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Index for this page...
All The Following Items Were Posted On December 1, 2008 Time: The word "time" names one of the four dimensions in the theory of relativity. The dimension of time together with the three special dimensions is what is called the four-dimensional manifold. For theoretical physicists the word has changed its meaning since the time of Isaac Newton. For Newton, time and space were absolute dimensions, but for Albert Einstein, time is relative to the other three basic dimensions. Einstein said that the only time, as measurable by physicists, should interest them; but in his book A Brief History of Time (1988), the contemporary astrophysicist Stephen W. Hawking made a very questionable statement. He said that time not measurable by physicists does not exist in reality. In saying this he contradicted himself by the title of his book. Hawking's book is brief, but that brief period is psychological time, a period of time that is not measurable by physicists. At this point philosophers should intervene: in the first place, because in philosophical theology, we must assume that time is everlasting -- without beginning or end -- whether any portion of this time is or is not measurable by physicists; in the second place, because time considered philosophically is the duration in which change does occur. The opposite of everlasting time is eternity, conceived as the sphere of the immutable, the timeless. Readers will find a most interesting discussion of our psychological experience of time, in itself and in its relation to eternity, in Book XI of St. Augustine's Confessions. Eternity is, of course, not experienceable by us at all. The psychological experience of time that Augustine discusses is certainly not the same as the time measurable by contemporary physicists, but that it has reality is beyond question. Source: Adler's Philosophical Dictionary: 125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon. Have you a copy of this book in your personal library? If not, consider getting one. Read Max Weismann's review of this book by Clicking Here.
George Santayana (1863-1952), American philosopher of Spanish-Catholic Heritage Santayana's philosophy, undoubtedly a product of his complex cultural inheritance, reflects many centers of interest and allegiance and shows the influence of many schools of thought, including materialism, critical realism, skepticism, scholasticism, Platonic Idealism, Indian spiritualism as well as classicism and romanticism. As Lewis Mumford remarked in the Freeman for 1923, it is "in good part an attempt to consolidate fragments of spiritual experience." This consolidation has been well done and has achieved a system of thought to which there are few rivals on this side of the Atlantic. Two excerpts from Santayana's own work may clarify some points of his profound philosophy:
Source: Realms of Being by George Santayana. Read more about George Santayana in The Radical Academy. Books by George Santayana in The Radical Academy Bookstore. Read an essay: Art in Instinct and Experience, by George Santayana.
FOR THE RECORD 1. Brain-Boggling Bailout Boondoggle Numbers, by James W. Harris How much has the government thrown down the bailout rathole... so far? The Reason Foundation's Anthony Randazzo has added it up for you. However, before you read further, consider this warning from Randazzo: "A word to the wise: get some duct tape to wrap around your head, 'cause these numbers all together are gonna make it explode -- if it hasn't already." Okay, you've been warned. Strapped it? Here goes:
ROUGH TOTAL: $2,063,800,000,000 Yes, over $2 trillion dollars. As of November 7. That's about $6,800 for every man, woman, and child. About $15,000 per taxpayer. And actually, it's even worse. Randazzo adds: "This doesn't include the hundreds of billions the fed has and will buy up in commercial paper and lend out to other financial firms. The deficit is nearly $440 billion this year, and the national debt is $10.5 trillion. "If these numbers don't shake the next Congress into becoming more fiscally responsible, probably nothing will." Source: Reason Foundation James W. Harris is the editor of Liberator Online, a publication of Advocates for Self-Government. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and he has been a Finalist for the Mencken Award, given by the Free Press Association for "Outstanding Journalism in Support of Liberty." Attending religious services can cut your death risk. A study published by researchers at Yeshiva University and its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent. The findings, published in Psychology and Health, were based on data drawn from participants who spanned numerous religious denominations. The research was conducted by Eliezer Schnall, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva College of Yeshiva University, and co-authored by Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and population health at Einstein, as an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). The WHI is a national, long-term study aimed at addressing women's health issues and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers evaluated the religious practices of 92,395 post-menopausal women participating in the WHI. They examined the prospective association of religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and strength and comfort derived from religion with subsequent cardiovascular events and overall rates of mortality. Although the study showed as much as a 20 percent decrease in the overall risk of mortality for those attending religious services, it did not show any consistent change in rates of morbidity and death specifically related to cardiovascular disease, with no explanation readily evident. The study adjusted for participation of individuals within communal organizations and group activities that promote a strong social life and enjoyable routines, behaviors known to lead to overall wellness. However, even after controlling for such behavior and other health-related factors, the improvements in morbidity and mortality rates exceeded expectations. "Interestingly, the protection against mortality provided by religion cannot be entirely