tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329035545132507782024-03-13T11:14:41.096-05:00Philosophy FoosballThe Official Blog of the Providence College Philosophy Foosball ClubHendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-53292342452235762982013-07-04T15:18:00.000-05:002013-07-05T10:51:05.090-05:00Be employable, study philosophy! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wD-nJo1SiKWUxIU97wWtca7Vgu5hFJyiR8W4ZUnimbi82RMtxXZh_G4FuYcgIr73OfmwxIy0YLrH_nMOEWgSlMdMcUGtfRX4Wr98gOmDfrnRfgyFIKlQoovz2UwSXCPgvAXpxhd059KL/s591/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wD-nJo1SiKWUxIU97wWtca7Vgu5hFJyiR8W4ZUnimbi82RMtxXZh_G4FuYcgIr73OfmwxIy0YLrH_nMOEWgSlMdMcUGtfRX4Wr98gOmDfrnRfgyFIKlQoovz2UwSXCPgvAXpxhd059KL/s320/untitled.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)</span></td></tr>
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Vancouver journalist Shannon Rupp, "Be employable, study philosophy" (<em>Salon</em>, July 1, 2013): "I tell people the most useful classes I took were all in philosophy. Yes, the course of study that has long been denigrated as frivolous and useless in the job market has been the part of my education that I lean o<span class="text_exposed_show">n again and again. For work and everything else.... 'Jobs change. But if you teach students to think clearly first, they can do whatever else they want to do'.” <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/07/01/be_employable_study_philosophy_partner/">Read the rest of Shannon Rupp's article</a>. Then come to Providence University College and take some philosophy courses! (Look for philosophy courses in <a href="http://www.providenceuc.ca/college/programs/humanities/">Humanities</a>.)</span>Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-58305791797949859262013-05-17T11:58:00.002-05:002013-05-20T18:47:11.274-05:00On Jesus, Objective Truth, Etc.<br />
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Here is a fine article from the philosophers over at Tyndale University College:<br />
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<a href="http://tyndalephilosophy.com/2013/04/16/jesus-and-objective-truth/">Jesus and Objective Truth</a><br />
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And here are some articles from the philosopher over at Providence University College:<br />
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<a href="http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.ca/2008/11/what-is-truth.html">What is truth?</a><br />
<a href="http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.ca/2011/06/pragmatic-theory-of-truth-is-false.html">Pragmatic theory of truth ... is false</a><br />
<a href="http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.ca/2010/11/nietzsches-skepticism.html">Nietzsche's skepticism</a><br />
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Happy spring-summer reading!Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-60828317827874380172013-04-03T12:33:00.001-05:002013-04-03T12:34:58.272-05:00Tyndale Philosophy Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tyndale University College (Toronto) has a new blog that might be of interest to Providence University College students taking philosophy: <a href="http://tyndaleucphilos.wordpress.com/">Every Thought Captive: Official Blog of Tyndale UC Philosophy Department</a>.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-31505700742362135902013-03-31T19:45:00.001-05:002013-03-31T19:54:43.010-05:00Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Easter is the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. But did Jesus actually rise from the dead? Here's a 9 minute portion of a debate between two important philosophers, William Lane Craig (yes) and Alex Rosenberg (no): </div>
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For further reading: <a href="http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.ca/2010/04/easter-and-philosophy.html">Easter and philosophy</a>, <a href="http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.ca/2009/12/believing-christmas-because-of-easter.html">Believing Christmas because of Easter</a>, and <a href="http://apologiabyhendrikvanderbreggen.blogspot.ca/2009/04/did-easter-happen.html">Did Easter Happen?</a><br />
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Happy Easter!Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-30906502552891824012013-03-07T18:57:00.000-06:002013-03-07T19:01:03.403-06:00Thinking about Wealth, Poverty, and Free Enterprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Does free enterprise lead to an ugly consumerist culture?<br />
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Philosopher Jay W. Richards attempts to answer this question in <a href="http://blog.tifwe.org/does-free-enterprise-lead-to-an-ugly-consumerist-culture/">Part 7</a> of "Eight Most Popular Myths about Wealth, Poverty, and Free Enterprise." Food for thought.<br />
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<a href="http://university.acton.org/faculty/dr-jay-richards">Jay W. Richards</a> is (among other things) a research fellow at the Acton Institute.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-86112221646959386212013-03-02T17:45:00.001-06:002013-03-02T17:45:53.908-06:00Faith Beyond Belief<br />
