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Index for this page...(Be aware some links below may have expired.)
All The Following Items Were Posted On December 1, 2006 Cognition: The word "cognition" refers to the contents of the mind by which we know or understand the world about us. But the contents of the mind are not all cognitive. Examples of noncognitive mental contents are our bodily feelings, our pains and aches, as well as our emotions and sentiments. We are directly aware of such noncognitive mental content. A toothache is not id quo, but id quod -- something that we directly apprehend rather than that by which we hold some object before our minds. This definition raises a question about whether we can converse with others about our pains and aches. The dentist I talk to about by toothache has no experience of it. It is mine alone. I can describe it to him and he can understand my words, but he cannot feel it. If communication involves having a shared object to discuss, then is my conversation with my dentist about my toothache communicative? Strictly speaking, the answer is no. But if my dentist ever had a toothache himself, he can imagine what a toothache is like while I am talking about the toothache I am now having. To that extent, we can be communicating even if the toothache is not the same object for both of us. From Adler's Philosophical Dictionary: 125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon. Read Max Weismann's review of this book by Clicking Here.
Democritus (c. 460 BC-c. 360 BC) "In a lifetime of more than a century and through some seventy-two books, Democritus developed an innovative philosophy addressing questions about matter, motion, cosmic beginnings, human origins, knowledge, and living the good life. ...He wrote in a graceful style the ancients considered equal in its beauty to the Platonic dialogues. Apart from fragments preserved by Aristotle...his extraordinary literary labors all have been lost." -- Professor James L. Christian. Read about Democritus in The Radical Academy.
Source: Volume 1 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. Should Your Internet Provider Spy On You? Should your Internet provider be required by the federal government to maintain records of all the sites you visit on the Web? Should search engines like Google be required to keep permanent records of your Web searches? Many in the federal government -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- say yes. And renowned CNET tech reporter Declan McCullagh says this is going to be one of the hottest privacy battles of the coming year. Look for the FBI and other government agencies to push hard for this legislation when the new Congress convenes in early 2007. The idea was recently endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. FBI director Robert Mueller praised that endorsement, saying: "Terrorists coordinate their plans cloaked in the anonymity of the Internet, as do violent sexual predators prowling chat rooms... All too often, we find that before we can catch these offenders, Internet service providers have unwittingly deleted the very records that would help us identify these offenders and protect future victims," Mueller said. "We must find a balance between the legitimate need for privacy and law enforcement's clear need for access." It's to be expected that this privacy grab, like so many others, will be cloaked under the guises of fighting terrorism and protecting children. And of course, our "legitimate need for privacy" -- or rather, our right to privacy -- must be "balanced." ("Balanced" is too often a government euphemism for "obliterated.") This is the classic government rhetoric we've come to expect before a major curtailment of our rights. What might such laws require? CNET's McCullagh gives some possibilities:
Is such a drastic invasion of our privacy really necessary for the government to fight terrorists and child molesters? No. McCullagh notes that current federal law already requires ISPs to retain any record in their possession for 90 days "upon the request of a governmental entity." Thus, notes McCullagh: "Industry representatives say that if police respond to tips promptly instead of dawdling, it would be difficult to imagine any investigation that would be imperiled" by the lack of mandatory retention of your personal Web surfing history. But since when has reason and common sense stopped the government from trying to expand its snooping powers? Source: CNET, "FBI director wants ISPs to track users" 2. Michael Moore, Oliver Stone's Help Sought By Terrorist Group Colombia's largest rebel group wants a deal with the government on exchanging imprisoned guerrillas for rebel-held hostages. Guess who the group wants to act as intermediaries? The negotiators of choice for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC, are some high profile Hollywood celebrities. Listed by the U.S. government as a "foreign terrorist organization," the FARC is presently holding some 60 hostages, including three defense contractors, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, politicians, and military officers. The FARC says it will only release the hostages in exchange for nearly 600 imprisoned rebels. In a letter, the FARC called on Michael Moore, Oliver Stone, and Denzel Washington to help put together a hostage swap. In addition to the aforementioned Tinseltown notables, the letter was also addressed to well-known leftists Noam Chomsky, James Petras, Angela Davis, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Source: The Left Coast Report from NewsMax.com 3. California Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Free Speech On The Internet In a victory for free speech on the Internet, the California Supreme Court ruled last week that no provider or user of an interactive computer service may be held liable for putting material on the Internet that was written by someone else. In doing so, the Court overruled an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal. This ruling affirms that blogs, websites, listservs, and ISPs like Yahoo!, as well as individuals like defendant Ilena Rosenthal, are protected under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act (CDA), which explicitly states that "[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." "By reaffirming that Congress intended to grant protection under Section 230 to those who provide a forum for the views of others, the Court has ensured that the Internet will remain a vibrant forum for debate and the free exchange of ideas," said Ann Brick, staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California. "Any other ruling would have inevitably made speech on the Internet less free." The issue raised in Barrett v. Rosenthal was whether Section 230's protection applies to individuals who frequently use the Internet to pass on information obtained elsewhere, whether by forwarding an email written by someone else or, as was the case in Barrett, posting an email from someone else to a newsgroup. The ACLU-NC and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed an amicus brief in the California Supreme Court arguing that Section 230 means what it says and applies to "users" of interactive computer services as well as "providers." "Courts have consistently interpreted Section 230 to provide broad protections for the platforms upon which free speech has flourished online," said EFF Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "By reversing the Court of Appeal, the California Supreme Court has brought California back in line with other jurisdictions and reaffirmed the critical rule that the soapbox is not liable for what the speaker has said." In January 2004, in Barrett v. Rosenthal, the Court of Appeal for the First District overruled the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed against an activist for her re-publication on the Internet of someone else's words. The court refused to extend any protection under Section 230, which was expressly enacted "to promote the continued development of the Internet and other interactive computer services" in a manner "unfettered by Federal or State regulation." "The Supreme Court's opinion strengthens protection for speech on the Internet" said Mark Goldowitz, director of the California Anti-SLAPP Project and counsel for Rosenthal. "Justice Corrigan's opinion protects against the 'heckler's veto' chilling speech on the Internet." To read the full decision, Click Here. Source: The Electronic Frontier Foundation 4. Poll Shocker: Ban Cigarettes? Will tobacco be the next illegal drug in America? Maybe. Fully 45% of Americans would support a federal law making cigarettes illegal in the next five to ten years, according to a new Zogby International poll, commissioned by the anti-Drug War Drug Policy Foundation (DPF). Furthermore, young voters in particular favor the idea. An amazing 57% of 18-29 year olds supported it. A new tobacco Prohibition would be a terrible thing, the Drug Policy Foundation points out. "Many Americans would continue to smoke, and Big Tobacco would be replaced by a violent black market," DPF wrote. "'Tobacco-related murders' would increase dramatically as criminal organizations competed with one another for turf and markets, and ordinary crime would skyrocket as millions of tobacco junkies sought ways to feed their costly addiction. Prohibition would pave the way for a costly governmental "war on tobacco" that would put tobacco producers, pushers and users in prison." DPF's Nathan Edelman further notes: "Mexico's and Colombia's narco-traficantes would rejoice at the opportunities for new markets and profits. ... And just imagine the government's "war on tobacco": hundreds of thousands of new jobs for federal, state and local police, and hundreds of thousands of new prison cells for tobacco producers, pushers and