explained by expected factors that include enhanced social support of friends or family, lifestyle choices and reduced smoking and alcohol consumption," said Dr. Schnall, who was lead author of the study. "There is something here that we don't quite understand. It is always possible that some unknown or unmeasured factors confounded these results," he added. During WHI enrollment, study participants, aged 50 to79, were recruited on a voluntary basis from a variety of sources, from all over the nation. The women answered questions about baseline health conditions and religiosity and were followed by WHI researchers for an average of 7.7 years, with potential study outcomes of cardiovascular events and mortality adjudicated by trained physicians. To evaluate the impact of religiosity on mortality and morbidity, the investigators looked at variables including self-report of religious affiliation, frequency of religious service attendance, and religious strength as well as comfort, in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD) and death. It is important to note that the study did not attempt to measure spirituality; rather, it examined self-report religiosity measures (irrespective of the participant's religion). Participants answered three key questions at registration, regarding: 1) religious affiliation (yes or no); 2) how often services were attended (never, less than once per week, once per week, or more than once per week); 3) if religion provided strength and comfort (none, a little, a great deal). Those attending religious services at least once per week showed a 20 percent mortality risk reduction mark compared with those not attending services at all. These findings corroborate prior studies that have shown up to a 25 percent reduction in such risk. Sources: NewsMax Health Reports and CBS News 3. Battle Over Online Gambling Sites Puts Free Speech, Commerce At Risk The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has urged a Kentucky Court of Appeals to vacate a lower court's order authorizing the seizure of more than 100 Internet domain names associated with websites operating around the globe. The seizure, and the lower court's exercise of jurisdiction over global domain names, threatens free speech across the Internet. In a move to combat what it viewed as illegal online gambling, the Commonwealth of Kentucky convinced a state court to "seize" 141 domain names because the names allegedly constituted "gambling devices" that are banned under Kentucky law -- even though the sites were owned and operated by individuals outside of the state, and in many cases even outside of the country. Unless the sites screened out Kentucky users, the court held, the seizure order was proper. In its amicus brief filed with the Court of Appeals in support of a writ vacating the judge's order, EFF, CDT, and the ACLU argue that the First Amendment, the Commerce Clause, and the Due Process Clause of the Constitution prohibit state courts from interfering with Internet domain names that were registered and maintained outside the state. The brief argues that the seizure order was invalid because it threatened to impede access to a broad range of materials protected by the First Amendment. "The court's theory -- that a state court can order the seizure of Internet domain names regardless of where the site was registered -- is not only wrong but dangerous," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "If the mere ability to access a website gives every court on the planet the authority to seize a domain name if a site's content is in some way inconsistent with local law, the laws of the world's most repressive regimes will effectively control cyberspace." As part of his ruling, the judge in Kentucky held that the domain names could be seized if they refused to implement "geographic blocks" to prevent Kentucky users from accessing the material. However, no such reliable filters exist, and even poor ones cost thousands of dollars. Any order requiring their use would unconstitutionally burden First Amendment rights. "If the Kentucky order is upheld, no speech that conflicts with any law, anywhere in the world, would be safe from censorship," said John Morris, general counsel for CDT. "Just as Kentucky is trying to take down sites located around the world, any government seeking to stifle free expression could try to interfere with lawful speech hosted in the United States." "A key free speech principle that has emerged from Internet litigation is this: Governments may not prohibit all access to websites as a remedy for unlawful behavior," said David Friedman, ACLU of Kentucky General Counsel. Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation Fed Regulations - A Second Income Tax: "Federal regulations cost Americans almost as much as the income tax and more than 40 percent of all federal spending, according to 'Ten Thousand Commandments,' the Competitive Enterprise Institute's annual report on the burdens of federal regulation. Federal environmental, safety, health, and economic regulations cost more than $1 trillion a year in addition to the costs of official federal spending." Source: Heartland Institute. There's No Tooth Fairy: "To alleviate the obvious hardships to both homeowners and banks, the government commits to buy mortgages and inject capital into banks, which on the face of it seems like a very nice thing to do. But unfortunately in this world there is no tooth fairy. And the government doesn't create anything; it just redistributes. Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always put someone into trouble, plus of course a toll for the troll. Every $100 billion in bailout requires at least $130 billion in taxes, where the $30 billion extra is the cost of getting government involved. ... If you don't believe me, just watch how Congress and Barney Frank run the banks. If you thought they did a bad job running the post office, Amtrak, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the military, just wait till you see what they'll do with Wall Street." Source: Economist Arthur B. Laffer (of "Laffer Curve" fame), Wall Street Journal. 5. Quote For The Month (and the times!) "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." -- Cicero, 55 BC.