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This looks like a good conference: <a href="http://www.faithbeyondbelief.ca/events/2013_be_ready/overview.html">Be Ready: Reasonable Faith in an Uncertain World</a>. Where? Calgary. When? March 8 & 9, 2013. Speakers include William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, Clay Jones, Craig Hazen, Irving Hexham.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-52235588307476998152013-02-21T15:03:00.000-06:002013-02-24T11:40:06.107-06:00Philosophy Foosball Dinner -- POSTPONED<br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>PLEASE NOTE:</strong> <span style="font-size: small;">Philosophy Foosball Club Dinner has been postponed. A Memorial Service has been planned for the late and beloved Dr. Henry Schellenberg and will occur in Winnipeg at <a href="http://westminsterchurchwinnipeg.ca/"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Westminster Church</strong></span></a>, Friday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. A new date for PFC Dinner is to be determined and will be announced soon.</span></span></span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">A Night of Quining and Dining</span></strong><br />
Winter 2013 Philosophy Foosball Dinner will occur at Dr. and Mrs. VDB's place on Friday, March 1st at <strong>6:15</strong> p.m. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner we will enjoy presentations on the philosophy of Willard van Orman Quine (VOQ?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some serious philosophical discussion we will play some serious games of skill (foosball on the mini-table and heart-pounding Crokinole) plus we will listen to some serious musical talent (from the one and only Manny Coon and perhaps others who happen to bring along a musical instrument). <br />
For those planning to attend, please RSVP by email to VDB by noon on Wednesday, February 27 at the latest. (If you've already RSVP'd via Facebook, that's sufficient.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need directions, contact VDB.<br />
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Hope to see you all there! <o:p></o:p><br />
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VDB<br />
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P.S. All students interested in philosophy, whether current Providence students or not, are welcome.<br />
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P.P.S. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyXtQ0OQ6Ng">Here is VDB practicing for Crokinole rematch with Rob Horsley.</a><o:p></o:p>Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-41613314334761484482013-02-06T12:12:00.001-06:002013-02-06T12:14:08.031-06:00Plantinga!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga has been awarded the prestigious Rescher Prize for his contributions to philosophy. For more detail, see <a href="http://blog.independent.org/2013/02/02/alvin-planinga-receives-prestigious-rescher-prize/">David Theroux's article</a>.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-78655074670186128522013-01-29T17:31:00.002-06:002013-01-29T17:36:26.443-06:00Missio Dei<br />
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Gospel. Justice. Setting captives free. Good food for philosophical thought<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">—</span>and action. Come to <a href="http://www.providenceuc.ca/college/news_and_events/news_releases/index.cfm?newsid=567">Missio Dei</a>.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-56201818512183529452013-01-21T14:19:00.001-06:002013-01-21T14:34:08.081-06:00No Secrets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes a secret should be exposed, not kept. Here are some clarifications and criticisms of the new gnosticism found in Rhonda Byrne's <em>The Secret</em> from <a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/the-secret-new-book-old-lie-11539810.html">Mark Earley</a> and <a href="http://www.johnstackhouse.com/2007/02/21/oprahs-secret-new-old-good-bad/">John Stackhouse, Jr.</a> Good food for philosophical thought.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-74741651549768529672013-01-15T18:59:00.000-06:002013-01-15T18:59:10.169-06:00Philosophical Idol?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Hume (1711-1776)</td></tr>
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Here's an interesting piece from <i>The Chronicle of Higher Education</i>: <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/the-philosophers-that-philosophers-like-best/31917">"The Philosophers That Philosophers Like Best"</a>.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-34535446404802225142012-12-30T22:46:00.001-06:002012-12-30T22:46:06.282-06:00A Change Is Gonna Come<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gbO2_077ixs" width="459"></iframe><br />
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The title says it all. Christmas has come and gone again this year, a rather sorrowful Christmas this year for many as yet another school shooting makes headlines across the world. Creation cries out in unison with its creator and saviour as he makes his sounds from a manger.Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-76944157324658414842012-12-08T19:12:00.000-06:002012-12-21T00:41:16.090-06:00Story vs. story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh6fSrUAzII0vtSvS65d2tX-jRkaEoc68_bo9eKRhZGbyGl3uqtFJytdt-vBQVXZ4YTvoCyz0feYiizgqN6LO36tadRhC6i6ll1isTdkOJVDa4n1teoDmZ6VOMqyL6EiyTr2dTECXKaiC/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh6fSrUAzII0vtSvS65d2tX-jRkaEoc68_bo9eKRhZGbyGl3uqtFJytdt-vBQVXZ4YTvoCyz0feYiizgqN6LO36tadRhC6i6ll1isTdkOJVDa4n1teoDmZ6VOMqyL6EiyTr2dTECXKaiC/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
