Perspective: Life today

Science Alone Won’t Save Us

Science Alone Won’t Save Us

Posted by | Apr 17, 2021 | , , |

Science is creating new vaccines and better ways of treating Covid-19. But vaccine nationalism, distrust of the vaccine, and maverick political leaders in pandemic hotspots aren’t helping.

These are barriers that cannot be overcome by science. They are social problems originating and promulgated in the minds of human beings. And that is where they must be resolved if we are to prevail in the current global struggle between homo sapiens and the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Read More
What is Philosophy for?

What is Philosophy for?

Posted by | Apr 17, 2021 | |

In her last published work, Mary Midgley addresses provocative questions, interrogating the various forms of our current intellectual anxieties and confusions and how we might deal with them. In doing so, she provides a robust, yet not uncritical, defence of philosophy and the life of the mind. – Amazon.co.uk

Read More
Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart and How They Can Bring Us Together

Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart and How They Can Bring Us Together

Posted by | Mar 30, 2021 | |

Insight and empathy spring from the clash of different perspectives. In a world where it’s easier than ever for people to share their opinions, we should be reaping the benefits of diverse views. Instead, we too often find ourselves mired in hostility or – worse – avoiding disagreement altogether. Ian Leslie argues that this is because most of us never learn how to air our differences in a way that leads to progress. – amamzon.co.uk

Read More
The Enigma of Reason: A New Theory of Human Understanding

The Enigma of Reason: A New Theory of Human Understanding

Posted by | Mar 1, 2021 | |

‘Mercier and Sperber offer a surprising and powerful response to the new orthodoxy propounded by Kahneman and Tversky … arguing that the supposed flaws of hot, fast, automatic thinking are actually design features which work remarkably well’ Julian Baggini

Reason, we are told, is what makes us human, the source of our knowledge and wisdom. But, if reason is so useful, why didn’t it also evolve in other animals? If it is that reliable, why do we produce so much thoroughly reasoned nonsense?

Read More
Verified by MonsterInsights