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Index for this page...(Be aware some links below may have expired.)
All The Following Items Were Posted On October 1, 2006 Reality and Appearance: The word "reality" has had a special meaning in modern times since Immanuel Kant's so-called Copernican revolution in philosophy declared that the thing in itself -- the Ding an sich -- is not knowable by us. It was Kant's Copernican revolution that introduced into philosophy the fundamental error of ontological idealism, an error not found in ancient and medieval thought. Before Kant, there were self-refuting skeptics, but no idealists. The word "reality" signified not only that which exists in complete independence of the human mind, but also that which is knowable by and intelligible to us. The great philosophers of antiquity and of the Middle Ages were all realists. Aristotle and Aquinas, for example, asserted that we could know and understand a past that no longer existed, but was nevertheless an object of perceptual thought. That reality has existence for us. It is in this context that the word "appearance" is used. It has different meaning for realists who naively assert that reality is exactly the same as it appears to be and those who assert more critically that what appears to us may not be identical in character with what really exists. From Adler's Philosophical Dictionary: 125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon. Read Max Weismann's review of this book by Clicking Here.
John Locke (1632-1704) "We celebrate Locke for two general contributions: his theory of knowledge (his epistemology) and his political philosophy. We also celebrate the fact that he joins with Hume in bringing a note of common sense into the stream of critical thinking, a tradition all too often known for its myopic obsessions than with sagacious insight." -- Professor James L. Christian. Read about John Locke in The Radical Academy.
Source: Volume 1I of The Wisdom Seekers: Great Philosophers of the Western World, by James L. Christian. If you want an excellent and comprehensive history of philosophy, the two volumes in this set are among the best available. And I'm not just saying that because Professor Christian is a personal friend. I used his introductory textbook in philosophy when I was teaching an introduction to philosophy course many years ago. J.D.
FOR THE RECORD 1. Update: Angelina Jolie To Star In "Atlas Shrugged" Angelina Jolie will play her dream role as Dagney Taggart in the up-coming film "Atlas Shrugged" written by the late Ayn Rand. "Atlas Shrugged", perhaps the most famous book written by Rand, is a tale of a no-nonsense railroad executive named Dagney Taggart who strives to keep her company alive despite a society falling towards collectivism. Rand's novels are extremely long, and "Atlas Shrugged" is no exception. Another one of Rand's books was made into a movie while she was alive. "The Fountainhead", staring Gary Cooker and Patricia Neal was released in 1949. Like "The Fountainhead", there is a long speech made by the hero. In the book "Atlas Shrugged" the speech is made by John Galt. A famous line repeated over and over again in the book is "Who is John Galt?" According to Variety, who broke the story, producer Al Ruddy has been trying to bring "Atlas Shrugged" to the bigscreen for years, attracting the interest of Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway along the way. There were rumors that Brad Pitt was being considered for a role in the film too. Many conservatives and libertarians have applauded the concepts and writings of Ayn Rand. Russian born in 1905, Rand learned to loath the collectivist mentality of communism. She came to America and became a broadly influential figure in post-WWII America; her work attracted both enthusiastic admiration and scathing denunciations. Source: Angelina Jolie To Star In Atlas Shrugged, by Nancy Connor 2. Are Pot Smokers More Dangerous Than Murderers? According to the latest police reports, violent crime is increasing again in the United States. But that didn't stop police last year from arresting more marijuana smokers than terrorists, murderers, and rapists. NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, reports that marijuana arrests reached an all-time high in 2005. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 786,545 Americans for marijuana violations -- or one every 40 seconds. Of that number, 88 percent were charged with possession only. During the same year, police arrested only 603,503 people for violent crimes like murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and assault. Arresting adults for possession of marijuana is "a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that diverts law enforcement personnel away from focusing on serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism," charged NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. "Arresting hundreds of thousands of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly needlessly destroys the lives of otherwise law abiding citizens [and] costs taxpayers between $10 billion and $12 billion annually," he said. In all, police have arrested more than 8 million people for marijuana violations in the past decade, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report. Sources: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Federal Bureau of Investigation Thanks to Bill Winter of The Liberator Online Your Bill for Iraq (So Far): The Iraq War has cost the average American household $2,844, or $1,075 for the average American. And that figure rises daily, as war spending is $10 million per hour -- $244 million per day. Source Classic Car Communism: "Cuban dictator Fidel Castro is still in the hospital with a serious medical condition. Castro said that a half century of Communist rule seemed like a good idea right up until the point he was rushed to the hospital in a '55 Oldsmobile." -- Conan O'Brien, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Source Congressional Fries Are French Again: Three years ago some Republican congressmen, angered by French opposition to the Iraq War, ordered the menu in the congressional cafeteria changed. French fries were renamed "freedom fries"; french toast became "freedom toast." Recently, however, the menu was quietly changed back; the fries and toast have returned to their original names. Source "One of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the great struggle for independence." -- Charles A. Beard, American historian.
