About Rationally Speaking


Rationally Speaking is a blog maintained by Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, a philosopher at the City University of New York. The blog reflects the Enlightenment figure Marquis de Condorcet's idea of what a public intellectual (yes, we know, that's such a bad word) ought to be: someone who devotes himself to "the tracking down of prejudices in the hiding places where priests, the schools, the government, and all long-established institutions had gathered and protected them." You're welcome. Please notice that the contents of this blog can be reprinted under the standard Creative Commons license.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Michael’s Picks

by Michael De Dora
* Nicholas Lash writes that all good reasoning proceeds from prior commitments and beliefs. Of course, but all prior commitments and beliefs are not equally true or good.
* Adelle Banks explores the Supreme Court’s reliance on “standing” in cases on the separation of church and state.
* The Ohio House of Representatives voted to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detectable, which is usually around 6 or 7 weeks, Reuters reports. The Senate will consider the legislation in the fall.
* A couple of weeks ago, I linked to Stephen Budiansky’s critical review of Dale Peterson’s new book, The Moral Lives of Animals. I’ve discovered several more reviews since then, two of which are written by author Helene Guldberg: here and here. I’ve also found this interview with Peterson.
* The latest version of the tactical first-person shooter video game Rainbow Six will take your moral decisions into account.
* Prominent climate skeptic Willie Soon recently admitted that he received more than $1 million over the past decade from oil and coal companies.
* Wired.com has some summer reading suggestions for science-minded people.

1 comment:

  1. I always cringe when politicians venture into medicine. I'm not sure what significance a heartbeat has other than a vague symbolic one. This is clearly driven by ideology, and people should become upset when this is done. This is really just another example of people in power going well beyond their expertise to make decisions for others based upon ideology.

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