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Index for this page...(Be aware some links below may have expired.)
All The Following Items Were Posted On February 1, 2007 Common Good: Most people use the phrase "common good" as if it were a synonym for the general welfare. There are two common goods, but in different senses of that word. In Latin they are called bonum commune hominis and bonum commune communitatis. The first of these is identical in meaning with happiness. It is common in the sense that it is the same in essence among all human beings. When I say it is the same in essence for all human beings, it may differ from individual to individual only in accidental respects and in degree. The other, the bonum commune communitatis, or the good of the social community, is a means, not an end. It is common in the sense that all individuals, in their pursuit of happiness, must employ it as a means to that end. This means to happiness is common in the sense that all human beings share in it. They should all aim at it, each individually according to the individual differences that differentiate them. For example, the peace of the society is an aspect of the common good of the community. Everyone should act to procure a peaceful community. Another aspect of the community's good is justice in the treatment of society's members. Each individual should work to procure justice for all; so, too, liberty for all and the equality of all. From Adler's Philosophical Dictionary: 125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon. Have you a copy of this book in your personal library? Read Max Weismann's review of this book by Clicking Here.
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) "When Russell wrote his autobiography in 1951, he began by saying: 'Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair'." -- Professor James L. Christian. Read about Bertrand Russell 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 -- Philosophy: An Introduction to the Art of Wondering -- when I was teaching an introduction to philosophy course many years ago. J.D.
FOR THE RECORD 1. Science Giant James Watson: "I Am Very Libertarian" James Watson, Nobel Prize-winning co-discoverer of the DNA molecule and one of history's most important scientists, says he is "very libertarian." In the January 2007 issue of Esquire, Watson declares: "I'm basically a libertarian. I don't want to restrict anyone from doing anything unless it's going to harm me. I don't want to pass a law stopping someone from smoking. It's just too dangerous. You lose the concept of a free society. Since we are genetically so diverse and our brains are so different, we're going to have different aspirations. The things that will satisfy me [won't] satisfy you." This is not the first time that Watson has declared his libertarian sentiments. In a July 2003 interview in Discover magazine, he said: "Well, my sensibility is very libertarian. Just let all genetic decisions be made by individual women. That is, never ask what's good for the country; ask what's good for the family. I don't know what's good for the country, but you can often say what's good or bad for the family. That is, mental disease is no good for any family. And so if there's a way of trying to fight that, I'd let a woman have the choice to do it or not do it. Not give in and have the State tell you to have a certain sort of child. I would be very frightened by the State telling you one way or the other." And in an interview in the Fall 2005 issue of New Perspectives Quarterly, when he was asked "Is there the need of some legal restriction to genetic research?" he answered: "I would say no. I am very libertarian. If someone discovers one day that we can add a gene so that children can be born more intelligent, or more beautiful, or healthier-well, I do not see why not to do it." In 1952, James Watson was an unknown 25 year-old molecular biologist at the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University when, along with Francis Crick, he experienced what Discover magazine describes as "one of the great eureka moments in the history of science: They discovered that DNA is organized in the shape of a double helix -- two intertwining strands of nucleotides on a superstructure of sugar." Watson was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1962 for his discovery, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins. He went on to become a giant in the field of genetics. He was the original director of the Human Genome Project, a revolutionary scientific project to:
The benefits of the Human Genome Project are almost incalculable. Already, for example, the information has made possible easy ways to administer genetic tests showing predisposition to many illnesses, including breast cancer, disorders of hemostasis, cystic fibrosis, and liver diseases. Expected future benefits include healthier and more productive crops; innovative ways to clean the environment; new biofuel energy sources; greater understanding of archaeology, anthropology, and human migration; the exoneration of wrongfully accused persons through more sophisticated DNA tests; greater success in organ transplants; new and more effective preventions and treatments of numerous illnesses; and much, much more. Watson has also achieved enduring success as a writer. In 1968 he wrote The Double Helix, his bestselling and controversial account of the personalities and conflicts in the race to discover the structure of DNA. Publisher Random House's Modern Library includes it on their list of the 100 best non-fiction books. His science textbooks set new standards in the way such texts are now written and organized. In 1994 Watson became president of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island. Watson built the lab into a world leader in genetic research; scientists working under him uncovered the molecular nature of cancer and identified cancer genes for the first time. Every year thousands of scientists from around the world study at the lab, and Cold Spring plays a major role in advancing international genetic research. Today, at age 78, Watson continues writing and speaking and serves as chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Sources:
