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For a slightly more up to date account of the neurobiological bases of antisocial behavior, here is an account that goes brain region by brain region. And for more on the inner-workings of the justice system, Glenn Greenwald’s new book With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and [...]
Archive for November, 2011
The Angry Atheist Interviews Me
November 7th, 2011 
Daniel Fincke So, yesterday I got interviewed by Reap Paden of The Angry Atheist podcast. We discussed my biography, deconversion, my views on criticizing religious people without slamming them, my mom, the dangers of nihilism and misogyny, why trolls on the internet are so evil, politics, and more! Check it out! Plus they designed this fantastic logo [...]
Is Oxytocin The “Morality Molecule”
November 7th, 2011 Daniel Fincke That is Paul Zak’s theory. The video is fascinating: Now I just need to find 8 people to hug me everyday. (via Philosopher’s Haze, who you can read for a summary if you cannot watch the video for some reason). Patricia Churchland’s book Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality explores the role of Oxycotin in morality [...]
Posted in Biology, Biology, Moral Psychology, Moral Psychology, Morality, Morality, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology 
Tags: Adam Smith, Empathy, Oxytocin, Paul Zak, Trustworthiness 
9 Comments »“Persecuted Male Syndrome”
November 7th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Colbert highlights the newest civil rights hero: The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive Ed Brayton has the discouraging story of his latest unconscionable defeat in court. Your Thoughts?
Feministing Calvin
November 7th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Sinfest: When I was a kid I was a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan and I adored Susie. I always thought she was clearly the one we were supposed to be sympathizing with in her exchanges with Calvin. Your Thoughts?
Qualia Soup on Morality Part 3: Of Objectivity and Oughts
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Qualia Soup makes the case for a J.L. Mackie sort of subjectivism in ethics against William Lane Craig. I think more can be said for objectivity than he allows. As I summarized last week, in my own objections to Craig’s positions: I, for one, am convinced atheists can have a perfectly fine naturalistic ontology of objective goodness, which allows us [...]
Posted in Ethics, Ethics, Metaethics, Metaethics, Moral Psychology, Moral Psychology, Morality, Morality, Naturalistic Fallacy, Naturalistic Fallacy, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophical Ethics, Philosophy Tags: David Hume, Defense of Moral Subjectivism, Error Theory, J.L. Mackie, Projectivism No Comments »PZ Bait
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Is this squid dead or alive? Michael at a Nadder! explains what is going on:
Feminists Make Their Demands
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Okay, start wincing, grimacing, and furrowing your brows my poor fellow beleaguered victimized brothers worldwide—a whole bunch of women, inspired by an unsavory rabble-rouser named Gia Milinovich who unreasonably wants “no more rape threats online”, have taken to Twitter to start demanding all sorts of insane things from us: leenie909 Eileen Sarett-Cuasay: #feministwishlist For people to realize that women are not a “special interest group.” [...]
How Scalia Judges Based On Faith-Based, Religious Metaphysics
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke The blog Doggy Style quotes Justice Antonin Scalia making a disturbing analysis in 2002: “So it is no accident, I think, that the modern view that the death penalty is immoral has centered in the West. That has little to do with the fact that the West has a Christian tradition and everything to do with the [...]
Posted in Authoritarianism, Authoritarianism, Christianity, Christianity, Law, Law, Law & Politics, Political Secularism, Political Secularism, Politics, Politics, Religion, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Secularism, Separation of Church and State, Separation of Church and State 13 Comments »Jon Stewart Considers “In God We Trust” Debate Just A Waste of Time Distraction. Is It?
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook After watching that clip from The Daily Show, I think I can finally crystalize what I hear from the average secular progressive voting in Congress, writing for The Daily Show, or watching at home when a [...]
