480 Answered Questions for the topic philosophy

04/05/19

Is scientism a self defeating epistemology?
Some who have argued against the validity of scientism have argued that the view that only science can uncover truth is not a scientific discovery but rather a epistemology. Hence it has been... more
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04/04/19

Why is scientism philosophically wrong?
I think a combination of science and philosophy _alone_ leads to closer to truth. Why is it that it is wrong to think that science _alone_ leads to truth? Isn't empirical truth the only one we can... more
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04/04/19

What are the major branches of philosophy?
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Philosophy Terminology Ethics

04/04/19

What, if anything, is the difference between ethics and moral philosophy?
Are the terms 'Ethics' and 'Moral Philosophy' different in extension as terms in philosophy? Some Departments of Philosophy have courses with titles like "Introduction to Ethics" and others with... more
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04/03/19

Is Science about Truth or Adequate Models?
Is it the general view amongst philosophers of science that science isn't about truth but rather adequately predictive models and therefore it doesn't make sense to speak of a scientific theory as... more
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Philosophy Biology

04/02/19

Whis is bioethics important in the medical field?
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04/02/19

Fundamental idea on proving God's existence with science?
I think that proving God's existence or any deity from any culture with the rigors of science is fundamentally absurd. The popular arguments usually involve space-time and the big bang theory. (I... more
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Philosophy Ethics Animals

04/02/19

Why is a lion not evil?
One often hears the claim that animals who kill and such, are not in fact evil. The typical example is that of a lion or a tiger that kills a prey. The argument is more or less that the animal acts... more
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Philosophy Logic Fallacies

03/31/19

What's so fallacious about the Slippery Slope Fallacy?
When you look at the world, I think it's a rather non-controversial statement that a good percentage, if not a majority, of social problems are caused by people making choices based solely on... more
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03/27/19

Evil thoughts without actions?
Can a thought without a corresponding action be morally wrong? More fully, under which approaches to morality do thoughts, in and of themselves, carry moral significance? In particular I'm looking... more
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Philosophy Ethics

03/27/19

What are the ethical problems with flipping a coin to decide in the trolley problem?
My understanding is that John M. Taurek suggests that, in the Trolley Problem, we should flip a coin when deciding between saving 5 lives versus 1 life (assuming we do not know any of these... more
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03/27/19

Since words are defined in terms of other words in dictionaries, leading to infinite loops, does it mean natural languages are meaningless?
Since words are defined in terms of other words in dictionaries, leading to infinite loops, does it mean natural languages are meaningless? Are infinitely recursive definitions valid? If we... more
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03/27/19

What is cultural relativism?
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03/27/19

What is the purpose of the universe?
There are two extremes known as **creationism** vs **evolutionism**. Let's consider creationism for a moment, and imagine that God exists, and he/she has created us. The question that obsesses my... more
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03/27/19

How can one rebut the argument that atheism is inherently immoral?
It not uncommon to see religious people arguing that without the moral center of a religious text, true ethics are impossible. The reasoning goes that, without a fixed moral center, atheists are... more
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03/26/19

Is the universe isomorphic to a universal turing machine?
I often think about problems that require an understanding of the very essence of computation and its inherent limitations. So, my questions are as followed: - Is the universe isomorphic to a... more
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03/26/19

Did the Ancient Greek Philosophers actually believe in their Gods and Myths?
Is there any historical proof that shows what attitude the Ancient Greeks, specially the philosophers, had towards their Gods?
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Philosophy Art History Chinese

03/24/19

What is an artwork from China that expresses a clear connection to Daoism or Confucianism and explain how the philosophy/religion is represented in the artwork?
What is an artwork from China that expresses a clear connection to Daoism or Confucianism and explain how the philosophy/religion is represented in the artwork?
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Philosophy Theology

03/19/19

If the universe has a beginning does that prove God exists?
It is curious to note that a eminent Physicist like Stephen Hawking thinks the universe has a beginning. This has some rather startling Religious implications
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03/19/19

Is it a fallacy, and if so which, to believe we are special because our existence on Earth seems improbable?
People often use the argument that there must be a God, for example, because Earth and the laws of physics are perfectly situated for humans to exist the way we do. However, if Earth or even the... more
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03/19/19

Is there anything that is totally random?
When I say totally random, I mean absolutely random, not pseudorandom. If I want to say "totally random" numbers such as 1,26,17,4,1 and 27, although I see them to be totally random, they aren't.... more
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03/19/19

Do any philosophers disagree with Occam's razor?
I never bought into the razor. For example, if I have two hypotheses A and B with equal evidence, the razor would have me pick the simpler one. But personally in my mind, I create a sort of... more
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03/19/19

Interpret Bayesian probability as frequentist probability?
It is usually said that the Bayesian probability is a subjective concept, quantifying one's degree of belief in something, while the frequentist probability is the the fraction of certain outcomes... more
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Philosophy Logic

03/19/19

What is the difference between "necessary" and "sufficient"?
What is the logical difference between something being necessary in order for something else to be true; as opposed to something being sufficient to make something else true. i.e. Fuel is... more
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Philosophy Epistemology

03/19/19

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence?
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." I think this statement raises some kind of epistemic problem. Like, how are we supposed to conclude the potential non-existence of something, like... more
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