Commentary on Daniel Dennett on Sean Carroll’s podcast: Minds, Patterns, and the Scientific Image Part I

The last BQTA post was the unadorned transcript of the conversation between Dan Dennett and Sean Carroll published on 1/6/20, … More

Atheism Is Inconsistent with the Scientific Method, Prizewinning Physicist Says

   Here at BQTA, we beg to differ. Atheism is not only consistent with science and the scientific method, but … More

What is Morality, anyway?

If science is the truth about reality, how can there be morality? Moral responsibility seems incompatible with science. Human bodies … More

Scanlon at Berkeley, Part III. Learning from Psychopaths.

  Tim Scanlon’s final topic during his series of Townsend lectures at UC Berkeley was “Learning from Psychopaths”. This was … More

Scanlon at Berkeley, Part II. Being Realistic About Reasons

While hanging out in the philosophy library before the first of Tim Scanlon’s Townsend lectures, I finally got around to … More

Scanlon at Berkeley, Part I. Ideas of Identity and “The Good Place”

  Last week, Tim Scanlon visited Berkeley to deliver the Townsend Lectures to the philosophy department on Ideas of Identity … More

Rawls and Climate

“It is uncertain whether man will not use  his powers to destroy himself, and others, and the whole of nature.” … More

Morality, Reasons, Causes Part I

   Yes, Nature’s road must ever be preferred; Reason is here no guide, but still a guard: ’Tis hers to … More

Nihilism? That could be exhausting!

What if we tried to pursue reality to the bitter end? Not to look for what we hope to find, … More

Dialog on Morality, part III: Sail Away

Today, slavery is universally condemned as immoral, but until fairly recently, slavery was an accepted aspect of life. Most societies … More