Most of us learn growing up that there is such a thing as bad language and that we shouldn’t use words considered bad. Now, I believe there is a very good reason people teach children these lessons. And I do indeed believe there is such a thing as bad language. However, I think we often… Continue reading What Counts as Bad Language?
The other day I was thinking about one of our biggest political problems. But before I talk about that, I would like to tell you a story. A Story about Peter and Politics Imagine a man, we will call him Peter, who decides that everyone, everywhere needs to devote their lives to studying politics. Peter… Continue reading One of Our Biggest Political Problems
Moral disagreements are a common part of life. But there is something very surprising about moral disagreements that we often don’t realize. To illustrate this, allow me to present you with a thought experiment.[1] Please imagine these four people: Person #1: Jill believes X is the moral thing to do. Now, Jill truly cares about… Continue reading A Surprising Thing about Moral Disagreements
This post is about the Either-Or fallacy. A fallacy is a type of common faulty argument. And it’s important to be aware of common logical fallacies because arguments containing such fallacies often sound very convincing. However, they contain poor logic, and so they confuse and muddle our thinking. Regarding the Either-Or Fallacy specifically, when someone… Continue reading How the Either-Or Fallacy Confuses Our Thinking
Would you like to be the smartest person in the world? I think a lot of people would like to be. But perhaps most of us think such a goal is impossible. And, logically, it is in fact impossible for everyone to be the smartest person in the world. But what about being one of… Continue reading How to Be the Smartest Person in the World
Many people equate conspiracy thinking and critical thinking. But they are, in fact, quite different. Now, I am well-acquainted with conspiracy thinking and conspiracy theories. In the late 90s and earlier 2000s, I fell in love with the X-Files, a show which introduced the idea of conspiracy theories to the public on a grand scale.… Continue reading The Difference Between Conspiracy Thinking and Critical Thinking
Does it pay to be good? At one point in our life, probably most of us ask ourselves this question. After all, sometimes it feels like trying to be good holds us back from things we desire. And sometimes it feels like people who break the rules get ahead and achieve their dreams more easily.… Continue reading Does It Pay to Be Good?
Illegitimate appeal to emotion is a common fallacy people use in everyday conversation. On the one hand, emotions are a crucial part of our life. They give us important feedback about positive and negative aspects of life. Our emotions can also warn us of danger or of exciting possibilities. On the other hand, emotions can… Continue reading How to Spot Illegitimate Appeal to Emotion
The Idols of the Mind, developed by philosopher Francis Bacon, can help us understand better how to avoid thinking errors. Most of understand hypothetically that we can commit thinking errors. We usually imagine that these errors proceed from common causes like the following: One: Not paying careful attention to what we are thinking about. Two:… Continue reading The Idols of the Mind: Common Thinking Errors
Lately in the news, I have heard various people claim that the United States should be a Christian nation. Some folks also argue that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. I will return to this point shortly. Now, I am a Christian from the Quaker Christian tradition. And sometimes when I hear… Continue reading Should the United States Be a Christian Nation?