users; government helicopters spraying herbicides on illicit tobacco fields here and abroad; people rewarded for informing on tobacco-growing, -selling, and -smoking neighbors; police seizing the cars of people caught smoking; urine tests commonplace to identify users; tobacco courts compelling addicts to quit or go to jail; and an ever bigger federal police agency -- the Tobacco Enforcement Administration (the T.E.A.) -- employing undercover agents, informants, and wire-taps to get the bad guys." Further, smugglers would create and sell extremely dangerous new forms of tobacco -- the nicotine equivalents of crack cocaine and bathtub gin, argues libertarian journalist Jack Wheeler in the Washington Times. The idea of a War on Cigarettes may seem far-fetched. However, DPF points out: "Drug prohibitions tend to be embraced not when a drug is most popular but rather when use is declining, as tobacco use is now. We've become accustomed to restrictions on smoking -- sale to minors, and bans on smoking in more and more workplaces and public spaces -- and on advertising." Some startling comments were made by Drug Enforcement Administration head Tom Constantine during the John Stossel ABC special report "Sex, Drugs and Consenting Adults." Said Constantine: "When we look down the road, I would say 10, 15, 20 years from now, in a gradual fashion, smoking will probably be outlawed in the United States." For friends of liberty, the lesson should be obvious. We must vigorously defend the rights of those whose peaceful lifestyle practices we disagree with or consider unwise. Otherwise, the same arguments that today outlaw some peaceful but risky practices (smoking marijuana, for example), will one day be used against millions of other people who engage in other risky but currently legal behavior, like selling foods cooked in trans-fat oils (a ban is already being discussed in New York city), bungee jumping, or taking megadoses of vitamin C. Or, obviously, smoking. Sources: Drug Policy Foundation; Ethan Nadelman; "Nightmare of Crack Nicotine" Wheeler, Jack, Washington Times "The Senate voted 97-0 for an anti-spam bill to stop those annoying things you get on your computer. The senators made it very clear that when you start misleading the American people and start taking their money over false promises, that's our turf, buddy!" -- Jay Leno, host of NBC's "Tonight Show." Note: The following resources may have provided some of the above information. We thank them. Advocates for Self-Government; NewsMax.com.
COUNSELING CORNER: Reflections on life using Zen Sarcasm . . . 1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone. 2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire. 3. It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it. 4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted. 5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everybody else. 6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet. 7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments. 8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. 9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. 10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. 11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. 12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. 13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield. 14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. 15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket. 16. A closed mouth gathers no foot. 17. Duct tape is like 'The Force.' It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together. 18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works. 19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when you're lips are moving. 20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. 21. Never miss a good chance to shut up. 22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT A Little Wisdom: Your heart understands what your head cannot yet conceive; trust your heart. A Little Advice: If you have a difficult task, give it to a lazy person -- they will find an easier way to do it. A Little Question: If buttered toast always lands buttered side down and a cat always lands on its feet, what would happen if you tied a piece of buttered toast on the back of a cat and dropped it? A Little Put-Down: You couldn't pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. A Little Proverb: Exceptions always outnumber rules. A Little Reflection: Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. A Little Observation: A clean desk is a sign of a cluttered desk drawer. A Little Quote: "Never Explain -- your Friends do not need it and your Enemies will not believe you anyway." -- Elbert Hubbard. A Little Definition: ONE'S MOTHER - A travel agent for guilt trips. A Little Admission: I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert. A Little Quip: Blessed are the Fundamentalists, for they shall inhibit the earth.
