What, Why & How do we Know ?
Shutting down an excess of browser windows and need to keep some as bookmarks: A few on Foucault – his association with “Queer Theory” means his name is mud amongst GC-Feminists, but don’t want to throw the PoMo baby out with the bathwater (his linguistic metaphysics works for me): Foucault Beyond Good and Evil in … Continue reading “Random Bookmarks”
The “TERF War” has been the latest example consuming my attention for the last 6 years, rising to a crescendo around the J K Rowling and Maya Forstater cases in the last 18 months. But as a I keep saying it’s really an example of a more general problem, a problem that reared it’s head … Continue reading “Social Justice Warriors”
Getting the feeling more sensible voices are prevailing in this war at last. Maybe I can stop posting about it sometime soon. (To me – without specific skin in the feminist<>trans-gender debate aka “TERF War” – this is simply a raging example of my meta-agenda about received rationality in a world where everyone has rights … Continue reading “Back to the TERF War – at Last?”
As ever I’m stacked-up with things I really must get round to doing, and others I will simply settle for feeling less guilty that I may never get round to doing. Either way, it’s a long distracting list. Home – Currently top of the list priority-wise is the intent to move house, downsize and simplify. … Continue reading “Works in Progress”
As the gender wars rage different issues keep cropping up. Current one is the Q in various LGBTQI+ variants. Queer obviously used to be pejorative short-hand for Gay men, to the point it was effectively a slur, a mark of hate, phobia, negative discrimination. Not surprisingly Gay men still find it offensive – reminiscent of … Continue reading “LGB plus What?”
Part of my slow working through Mumford’s “Russell on Metaphysics“, I have flipped back to recap the first 5 chapters. Having been left with even deeper nagging doubts that I was right to leave Russell behind after all, I need to check my thinking by capturing the key thoughts. A sanity check. To be clear, … Continue reading “Idealism & Russell’s Metaphysics”
Which came first? The second or the first? “The Second Cybernetics” is the title of a 1963 paper by Magoroh Maruyama which I discover from a bit of googling around was considered seminal in shifting the focus of cybernetics from machines and mechanistic systems to the biological and social sphere. Much referenced in many later … Continue reading “The Second Cyberbetics”
Most of what’s wrong with Today could be fixed by retiring Humphrys IMHO but as an atheist, humanist, rationalist I happen to like Thought for the Day. Ironically it is Humphrys’ view that is closest to mine: “Sometimes it’s good … an interesting thought in a provocative way [but] inappropriate that Today should broadcast nearly three … Continue reading “BBC R4 Today Presenters’ Views of TFTD”