The Great Courses now has streaming, so we've been binge watching lectures as we "learn" Spanish. For me the most entertaining lecture series so far has been the Story of Human Language by John McWhorter. I also like the other course, Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage, although the first is clearer. But here's … Continue reading Language Evolution and Gingerbread
Philosophy
William James: The Varieties of Religious Experience
William James rejects the 'nothing but-ism' of medical materialism in favor of a strictly empirical empiricism that embraces the mental realm.
The Natural Attitude
First of all, I hope you're enjoying the holidays. I've been baking up a storm... Unfortunately I can only offer you a virtual sampling of treats. But if you look on the bright side, fewer calories. And now brace yourself for an awkward transition... I've been trying to wrap my mind around the split between the … Continue reading The Natural Attitude
The Challenges in Writing a Philosophical Novel
A while back I did some Googling to find out whether someone out there had written a book similar to mine, and in my research I came across Charles Johnson's novel, Faith and The Good Thing. Too good to be true. He too makes use of the most powerful centerpieces in Plato's works: The Allegory of the … Continue reading The Challenges in Writing a Philosophical Novel
Translating in the Dark
I'm working on a project with Andreas (you may know him as "Nannus") to translate Frege's "On the Scientific Justification of a Concept Script," which is funny since I don't know much about Frege—close to nothing—and I don't speak German. Nannus, however, is a native German speaker with a strong grasp of English and logic, … Continue reading Translating in the Dark