Some interesting & provocative articles on other websites: The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria: What happened to the Royal Library of Alexandria? We can be certain it was there once, founded by Ptolomy II Soter, and we can be equally certain it is not there now. It formed part of the Museum which was located in the Bruchion or palace quarter of the city of Alexandria. Four big, fat myths, by Patrick Basham and John Luik: The Government wants to set up a database to monitor every child in the country -- including their diet. But are our children as obese and unhealthy as we are told? And what about us? Health researchers argue that being overweight is actually beneficial: it's dieting that kills. Why philosophy is needed in school, by Shawn Alli: The term "thinking out-of-the-box" used to refer to thinking outside one's limit. Now, it serves as a punch line for sarcastic jokes. As a fifth-year philosophy major, I tire of philosophy being downgraded as an impractical field of study, not worth a second thought in today's technological commercial society. Researchers Seek Routes to Happier Life, by Malcolm Ritter: As a motivational speaker and executive coach, Caroline Adams Miller knows a few things about using mental exercises to achieve goals. But last year, one exercise she was asked to try took her by surprise. Every night, she was to think of three good things that happened that day and analyze why they occurred. That was supposed to increase her overall happiness. Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history, by Dinesh D'Souza: In recent months, a spate of atheist books have argued that religion represents, as "End of Faith" author Sam Harris puts it, "the most potent source of human conflict, past and present." olumnist Robert Kuttner gives the familiar litany. "The Crusades slaughtered millions in the name of Jesus. The link between morality, law, and reason - The decline of moral reasoning and the Republican defeat, by Fred Hutchison: In this essay, we shall consider the nature of moral reasoning and why it essential to the health of a republic. We shall also take a look at natural law theory to find a basis for clear moral reasoning in a religiously diverse Democracy. Science vs. Scripture - Can a truce evolve? - Harvard biologist extends olive branch to evangelicals with his new book, The Creation, by Jeff Barnard: Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson might normally arouse suspicion among evangelicals, given his faith in science over Scripture. But in his latest book, The Creation, An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, the two-time Pulitzer winner extends an olive branch to Christian believers in hopes of saving the Earth from the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Very premature babies should be allowed to die, say ethics report: Very premature babies should not be helped to live if they are born at or before 22 weeks, according to new guidelines, which suggest the treatments involved can cause an unreasonable level of stress and pain. Threats to multi-cultural tolerance and globalism - the challenge of theocracy, by Professor Mike Whitty: Democracy needs to defend itself from the many immediate threats - technology, imperialism, global economic powers, human passivity and reactionary religion. Reactionary religion has taken the lead worldwide in rejecting pluralism and democracy, viewing both values as gateways to secularism and decadence. Philosopher seeks truth in sequel to On Bullshit, by Bernd Debusmann: Bullshit sells but can truth do as well? First there was On Bullshit, a slim philosophical treatise whose phenomenal success took the publishing industry by surprise. Then came a succession of books with the word "bullshit" in the title. And now there is On Truth, a sequel to On Bullshit that its author, Princeton University philosophy professor Harry Frankfurt, says is meant to plug an analytical gap in his first book -- why does truth matter? Why can't God and science be compatible?, by Betsy Hart: "God vs. Science -- a spirited debate between atheist biologist Richard Dawkins and Christian geneticist Francis Collins'' blared the cover of Time magazine this week. What a fitting discussion as we are now firmly in the lead-up to Christmas. And what a revealing conversation. The Fraud Mongers, by Dale Netherton: Globally and locally there are hordes of people attempting to commit fraud. From the attempt to hoodwink a neighbor for an unreturned tool to the attempt to dump global warming off as impending doom, the commonality of the approach and the methods are identical. Cuckoo Science: Sometimes on Realclimate we discuss important scientific uncertainties, and sometimes we try and clarify some subtle point or context, but at other times, we have a little fun in pointing out some of the absurdities that occasionally pass for serious 'science' on the web and in the media. Letter to an Athiest Friend, by Michael Novak: A famous Jesuit once said that it often takes drinking a case of brandy together to achieve disagreement. Most of what seem to be "disagreements" are actually the result of misunderstanding each other, and are not so much real disagreements at all, just weeds to be identified, uprooted, and set aside. Challenging Oprahian psychology, by Robert Ringer: For most of my life, I was a strong believer in conventional psychology, which is based on the teachings of Sigmund Freud. In today's zany world, however, conventional psychology is linked more closely with Oprah the Magnificent than Freud. Three scientists take on religion, by Frank Wilson: Two believe that faith can coexist with scientific principles. The third aims to make atheists out of religious readers.
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