Reflections on Philosophy

Rational Realm welcomes contributions of personal reflections for publication on our site. Please review our submission guidelines and contact us.

Epistemology

• Bayes' Theorem and Theory Appraisal

  Can the failed subjective interpretation of 'probability' by Bayesians be replaced with an objective view that more adequately quantifies the degree of support offered by evidence for a scientific theory?

Metaphysics

• Is Free Will Compatible with Determinism?

  Exploring whether human beings can possess genuine free will in a deterministic world and the implications for moral responsibility.

• Determinism, Morality and Human Relationships

  Leslie Allan shares his perspective on the implications of a deterministic framing of behaviour for morality and human relationships.

• Donald Hoffman's Conscious Realism

  Leslie Allan summarizes neuroscientist Donald Hoffman's version of ontological idealism in which Hoffman presents the thesis that all that exists are conscious agents.

Ethics

• What's Wrong with Democracy?

  The rise of Donald Trump and the outcome of the Brexit vote indicate that our democratic systems of government are under stress.

• Doing Good without God

  Read one atheist's story about how she practices effective altruism through Kiva microfinance.

• Working Towards Alleviating Extreme Poverty

  Heather McLaughlin shares four straightforward and effective strategies for doing good better.

• Moral Norms and Normativity

  Do moral norms differ from non-moral norms, such as norms of law, prudence, etiquette and game play? This preliminary analysis teases out what is common to all normative systems and what is different about moral norms.