COUNSELING CORNER: We are going to be serious here for once! Cancer Risk Aside, Cell Phones are Dangerous There has been much speculation over the last few years about whether cell phones increase the risk of developing a brain tumor. Research has not conclusively answered this question, which has left consumers confused. The majority of studies that have been published in scientific journals do not have sufficient evidence to show that cell phones increase the risk of brain tumors. The problem is that cell phone technology is in its infancy, so none of these studies could analyze long-term risks. This unknown is a particular issue for children, who will face a lifetime of cell phone usage. While the cell phone/brain tumor connection remains inconclusive, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) cautions that cell phones present plenty of other risks to people's neurological health, as illustrated by these few real-life scenarios: ~A 29-year-old male was talking on his cell phone while on an escalator, fell backwards, and lacerated his head. ~A 25-year-old male was talking on his cell phone and walked into a street sign, lacerating his head. ~A 43-year-old female fell down 13-14 steps while talking on her cell phone, after drinking alcohol. She suffered a neck sprain and contusions to her head, back, shoulder, and leg. ~A 50-year-old female suffered nerve damage which was related to extensive cell phone usage. She felt pain in her fingers and the length of her arm while holding her cell phone, and was diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy. ~A 39-year-old man suffered a head injury after crashing into a tree on his bicycle while texting ~A 16-year-old boy suffered a concussion because he was texting and walked into a telephone pole. Several studies show cell phones are a leading cause of automobile crashes. It is estimated that drivers distracted by cell phones are four times more likely to be in a motor vehicle accident. The following are some sobering statistics: ~According to a Harvard University study, an estimated 2,600 people die and 12,000 suffer serious to moderate injuries each year in cell phone-related accidents. ~A Canadian study analysis of 26,798 cell phone calls made during the 14-month study period showed that the risk of an automobile accident was four times higher when using a cell phone. ~National statistics indicate that an estimated 50,000 traumatic brain injury-related deaths occur annually in the United States, 25,000-35,000 of which are attributed to motor vehicle accidents. Cell Phone Injury Prevention Tips: ~Talk hands free by using an earpiece or on speaker mode whenever possible. ~Follow all cell phone laws applicable to your city and state &endash; these vary greatly. ~Use your cell phone only when safely parked, or have a passenger use it. ~Do not dial the phone or take notes while driving, cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, etc. ~Never text message while driving, walking, cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, etc. ~Never text message or use a cell phone while performing any physical activities that require attention. ~If your phone rings while driving, let the call go into voice mail and respond later when you are safely parked. For more information on injury prevention, visit the AANS Web site at: http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_safety/.
A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT A Little Wisdom: To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge it, requires brains. A Little Advice: Before you open your mouth to speak, please make sure it's an improvement upon the silence. A Little Quip: Photons have mass? I didn't know they were catholic! A Little Proverb: Time wounds all heels. A Little Question: What does Geronimo say when he jumps out of a plane? A Little Reflection: What is new in our time is the increased power of the authorities to enforce their own prejudices. A Little Admission: I've given up trying to escape from reality; they always find me anyway. A Little Observation: Cat bathing is a martial art. A Little Warning: Vital papers will demonstrate their vitality by spontaneously moving from where you left them to where you can't find them. A Little Definition: A diagnostic is someone who doesn't know whether there are two gods. A Little Quote: "No tendency is quite so strong in human nature as the desire to lay down rules of conduct for other people." -- William Howard Taft (1857-30), 27th president of the U.S. (1909-13). A Little Put-Down: Politicians are those who deal with the problems which would not exist if they didn't exist.
