Words are a funny thing. They are necessary for advanced communication, but those very same words are the cause of miscommunication. We can have entire conversations with each other, and sound like we’re talking to other, but actually be having two different conversations. Often times people are so busy trying to ‘dispatch’ their ‘opponent’, and…
TrolleyDave’s response to ’36 Questions for Atheists’
IntroductionA few days ago, Davidian, another of the authors here at Answers in Reason, linked me to an article titled ’36 Questions for Atheists’ on a site called ‘Adherent Apologetics’. While generally I would not respond to an article like this, I thought it might be interesting to reply. It is not that there is…
Coherent and Consistent Beliefs
A wander through the many Facebook groups, YouTube videos, and Twitter tweeters with atheism as their central subject matter will see many atheists and sceptics making the claim of being rational. One could also look at the ‘memeosphere’ centred around atheism and scepticism to see images making claims like ‘I am a sceptic/atheist because I…
A Response to YouTuber PigPuncher
Responding to YouTubers is not something I generally do, though admittedly it is something I have often been tempted by. However, I recently saw a video from YouTube PigPuncher that tempted me into responding. One of the reasons that this particular video and argument tempted me is that a response to it is not only…
On Morality: Part 2 – Subjective Morality
n the last part of this series we discussed, and argued for, certain definitions that were important in any discussion about whether morality is subjective or objective. In this part we will be discussing the topic of subjective morality. In doing so we will cover what it means for morality to be subjective, including how subjective morality is defined, arguments for subjective morality, and rebuttals against subjective morality….
On Morality: Part 1 – Defining Our Terms
Welcome to part one of the series On Morality. In this short series of articles, we will cover the topic of objective and subjective morality, how the various terms are used, and the pros and cons for each stance. This series is a follow on, and supplement to, Davidian’s excellent article on objective morality posted previously, as well as episode three of the Fresh AiR podcast….
On Design in the Universe
The idea that there is design in the universe, and that this design is evidence of a designer, is an argument often put forward by believers. The argument from design is one that is easy to draw the listener into, and can be quite compelling to those that look only on the surface. When asked…
A foetus is not a person, so abortion is morally permissible.
Abortion is a contentious issue in current times. There are many arguments both for and against, and it is a topic guaranteed to raise both emotions and heated arguments among people. One of the many arguments made to support the permissibility of abortion is that a foetus is not a ‘person’, and therefore morally permissible. …
Is Value Entirely Subjective?
Is Value Entirely Subjective? When we speak of something’s value we speak of its ‘goodness’ (Crisp, 2016). Where does this ‘goodness’ come from though? Is something good only because an individual bestows goodness upon based upon their preference for it? In order to answer these kinds of questions we must explore the different kinds of…
Wireless Philosophy – An Introduction to Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking Critical thinking is a topic oft raised by members of the atheist community. We often like to promote ourselves as ‘the rational ones’, and we often see atheists telling members of the theist community that they need to apply critical thinking to their beliefs. How many atheists have actually studied critical thinking though? …