COUNSELING CORNER: Beware the unavoidable laws of the natural universe . . . 1. Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee. 2. Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner. 3. Law of probability: The probability of being noticed is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act. 4. Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal. 5. Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire. 6. Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now (works every time). 7. Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings. 8. Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with. 9. Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will. 10. Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach. 11. Theater Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last. 12. Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold. 13. Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers. 14. Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich of landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness, color and cost of the carpet/rug. 15. Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are. 16. Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about. 17. Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly. 18. Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet. 19. Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT A Little Wisdom: The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others. A Little Advice: Never hit a man with glasses. Hit him with your fist...it's more effective! A Little Question: If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy? A Little Put-Down: As an outsider, what do you think of the human race? A Little Proverb: The poor man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream. A Little Reflection: Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't. A Little Observation: When it comes to thought, some people stop at nothing. A Little Quote: "There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more." -- Woody Allen, movie actor and director. A Little Definition: GUN CONTROL - A solution in search of a problem. A Little Admission: I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway through... A Little Quip: If life is a waste of time, and time is a waste of life, then let's all get wasted and have the time of our lives.
Some interesting & provocative articles on other websites: Misleading by Misreading, by Suzanne Field: Pope Benedict XVI did the right thing, twice. In his talk to scholars in Germany, he correctly put Islam in historical perspective, describing how Islam was perceived as "evil and inhuman" by a 14th-century Christian emperor desperate for the help of other Christians to defend his country against Islamic conquest. Conservatives Say Religion Under Attack, by Jim Kuhnhenn: Religious conservative leaders, sensing declining alarm over same-sex marriage, are warning that the debate over homosexuality has prompted attacks on religious freedom. Latest `new math' idea gets back to the basics, by Stephanie Banchero: For nearly two decades, a battle has raged over the best way to teach elementary and high school math. On one side sit fundamentalists, who prefer old-fashioned drilling and a focus on the basics. On the other side are the so-called "new math" proponents, who care more about understanding the concepts than performing the calculations. Case of the 20 dirty pictures, by James J. Kilpatrick: Unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, Morton R. Berger will spend the rest of his life in an Arizona prison. Maybe he deserves it. Then again, maybe not. These are the facts. Moderate drinkers end up better thinkers: Moderate drinkers have been found to be better thinkers than heavy drinkers and those who do not drink at all, according to the Australian National University research. In a study of more than 7000 people aged 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64, participants were asked about their alcohol use, and to perform a series of tests to measure cognition - verbal skills, memory and speed of thinking. Focus on the Pope's Speech - Islam's eclipse of reason, by Robert Reilly: A number of columnists observed that the violent Muslim reaction to Benedict XVI's statements about Islam in his recent Regensburg speech illustrated the very point he was making. Religion of Peace Dying to Kill Again, by J.B. Williams: Like most peace loving free people of the western world, I'd like very much to believe that Islam is indeed a peaceful religion seeking a peaceful coexistence with all peaceful peoples of the world. Battling the education hydra, by Nancy Salvato: Anyone who knows anything about effective reading instruction should understand that a large percentage of students require direct instruction in order to learn how to read. This type of knowledge is…well…, elementary. Suicidal Hand-Wringing, by Thomas Sowell: When you enter a boxing ring, you agree to abide by the rules of boxing. But when you are attacked from behind in a dark alley, you would be a fool to abide by the Marquis of Queensbury rules. If you do, you can end up being a dead fool.
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