Some interesting & provocative articles on other websites: Philosophy majors increase across country, by Paul Kossof: The number of philosophy majors across the country and abroad has steadily risen over the last few years, and that trend holds true here on campus as well. Villanova's philosophy department, which has enjoyed a good reputation among American universities for decades, has 49 majors and 20 minors, as well as students in a Ph.D. program. The rising popularity of philosophy as a major here and elsewhere has two causes, according to department chairperson John Carvalho: the response of the job market to philosophy majors and the young generation's reaction to social problems. Philosophy professor questions age-old thoughts on sound: The study of philosophy requires a natural skepticism of well-known "truths," a keen ability to observe and the discipline to accept that definitive answers come rarely, if ever. So it stands to reason that a philosopher would come to question a basic tenet of his field. Jason Leddington, an assistant professor of philosophy at Bucknell University, studies sensory perception and the relationship between perceptual experience and thought. No amount of regulation can replace ethics, by Frank X. Ryan: The most recent spate of corporate, personal and government greed is causing many Americans to demand greater oversight and regulation on our financial markets. Unfortunately for all of us, these demands for greater controls will be met. Unfortunately for all of us, the new regulations will merely set the stage for the next financial debacle. Until we all understand that you cannot legislate morality, we are all doomed to repeat the disasters of the past. The ultimate breakdown of personal accountability and responsibility is a result of the breakdown in society's ability to instill a code of ethics that reinforces the values that we need in order to survive and thrive. George Moore's Hands - Scepticism About Philosophy, by Raymond Tallis: Even we regular readers of Philosophy Now, who may be presumed to be among that minority for whom philosophical questions are important, sometimes question the purpose of the whole enterprise, even its sincerity. A police force would probably be taken into special measures if its clear-up rate were as low as philosophers seem to have achieved with their problems over the millennia. How Darwinism and Faith Can Coexist: Francisco J. Ayala pulls open the top drawer of a black cabinet and flips through nearly a dozen files, all neatly titled by publication and due date. These are the essays on evolution he has been churning out over the past six to eight weeks for popular books and magazines. ... After some 30 years of proselytizing about evolution to Christian believers, the esteemed evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Irvine, has honed his arguments to a fine point. He has stories and examples at the ready, even a shock tactic or two at his fingertips. Creationists declare war over the brain: "You cannot overestimate," thundered psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz, "how threatened the scientific establishment is by the fact that it now looks like the materialist paradigm is genuinely breaking down. You're gonna hear a lot in the next calendar year about... how Darwin's explanation of how human intelligence arose is the only scientific way of doing it... I'm asking us as a world community to go out there and tell the scientific establishment, enough is enough! Materialism needs to start fading away and non-materialist causation needs to be understood as part of natural reality." Science cannot judge the Bible, by Ken Ham: Science is a wonderful tool that God has given us. But because science is imperfect, and changing, and because different scientists disagree on what the evidence really means, science cannot serve as an ultimate, infallible standard. It can certainly be a secondary standard by which certain types of claims are evaluated. But science is not the limit of possibility, and thus is not in a position to judge the Bible upon which it depends. The Cloudy Ethics of Utilitarianism, by Brandon Keim: In one context, it seems perfectly justifiable to save many lives by sacrificing one; in another, that exchange feels unconscionable, even though the equation has not changed. Perhaps our moral reasoning is not as reasonable as it seems. "The interesting thing," said Harvard University social psychologist Mahzarin Banaji, "is the lack of consistency. Suddenly we become Kantians." Nowhere is this clearer than the trolley dilemma, a classic thought experiment designed to expose this paradox. Imagine a trolley is headed towards five people bound to a track; you can choose to save their lives by throwing a switch and diverting the train to another track, where it will only run over one person. Scots primary pupils to learn philosophy in a bid to boost IQs and concentration, by Andrew Denholm: I think, therefore I am a primary pupil. Primary schools across East Renfrewshire are adopting philosophy lessons as part of efforts to raise attainment. The new project, called Wondering, has been developed in partnership with Dr Catherine McCall, a philosophy expert with Strathclyde University. The lessons have already been trialled at secondary schools in the area and a version will be rolled out to the council's 24 primary schools by 2011. Is Hollywood Anti-Religion?: A poll titled, American Attitude on Religion, Moral Values and Hollywood has just been released and the finding is that Hollywood is destroying religious values. Yes, the same Hollywood that brought us everything from Ben-Hur to The Passion of the Christ. Commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League -- a group that fights anti-Semitism --the report claims that 61% of those surveyed said that religious values in America are "under attack."
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