PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING | The Morality of Atheism

According to the latest General Social Survey results—and for the first time in such survey history—the percentage of Americans who are absolutely convinced of God’s existence has fallen below 50%. And just last year, Gallup... Read More
PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING | A New Dimension for Humanism?

Why does humanism center human needs and interests alone? Humanist ethics are based on compassion for other humans because we know, from our own lives and from science, that other humans experience suffering and joy... Read More
PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING | Humans Becoming Gods—or Chips in a Cosmic Computer?

Yuval Noah Harari is a thinker of big ideas. An Israeli historian, he wrote Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011), about how we got where we are. Where we’re going was addressed in the... Read More
PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING | Simulation Rhapsody: How to Be Real Even If It’s All Fake

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? —“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen At our current rate of technological advancement—especially in the fields of computer science, artificial intelligence (AI), and video rendering—it may only be... Read More
PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING | An Atheist with a Tall Hat On: The Forgotten History of Agnosticism

One sometimes gets the impression that religious and nonreligous people alike consider agnosticism a more rational and sophisticated creed than atheism. On the contrary, agnosticism differs from atheism in name only. The distinction between the... Read More
PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING | Life’s a Bitch: An Atheistic Theology of Grace

“Life’s a bitch, and then you die.” At least, that’s the gospel according to acclaimed rapper Nas. I can’t remember the circumstances that placed that song on a music roster generally made up of Elton... Read More
Virtual Reality and Empathy

“Walk a mile in my shoes,” singer-songwriter Joe South advised back in the (highly overrated) peace and love days of 1969. If you could see you through my eyes Instead of your... Read More