Nothing as It Seems

Here are some interesting articles I've read over the past week that I think are worth checking out. Jina Moore, “ Just give poor people money . ” 17  Oct,  Boston Globe .  "For decades, the assumption has been that poor people will make poor financial decisions. GiveDirectly, a pioneer in giving cash to impoverished families in East Africa, encounters the assumption so often that it keeps a disclaimer near the top of its 'about' page: 'No, people don’t just blow it on booze.'" Di Minardi, “ The grim fate that could be ‘worse than extinction’ . ”  16 Oct,  BBC Future.   "Though global totalitarianism is still a niche topic of study, researchers in the field of existential risk are increasingly turning their attention to its most likely cause: artificial intelligence." Rachael Brown, “ Thinking critically about COVID-19: Some common mistakes .”  19 Oct,  thephilscigirl (Blog).  "Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen...

  Here are some interesting articles I've read over the past week that I think are worth checking out. Nicholas Christakis, “ The Long Shadow of the Pandemic: 2024 and Beyond . ” 16  Oct,  Wall Street Journal .  Even when the world returns to ‘normal,’ the legacy of Covid-19 will transform everything from wages and health care to political attitudes and global supply chains. Extract from Nicholas Christakis' new book,  Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live . Sam Bowman and Ryan Bourne, “ Pay people £200 to take a Covid vaccine .”  13 Oct,  The Times.   Should we pay people to get the Covid vaccine once it is available? Adam Kirsch, “ Philosophy in the Shadow of Nazism .”  12 Oct,  New Yorker .  "Review of David Edmonds' new book,  The Murder of Professor Schlick: The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle . "For the Vienna Circle, the best hunting ground for pseudo-statements was ...

  Here are some interesting articles I've read over the past week that I think are worth checking out. Joe O'Connor, “ A four-day week is not a luxury - it is an essential step forward . ” 4  Oct,  Business Post .  "Numerous academic studies, including from John Pencavel of Stanford University in 2014, have shown that there is no correlation between working long hours and greater productivity." Richard Roberts and Seán O’Neill McPartlin, “ The risks of a Covid-19 human challenge trial are significant, but entirely justified .”  6 Oct, Daily Telegraph.   "The risks of a Covid-​19 challenge trial, though significant, are justified. It is decidedly positive that scientists are taking up the offers of volunteers to conduct these trials." Fareed Zakaria, “ The pandemic upended the present. But it’s given us a chance to remake the future .”  6 Oct,  Washington Post .  "We could continue with business as usual and risk cascading crises from c...

Image by Christian Fregnan  Here are some interesting articles I've read over the past week that I think are worth checking out. James Harold, “ Is it rational to condemn an artwork for an artist’s personal immorality? ”  3 Oct,  OUP Blog .  Should we appreciate art created by bad people? Shane Timmons, “ The pandemic isn't down to one reckless group - it's because of the contagiousness of Covid-19 .”  2 Oct,  Journal.ie.   "Social disapproval of non-compliance is important for maintaining the high levels of cooperation we’ve seen in Ireland, but it should be proportionate to the transgression and come from appropriate sources." Jeff McMahan, “ How Britain and the US became trapped in the nationalism of decline .”  2 Oct,  New Statesman .  Philosopher Jeff McMahan argues that the contempt shown by Britain and the United States for international law is a betrayal of the postwar order they both helped to create.  Mariana Mazzuc...

Here are some interesting articles I've read over the past week that I think are worth checking out. Kenan Malik, “ David Hume was a complex man. Erasing his name is too simplistic a gesture . ”  20 Sep,  The Observer .  "There is a danger...that we end up with a cartoonish view of history and, guided by contemporary needs, ignore its complexities. There is a danger, too, that we fight not the struggles of the present but those of the past; and that symbolic gestures come to replace material change." Joe Humphreys, “ Cancel culture: can you defend people who say unpopular things? ” 24 Sep,  Irish Times .  Interview with political philosopher Graham Finlay on John Stuart Mill's notion of free speech and how it can be understood in today's culture. Finlay also outlines Herbert Marcuse's response to controversial -- and even potentially dangerous -- ideas and how it compares to Mill's response. Zachary Pincus-Roth, “ The Rise of the Rational Do-Gooders ...

I recently wrote a piece for the Atheist Ireland website defending assisted dying. You can view it  here . What is assisted dying? The law should allow individuals who are suffering considerable pain due to a terminal or incurable illness – and where genuine informed consent is given – to have the choice to end their life on their own terms. Atheist Ireland is in favour of legislation, with robust safeguards (like the ones suggested in the Dying with Dignity Bill), to achieve this aim. Religious objections Objections usually come from those with religious beliefs. However, not everyone holds religious views or accepts that it is always wrong to assist someone to die. At the same time, opponents may be reluctant to say their opposition is directly connected to their faith – as it would seem to undermine the claim that someone doesn’t need to be religious to oppose voluntary assisted dying. More importantly, though, particular theological beliefs should not be used as the basis for l...

Here are some interesting articles I have read over the past week that I think are worth checking out. John Gray, “ What cats taught me about philosophy . ”  17 Sep,  UnHerd .  Philosopher John Gray argues that cats do not crave inner quietude, and unlike humans, they are able to achieve it. "Not craving inner quietude, cats revert to it whenever they are not practically threatened. Not looking for meaning in their lives, they are free to live them as they come, without looking for distraction or consolation. It is life itself that they value." Joe Humphreys,  “ The forgotten women in philosophy: time to set the record straight . ”  17 Sep,  Irish Times .  Interview with Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting, editors of a new volume entitled  With The Philosopher Queen . "[T]here were a number of early modern women philosophers who contributed hugely to metaphysics: Margaret Cavendish, Anne Conway and Elizabeth of Bohemia to name only a few....