Tag Archives: morality

Radicalism, religion and climate change

Although Christianity is now in rapid decline, secularized versions of Biblical ethics and eschatology still flourish and continue to exert a profound influence on moral and political thinking, especially in left-wing and radical circles. But a case can be made … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Conservative vs. ISIS and…Silicon Valley

For a guy who laments moral relativism, Rod Dreher doesn’t shy away from equating ISIS, though with the expected qualifier, to the folks in Silicon Valley. Upon reading a dialogue between two future forecaster types at Edge.org – who talk … Continue reading

Posted in Science & Faith | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

From the eyes of babes

The cognitive psychologist Paul Bloom has a long piece in The New York Times Magazine, The Moral Life of Babies. Such research always interests me because the biological and cultural shape that humans give to morality are important parameters in … Continue reading

Posted in culture, politics | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Moral thought, rational or reflexive?

Rod Dreher, Does moral action require rational thought?: What do you think? My answer is, “Mostly, no.” I believe virtue is mostly a matter of habit. This is not to say that reason has nothing to do with morality; obviously … Continue reading

Posted in philosophy | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

How I learned to love moral relativism & cultural chauvinism

Over at Crunchy Con Rod Dreher points me to a new book, Paul Among the People: The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time, which, in Dreher’s words “attempts to defend St. Paul against his modernist critics (e.g. those … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged , , , , | 45 Comments

Civilizing the young

Many Americans who are indifferent to faith will confess they find themselves challenged as they try to raise good and decent children without the religious confidence their parents had. writes William McGurn, for whose sagacity I have the utmost respect.  … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 19 Comments

The Evolution of God

I have been reading in Robert Wright’s The Evolution of God. Lucidly written and cockily iconoclastic, it contains many mischievous pleasures. Wright rehearses the patent inconsistencies among the four gospels regarding the circumstances of Jesus’ birth (he is obviously not … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Social science & engineering

A recent Bloggingheads.tv featured two philosophers, and was titled “Explaining and Appraising Moral Intuition”. A considerable proportion of the discussion involved the utility of cognitive and evolutionary psychology in probing the reflexive roots of our moral intuitions, and how that … Continue reading

Posted in culture, economics, philosophy, science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Conservatism as disposition; the politcs of disgust

There are a series of papers out right now which show the positive relationship between political conservatism and reflexive disgust responses. Instead of summarizing the research myself I will point you to Observations of a Nerd, who does a really … Continue reading

Posted in science | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Preaching from reason: a contradiction in terms?

I was sympathetically reading this profile of the preacher of what the New York Times claims is New York’s largest church.  The Rev. A.R. Bernard has built his ministry around the responsibility of men, according to the Times, a message … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 11 Comments