Deep Dive

A collection of 1068 posts

Ficino

Beards and the Perverted Faculty Argument

Here is the third and final part in a series of pieces by regular erudite commenter Ficino (the first part can be found here, the secon here). This series will be looking at Natural Law Theory in its historical context. Over to Ficino: III. Beards and the Perverted Faculty Argument

atheism

“No Religion” is the Top Religion in Australia

The census in Australia caused a lot of stirring in the nonreligious community, not least because the authorities agreed to move “no religion” to the top of the list on the Census. This is in accord with international practice. News.com.au reported: The religion question was controversial this year,

death

Repentance and an Untimely Death

It's not often that I get to think about a theological issue in a different way, or realising a different issue or application of a problem. However, I was having an email conversation the other day with a friend (JH), and one came up. Here is JH'

Ficino

On the Veiling of Virgins: Continuing To Critique Tertullian

Some Early Natural Law Arguments: Faculties, Functions and Organs (part II) Here is the second part in a series of pieces by regular erudite commenter Ficino (the first part can be found here). This series will be looking at Natural Law Theory in its historical context. Over to Ficino: 1.

Ficino

Some Early Natural Law Arguments: Faculties, Functions and Organs

Here is the first part in a series of pieces by regular erudite commenter Ficino. This series will be looking at Natural Law Theory in its historical context. Over to Ficino: 1. Tertullian On the Soldier’s Wreath (c. 211 CE) In 211 C.E., Roman emperor Septimius Severus died

atheism

53% of Britons are non-religious, says latest British Social Attitudes Survey

This came from Humanists UK: The 34th annual British Social Attitudes Survey has shown that non-religious people represent a clear majority of British people in 2017, accounting for 53% of the population. This is a new high for the non-religious population, which was previously estimated at 51% in 2014. The

Robert Green Ingersoll

July Ingersoll

My friend Julian Haydon has created a website dedicated to the great agnostic, Robert G. Ingersoll. The site is set out like a newspaper and is a labour of love. Please check it out – the link is below. To give respect to both men, I will be posting some Ingersoll

Catholic Church

Are Catholic Clergy more Likely to Be Paedophiles than the General Public?

This is a question that has been kicking around ever since the child sex abuse scandal involving the Catholic church came to the fore. In around 2010, loads of articles came out, citing some data, that the priesthood was broadly in line with national averages, some people claimed it was

Catholic Church

Cardinal Pell Charged with Historic Sex Abuse

It's been a long time comin'. I have reported on this ongoing investigation before, several times. What is it with the One True Religion™? Here we have someone, Cardinal George Pell (Vatican treasurer), in one of the most senior positions in the church being accused of one

Epistemology

On the Argument from Divine Miscommunication

The Argument from Divine Miscommunication, as set out by people like John Loftus (for example, in Chapter 7 of The Christian Delusion, titled "The Problem of Divine Miscommunication"), is a glaringly obvious one. There is so much confusion between theists on what God is, what God means, and

Debate

Alex O'Connor vs Frank Turek on the Moral Argument

This debate is worth a watch. There is a rare thing that happens before radio debates like this - some discussion of terms. I previously posted a video of the CosmicSkeptic on the Kalam Cosmological Argument.

humanism

First ever legal humanist wedding ceremony takes place in Northern Ireland

This great news comes from Humanists UK: The first ever legal humanist wedding ceremony took place in Northern Ireland yesterday afternoon. After a lengthy legal battle to secure recognition, Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane wed in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by friends and family and conducted by Humanists UK

atheism

UK Poll Shows One in Five are Humanists, a Third Hold Humanist Beliefs

This is from Humanists UK: More than one in five people have humanist beliefs and values, a new survey published today has revealed. The new research, conducted by YouGov, has found that 22% of people are non-religious, use science in place of faith to understand the universe, and take a

blogging

Another Call for the Release of Raif Badawi

This has come from the IHEU - the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU): Coalition of rights groups supports statement by Ensaf Haidar at UN, calling for release of her husband Raif Badawi - after five years in jail It's been five years since Saudi writer and activist,

Brexit

Regulation: Morality, London Fire, Trump and Brexit

In light of the fire at the Grenfell London tower block, regulation is the hot button topic. A couple of months ago, I wrote a piece on regulation and how, when governments seek to strip it back, as they are doing in both the US and the UK, they are

Natural Law

Natural Law Theory and Sexual Pleasure: A Proposed Syllogism

Having a chat with a friend online the other day, a syllogism concerning Natural Law Theory (NLT) was proposed. I'll post it here to see what you think. Let's see if we can refine it, and work out where the weaknesses occur. For more information on

homosexuality

Sex and Sexuality: Criticising Natural Law Theory

I was recently asked to look at the Perverted Faculty Argument (PFA) by Ficino, here at ATP. It is not something I have spent much time looking at, though I remember arguing against this with Peter D. Williams, in terms of Natural Law, in a train on the way back

Conservatives

Conservative Contradiction: Meritocracy and Inheritance Tax

I have not particularly studied anything about Inheritance Tax (IHT), so this is coming purely from my own thinking about this. Yesterday, the Daily Mail predictably spouted off about the Labour Party's designs on IHT: Corbyn's sly death tax trap: 1.2million more families' homes

extremism

Mayor of Manchester, Burnham: Abedi "not a Muslim"

This old chestnut again. As many of you will know, I am a liberal philosopher, centre left economically, left socially. Most pushback I ever get is when I criticise Islam, and I get it from my fellow liberals. Invariably, though, those criticising my theological attacks on Islam: 1. have not

atheism

Nearly 50% of UK Have No Religion, but Is This Peak? Atheism in the UK

The Guardian has reported this, recently: The secularisation of Britain has been thrown into sharp focus by new research showing that for every person brought up in a non-religious household who becomes a churchgoer, 26 people raised as Christians now identify as non-believers. The study also shows that inner London

Blasphemy

Fry's Irish blasphemy investigation dropped; New Zealand prompted to repeal its own law

I am a few days behind because we have had inspectors in at work. Gah. Anyway, according to the British Humanist Association: The police service in the Republic of Ireland has decided to drop its investigation into Stephen Fry, over allegations he blasphemed in an interview on Irish channel RTE

Blasphemy

Stephen Fry Being Investigated in Ireland for Blasphemy

It's ridiculous, and blasphemy laws are ridiculous. C'mon Ireland! This is from the BBC: Police in the Republic of Ireland have launched an investigation after a viewer claimed comments made by Stephen Fry on a TV show were blasphemous. Officers are understood to be examining whether

crime

Free Will Skepticism and Criminal Behavior: Caruso's Public Health-Quarantine Model

I am reposting this because it has come up in conversations about free will recently and is thus pertinent again: The great Gregg Caruso has produced a fascinating looking paper which I can't wait to read. I have often advocated the quarantine method in crime and punishment. This

determinism

Reactive Attitudes: the Psychology of Free Will

On the thread to the post on whether or not moral responsibility exists in light of the falsity of libertarian free will, the idea of the ingrained psychology of free will came up. I thought I would expand on some ideas. Philosopher PF Strawson, father of philosopher Galen Strawson, was

determinism

With a Lack of Free Will, Do We Still Have Moral Responsibility?

The term "moral responsibility" is an interesting one in the context of moral philosophy and free will and determinism. The question is often raised as to whether we can have moral responsibility given a single path through life. If we do not have libertarian free will (the real