by Coel Hellier In the all-time lists of Good Ideas the principle of religious freedom ranks high, preventing much strife and war and thus being responsible for saving more lives than penicillin and vaccination combined [1]. “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me … Continue reading Three cheers for religious toleration
Month: November 2014
Infinities in literature and mathematics
by Jorge Alejandro Laris Pardo During this past month, I was having a conversation with a couple of friends who study Latin-American Literature, and I noticed that they were having a hard time understanding how a literary work can have infinite critical interpretations, while at the same time not all its interpretations are critical. Apparently … Continue reading Infinities in literature and mathematics
The Stoic egg
by Massimo Pigliucci The annual Stoic Week is approaching [1], so it seems like a good time to return to my ongoing exploration of Stoicism as a philosophy of life. I have been practicing Stoicism since 4 October 2014 [2], and so far so good. I have been able to be more mindful about what … Continue reading The Stoic egg
Culture and genocide: what relationship?
by Dan Tippens [This essay is a different take on thoughts about the concept of genocide by NYU philosopher Paul Boghossian. We have previously published Massimo Pigliucci’s analysis of the same topic in Scientia Salon on 15 October 2014, under the title The Philosophy of Genocide.] Most of us think we understand what genocide means. … Continue reading Culture and genocide: what relationship?
The (ongoing) evolution of evolutionary theory
by Massimo Pigliucci Nature magazine recently ran a “point-counterpoint” entitled “Does evolutionary theory need a rethink?” [1] Arguing for the “Yes, urgently” side were Kevin Laland, Tobias Uller, Marc Feldman, Kim Sterelny, Gerd B. Müller, Armin Moczek, Eva Jablonka, and John Odling-Smee. Arguing for the “No, all is well” thesis were Gregory A. Wray, Hopi … Continue reading The (ongoing) evolution of evolutionary theory
Back to Square One: toward a post-intentional future
by Scott Bakker “... when you are actually challenged to think of pre-Darwinian answers to the question ‘What is Man?’ ‘Is there a meaning to life?’ ‘What are we for?’, can you, as a matter of fact, think of any that are not now worthless except for their (considerable) historic interest? There is such a … Continue reading Back to Square One: toward a post-intentional future
Scientia Salon 
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