Some random, not very well-thought-out thoughts . . .

On blasphemy laws

A reasonable test of a nation's commitment to liberal democracy is the existence or otherwise of a blasphemy law on its statutes.

A reasonable test of an individual or organisation's commitment to liberal democracy is their willingness to bring a blasphemy suit against another individual or organisation.

On Foucault

I think the validity of Foucault’s work depends to a great degree upon how you approach it. Foucauldian theory as science? Category mistake. Foucauldian theory as a way–but certainly not the only way–of storytelling/interpreting history and culture? Far more valuable.

On Plato

What assumptions do I have about Plato? Not being very knowledgeable about him, just this one: his concept of Forms constitutes maybe the greatest blind alley in the history of Western philosophy, and has been an absolute boon to magical/dogmatic thinking for millennia.

(UPDATE) On the mall shooting

I blame secularism. Not for any good reason, mind you--I just wanted to get in ahead of the conservapundits. (Or have I already been beaten to the punch?)

The Simpsons and Philosophy


Sesame Street and Philosophy


Monty Python and Philosophy


Ben Folds and Philosophy

Read More

AV does shameless Simpsons Movie plugging just to get a cool avatar

It was worth selling my soul (proverbially speaking, of course) to make up my own Simpsons avatar . . .



Via Null.

Read More

Evangelical Simpsons

Via The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right.

"The Simpsons: Left Below"


More below the fold . . .


Ned Flanders: Creationist


Homer predicts the Rapture

Read More