Posted in Atheism, Atheism, Atheism, Atheistic Ethics, Atheistic Ethics, Authoritarianism, Authoritarianism, Comedy, Comedy, Cultural Secularism, Cultural Secularism, Cutural Criticism, Cutural Criticism, Law & Politics, New Atheism, New Atheism, New Atheism, New Atheism, Political Satire, Political Satire, Political Secularism, Political Secularism, Politics, Politics, Pop Culture, Pop Culture, Religion, Religion, Religious Extremism, Religious Extremism, Religious Rights, Religious Rights, Right Wing Politics, Right Wing Politics, Satire, Satire, Secularism, Separation of Church and State, Separation of Church and State, Theocrats, Theocrats 13 Comments »Campus Police Shoot Former Student Carrying Assault Rifle
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Elizabeth State University in North Carolina: Campus police pledged to beef up security at Elizabeth City State University after an officer shot a former student who police say was carrying an assault rifle on campus. Officers said they spotted 24-year-old Rashaad Gardner with the firearm around 2:30 a.m. Saturday near the University Towers residence hall. [...]
Why The “No Atheists in Foxholes” Cliche is Offensive
November 6th, 2011 Daniel Fincke Greta expresses proper annoyance: What would you think if someone made this argument to a person of a different faith? “Sure, you believe in Judaism now — but when your plane is going down, you’ll turn to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”? Would you think that was an appropriate thing to say? Or would [...]
Welcome Maryam Namazie (And Catch Up With The Tons Of Things Going On At Freethought Blogs!)
November 3rd, 2011 Daniel Fincke Here I was frustrated, trying to figure out what to do about the fact that I have no time at all to blog today and then I see that Maryam Namazie’s new blog on the Freethought Blogs network has gone live, so I can just send you over there for the day! Here are her [...]
Camels With Hammers’ New Banner!
November 3rd, 2011 Daniel Fincke FINALLY, Camels With Hammers has a real banner! The very talented Alexander D’Adamo, one of my former students, made it. Here’s his sketch of me drawn during class one day: Your Thoughts?
The Top 20 “5-second films” in 3 minutes
November 2nd, 2011 Daniel Fincke Many of these are hilarious (and dark): And if you like your 5 second films a little more Hollywood, see below the fold:
Awkwardness of Association
November 2nd, 2011 Daniel Fincke Kylie (that’s Freethought Blogs’ Token Skeptic for the uninitiated) precisely and humorously describes an experience of being awkwardly and unwillingly seated near a heckler: I’m at a show, sitting with one person I know (let’s call them ‘Z’) and a bunch of people I don’t know (they’re friends of Z and I get a hurried introduction [...]
Atheist Weddings
November 2nd, 2011 Daniel Fincke Our own Matt Dillahunty married this past Sunday (congratulations Matt and Beth!) and now has shared with us a transcript of the proceedings. Here’s the officiant’s opening: Officiant (Aron) Honored guests, we gather to participate in a ritual tradition now practiced in nearly every culture or creed throughout humanity, -albeit with some variation, the formal [...]
Posted in Atheism, Atheism, Atheism, Cultural Secularism, Cultural Secularism, Secularism 12 Comments »Michael Ruse on Philosophy Bashing
November 1st, 2011 Daniel Fincke Ruse has my back in a blog on The Chronicle: Then there is Jerry Coyne, University of Chicago professor and president of the Society for the Study of Evolution. Here he is on the works of St. Augustine: “But you have better things to do with your time than read them. He may well have been [...]
The Claymation Allegory of the Cave
November 1st, 2011 Daniel Fincke A wonderful brief film of Plato’s allegory of the Cave by Michael Ramsey and John Grigsby: Your Thoughts?
Posted in Historical Philosophy, Historical Philosophy, Philosophy, Plato, Plato, Videos Tags: Animation, Claymation, Novelties 5 Comments »Energy Drink For Those Who Need Gratuitous Amounts of Philosophy
November 1st, 2011 Daniel Fincke I’m getting this for Christmas, thanks to Jason! The original, non-philosophers’ version: Your Thoughts?
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