2. Iraq War To Cost $1.2 Trillion Before the U.S. invasion of Iraq five years ago, the Pentagon estimated the war would cost about $50 billion. New estimates place the figure at a mind-boggling $1.2 trillion. The war operation itself -- the equipment, fuel, combat pay for soldiers, salaries of reservists and contractors and reconstruction expenses -- costs more than $300 million a day, with an eventual total of $700 billion over the course of the war, according to an estimate by economist Scott Wallsten reported by The New York Times. Add to that the cost of replacing hardware used in Iraq, some $100 billion. Then there's the $250 billion cost of providing disability payments and medical care for veterans. Other economists also include a "gas tax" imposed on American families -- the increase in the price of fuel resulting from the conflict -- which they estimate at $150 billion. To put the $1.2 trillion total in perspective, the Times notes that implementing all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations would cost less than $50 billion, providing universal preschool would cost $35 billion, and the National Cancer Institute's annual budget is about $6 billion. When the Pentagon originally estimated the cost of the war at $50 billion, White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey predicted it would in fact cost as much as $200 billion. According to the Times, "President Bush fired him in part for saying so." Source: NewsMax Insider Report Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. Who? Government, of course. You probably know about the New York City Council's ban of trans fats in restaurants. We've long argued that if government is allowed the authority to ban one risky but legal personal lifestyle choice, it will quickly use that authority to ban another. And another. And on and on. The New York Post recently made exactly that point. Here's a partial list, from the Post, of things the New York City council either banned or tried to ban in the year 2006:
The Post concludes, in a statement libertarians will applaud: "All in all, though, what the council needs is a ban on bills banning things. "Unless it wants to ban... itself." Source: New York Post The Golden State Fence Company -- hired by the
federal government to build a large portion of the
border fence between the U.S. and Mexico -- has
been hit with nearly $5 in criminal penalties, and
two top executives face years in prison. The
company's crime? Hiring illegal immigrants. Indeed,
as many as a third of their workers were
undocumented immigrants. The company says it can't
find enough U.S. citizens to do the work. Libertarian congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) has
created an exploratory committee to consider a run
in 2008 for the U.S. presidency. In 1988 Paul was
the Libertarian Party candidate for president and
received more than 400,000 votes. This time he will
run as a Republican. Kent Snyder, chairman of
Paul's exploratory committee, told the press that
if Paul runs, it will be a serious attempt to win
the White House, not just to raise attention to
issues. Fox's hit TV show "24" is getting flack from all
over the place thanks to its anti-terrorist themes.
Some Homeland Security officials have voiced
concerns over the tactics the show's terrorist
characters use. They worry that in viewing the
program real terrorists will learn how to more
effectively carry out attacks on the country. The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is
complaining for other reasons. It's worried about a
potential increase in discrimination against
Muslims as a result of the television
characterizations. "The program's repeated
association of acts of terrorism with Islam will
only serve to increase anti-Muslim prejudice in our
society," CAIR indicated in a statement. "The Founders must be spinning in their graves. Nearly everything the government does today is unconstitutional under the system they instituted. Governmental powers were expressly limited; individual liberties were not. Now it seems it is the other way around. If the Bill of Rights is to regain its meaning, we must rededicate ourselves to the principles it asserts and be mindful that a government powerful enough to give us all we want is powerful enough to take away everything we have." -- Adam B. Summers, "Happy Bill of Rights Day!" op-ed in the Orange County Register, December 15, 2006.
COUNSELING CORNER: For those who love the Philosophy of Ambiguity... 1. Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. 2. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.... 3. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 4. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes? 5. The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live. 6. I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. 7. What if there were no hypothetical questions? 8. If a deaf person swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap? 9. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation. 10. Is there another word for synonym? 11. Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?" 12. What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant? 13. If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages? 14. Would a fly without wings be called a walk? 15 Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them? 16. If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked? 17. Can vegetarians eat animal crackers? 18. If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent? 19. Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines? 20. How do they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road signs? 21. What was the best thing before sliced bread? 22. One nice thing about egotists: They don`t talk about other people. 23. Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra? 24. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery? 25. How is it possible to have a civil war? 26. If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too? 27. If you ate both pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry? 28. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done? 29. Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have "S" in it? 30. Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of assteroids"? 31. Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them? 32. Why is there an expiration date on sour cream? 33. If you spin an oriental man in a circle three times does he become disoriented? 34. Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?
