superhero & Super Vilain Morality – SciPhi: 022
To break up all the serious streams we thought we would have a bit of fun and tie two topics we love together, morality & superheroes. With a few guests, we discuss the morality of superheroes and villains, their powers and actions and cover off topics like: Vigilantes / Vigilante justice Being saved without consentThanos…
Are YOU Justified?
Do you feel justified in your position? How can you tell if that justification is actually enough to be considered rational? Is there some sort of measuring stick? When do we have to justify ourselves to others? Do we have to justify every action? These are all questions that perhaps we should care about a…
Philosophy of Science #1 SciPhi: 021
In this stream, we return to the realms of science, philosophy of science that is. We will be discussing the idea of scientific revolutions as discussed by Thomas Kuhn. We were also joined for the first time by Kevin Laprise. If you have any questions, want us to go into more detail about something, corrections,…
The Problem with Consequentialism
Consequentialist moral theories, like utilitarianism, are quick and easy to use, like using fingers in the air to gauge the direction of the breeze, but they are not without fault. In this post, I hope to demonstrate the issues with consequentialist moral theories. What is Consequentialism? Consequentialism, as its name suggests, is simply the view…
