“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico‑Philosophicus I often think about this. It does seem plausible that people who speak and read different languages experience their lives in ways that may be …
Category: Sustainability
The Senseless War in Iran
Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, wanted his masterpiece to serve as a philosophic direction for humankind, teaching intellectual curiosity, tolerance, and compassion. At left is what he thought about war and its role in civilization. If he could see …
Two Thousand Years Later, Society’s Relationship with Religion Hasn’t Changed Much
As shown at left, the ancient Roman stoic philosopher Seneca had a viewpoint on religion that is shared 100% by modern atheists.
Understanding Social Democracy
I can’t swear that the content of the meme here is accurate; in fact, most affluent Scandinavians I run across admit that they pay higher taxes than Americans. They claim that the attraction is that they aren’t forced to live …
Tagged with: affluent Scandinavians, affluent Scandinavians admit that they pay higher taxes than Americans, Scandinavians aren't forced to live among people are dying of treatable diseases with masses of impoverished people living on the streets, Scandinavians aren't forced to live among uneducated slobs, Understanding Social Democracy
The Coming Apocalypse
I had a friend who co-coached my son’s all-star soccer team with me 20+ years ago who told me, when I told him that I was an environmentalist, “Oh no, Craig, we must hasten to destroy the Earth, so as …
Do We Need More Fallacious Hate Speech?
Unfortunately, there are tens of millions of morons who believe hateful garbage like this. The average 10-year-old can understand that we can BOTH protect our citizens while obeying the U.S. Constitution and international law when it comes to treating the …
Empathy and Happiness
Exactly. Being indifferent to the suffering of others makes it easy to keep a smile on your face.
Tagged with: Empathy and Happiness
Respecting Geologic History
Until I came across this statement from Canadian-American theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss years ago, it hadn’t dawned on me that teaching children evangelical Christianity could be properly called “child abuse.” I can tell you that I took some grief …
The Positive Effects We’ve Had on Others Are Profound, Whether We Know It or Not
There’s a theory that most people underestimate the positive effects they’ve had on other people. Yes, that’s the theme of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but it’s also the core of the 1995 film “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” in which a music …
The Positive Effects We’ve Had on Others Are Profound, Whether We Know It or Not Read More »
A Free Lunch?
My maternal grandfather was born in southeastern Pennsylvania in 1903 and told me when I was a boy that in the 1920s, times were so good that saloon owners would offer a free lunch, consisting of bread, cheese, and cold …
