The Worst Possible Misery for Everyone is Bad (Reasoning)? – Part 2
In part 1 of this two-part series, I gave Sam Harris’s “worst possible misery for everyone” argument (WPME). I also situated WPME within Sam’s overall defense of a scientific theory of objective...
View ArticleTreating Pets as Persons in Citizen Canine
David Grimm, journalist and editor at Science, has published a book about our increasingly personal connection to our pets. This worthwhile read is called Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with...
View ArticleThe Courage of One’s Convictions Corrections
Psychologists have raised doubts about whether we can reliably reason our way to true beliefs. Numerous studies suggest we’re prone to “motivated reasoning.” We sometimes argue against the facts due to...
View ArticleScience, Philosophy, & Reality
Sam Harris has published his response to my winning essay in the Moral Landscape Challenge. I’d like to thank Sam for issuing the challenge and replying to my essay. I’d also like to thank Russell...
View ArticleThe Fight for Moral Truth
In my essay for Sam Harris’s Moral Landscape Challenge, I assumed that serious competing theories of morality and value exist. Sam rejects this assumption. He contends that the only serious ethical...
View ArticlePodcast: Moral Philosophy & The Moral Landscape
Thomas Smith, host of the podcast Atheistically Speaking, had me on to talk about moral philosophy and Sam Harris’s The Moral Landscape. Previous guests of the program include philosopher Massimo...
View ArticleFacebook’s Emotion Experiment & Informed Consent
For seven days in January 2012, roughly 689,000 Facebook users unknowingly took part in an “emotional contagion” study. Facebook reduced the percentage of positive posts, negative posts, or both in...
View Article$84,000 Drug Now or $600,000 Liver Transplant Later?
A new drug called Sovaldi promises to cure 9 out of 10 patients with hepatitis C. Hep C is the leading reason for liver transplants. Sovaldi’s price has led to an outbreak of sticker shock in the U.S.,...
View ArticlePodcast: Defining Free Will
This week, I returned to Atheistically Speaking to discuss free will. Back in June, Thomas and I had a good chat about moral philosophy and The Moral Landscape. Earlier in July, Thomas aired two...
View ArticleChallenging the Gluten-Free Movement
The gluten-free movement is rising. According to a 2013 consumer survey, over 70 million American adults are trying to eat less gluten, a grain-based protein. That’s a 20% boost in recruits since 2010....
View Article