A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT A Little Wisdom: Nothing, it appears to me is of greater value in a man than the power of judgment; and the man who has it may be compared to a chest filled with books, for he is the son of nature and the father of art. -- Pietro Aretino. A Little Advice: If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. A Little Question: When you're finally holding all the cards, why does everyone else decide to play chess? A Little Put-Down: Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have. A Little Proverb: No man is ever worth your tears, but the one who is, will never make you cry. A Little Reflection: Marge, the reason we have elected officials is so we don't have to think! -- Homer Simpson. A Little Observation: My inferiority complex is not as good as yours. A Little Quote: "We often give enemies the means of our own destruction." -- Aesop (620-560 BC), Greek storyteller. A Little Definition: TODAY - the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. A Little Admission: I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves. A Little Quip: What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.
Some interesting & provocative articles on other websites: Marijuana might cause new cell growth in the brain, by Kurt Kleiner: A synthetic chemical similar to the active ingredient in marijuana makes new cells grow in rat brains. What is more, in rats this cell growth appears to be linked with reducing anxiety and depression. The results suggest that marijuana, or its derivatives, could actually be good for the brain. The Gummint Skools, by Vin Suprynowicz: "I think it would be fair to say that the overwhelming majority of people who make schools work today are unaware why they fail to give us successful human beings, no matter how much money is spent or how much good will is expended on reform efforts." Duke - The Anatomy of a Hoax, by William L. Anderson: As the criminal case against Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans continues to fall around Durham County District Attorney Michael Nifong, and as Nifong's own future becomes even more uncertain, it is time to take a cold, hard look at how this hoax ever got legs and has advanced as far as it has. Secular fundamentalists are the new totalitarians, by Tobias Jones: There's an aspiring totalitarianism in Britain which is brilliantly disguised. It's disguised because the would-be dictators - and there are many of them - all pretend to be more tolerant than thou. Why is Marijuana Illegal? - A brief history of the criminalization of cannabis, by Pete Guither: Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug. Do Men Have Less Psychological Gender Than Women?: When women and men, or boys and girls, are found to differ psychologically, which group seems responsible for the difference? As atheists assault religion, Catholic experts say faith, reason tie a must, by Emily Stimpson: There are many words that could be used to describe Richard Dawkins. Subtle is not one of them. "[The God of the Old Testament] is a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully," wrote the Oxford University evolutionist in his most recent best-seller, The God Delusion. Life, Liberty, and ..., by Albert Jay Nock: For almost a full century before the Revolution of 1776, the classic enumeration of human rights was "life, liberty, and property." The American Whigs took over this formula from the English Whigs, who had constructed it out of the theories of their seventeenth-century political thinkers, notably John Locke. The Ethics of Palestinian Resistance, by David Swanson: With Jimmy Carter's book a best seller and the Iraq War a top political concern, many Americans may have an interest right now in thinking about Israel and Palestine. I'd like to recommend to anyone with that interest picking up a copy of a short and brilliant book by the British philosopher Ted Honderich. Compromise Key To Recognizing Coming One World Religion: A one world religion is a sure sign that the Apocalypse is upon us, according to the ancient traditions of many religious texts. But how would these be recognized early enough to avoid a personal decision that might result in eternal damnation? How journalism can hide the truth about science, by Elmien Wolvaardt: The media's portrayal of science as objective and self-policing is, said Borchelt, "a narrative of hubris: it perpetuates the view that science is a linear process of steps and breakthroughs, and gives no account of the trials and errors that actually occur along the way." Adam Smith's moral philosophy, by Rob Horning: There seems to be a movement afoot among conservative thinkers (okay, maybe it's just P.J. O'Rourke and economic journalist David Warsh) to rehabilitate Adam Smith (as if this were necessary), protect him from various accusations of shallow and simplistic thinking... Secular fundamentalists are the new totalitarians, by Tobias Jones: There's an aspiring totalitarianism in Britain which is brilliantly disguised. It's disguised because the would-be dictators - and there are many of them - all pretend to be more tolerant than thou. Psychology Today Rips Conservatives While Praising Liberals: This one is really waaaay too funny, and will definitely require all drinking vessels, flammables, and sharp objects be safely stowed. Psychology Today magazine has a long study published in its January/February issue about the differing mindsets and personalities of conservatives and liberals. Who do you think the report praised, and who did it slam? Is Philosophy Progressive?: Some say that one of the main differences between science and philosophy is that science makes progress while philosophers go round in circles endlessly discussing the same questions. Toni Vogel Carey isn't convinced. The Psychology of the Self-Hating Liberal, by Graham Cunningham: The good news is that, after a whole century of heading in the wrong direction, a moral and intellectual challenge to the bleeding-heart version of liberalism is finally welling up in the West.
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