Story vs. story? In other words, we should apply critical thinking to worldviews, religious or secular. For a philosophically insightful article about stories, read Elizabeth Sunshine's <a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/articles/entry/12/20982">"Choosing a Story: 'Life of Pi' and Worldview"</a>. For another insightful article about <em>Life of Pi</em>, read Michael Leaser's <a href="http://www.worldmag.com/2012/11/fluff_pi">"Fluff Pi"</a>, <em>World Magazine</em>, December 1, 2012. (Not so incidentally, next semester Providence University College is offering a Critical Thinking course and a Philosophy of Religion course.) Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-73278354919174932452012-12-07T00:36:00.000-06:002012-12-07T00:36:28.120-06:00Friday Philosophy Lunch Cancelled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Please be advised that the Philosophy Foosball lunch for Friday, December 7, has been cancelled. Students are encouraged to focus their minds on their studies and paper writing. Students are also encouraged to focus their appetites on the Christmas Banquet, which begins at 6:30 in the Student Life Centre.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-6821005523004635772012-11-08T23:12:00.002-06:002012-11-08T23:12:47.332-06:00Philosophy MemesHere's a special guest post from Blogmaster Emeritus, Mark Jensen:<br />
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<br />Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-69081963019818556222012-10-16T23:43:00.000-05:002012-10-16T23:43:28.110-05:00Evolving in Monkey Town<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zgBzw%2BS8L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></div>
In your wanderings around campus you may have noticed a certain book lying about. That book is one <i>Evolving in Monkey Town </i>by Rachel Held Evans. This book will be a subject of discourse at this year's Providence UC Faculty Forum and I would strongly encourage you to pick it up, read it, write your thoughts on it, and ponder its message.<br />
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This Friday PFC will be discussing this book at lunch so if you haven't read it yet, it might be a good idea to do so, it's a pretty easy and fun read.<br />
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To entice you to read this book and to foster some discussion, here is a brief review:<br />
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Evolution, a term loaded with a lot of rhetorical and emotional baggage in the religious culture of North America. As anyone versed in van der Breggenian philosophy ought to know, words can have multiple senses, and this proves true for the word "evolution". Evolution can refer to the Darwinian theory, or to simply change over time (there are many other senses, but for the sake of brevity I have only included two). <i>Evolving in Monkey Town</i> is the autobiographical account of one girl's journey growing up in a uber fundamentalist town and her coming to grips with her faith.<br />
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Rachel Held Evans grew up as the keenest apologist for her faith to be found. When she begins to realize that some of her answers just don't hold up against the emotional onslaught of dealing with real people, she begins to question her faith. Her journey reminds me much of Psalm 27, knows God, experiences some upheaval and disorientation and then is reoriented in her faith, now with a heart knowledge to accompany her "answers".<br />
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For the most part, I felt like I could identify well with the character. While my upbringing was not nearly as fundamentalist as hers, there are points of contact that hit home. For any who have struggled with doubts as they wrestled with their faith, they will find a familiar story here. This book is rhetorically powerful and convincing because of its emotional narrative. Where logical connections are lacking, the force of remembered experience evokes sympathy in the reader as one is drawn into the text.<br />
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My one major critique is that Evans seemed to force her faith to conform to her conscience. Somehow she knew that certain things were really right and really wrong, and where her theology clashed with that, she needed to do some work. The question that remains begging to be asked is of course, how does she know that her conscience was speaking truth. It would seem to me that she moved along a good moral direction throughout the story, but where did the standards of right and wrong come from that prompted her to deal with the inconsistencies of her faith?<br />
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I appreciated the emphasis that Evans put on the asking of questions over the defending of answers. There are a lot of things about God, that perhaps, it is better we never quite figure out. That being said, we shouldn't through out the notion of any epistemic certainty. We are a long way, each of us, from having the whole truth, but as VDB would say, "we do know some things, and that I think is significant".Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-81153688425151847962012-09-23T23:31:00.002-05:002012-09-23T23:31:24.545-05:00Push SelectHey PFCers!<br />
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Take some time to check out this wonderful new site, brought to you by many former members of this prestigious club.<br />
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(Picture of Soren Kierkegaard playing some Nintendo)</div>
Introducing Push Select. A website dedicated to the study of philosophy and video games, with the occasional theological comment and some nifty artwork. Check it out <a href="http://www.pushselectmagazine.com/">here.</a>Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-2432742932012480832012-09-22T15:44:00.002-05:002012-09-22T23:37:48.464-05:00Friday's DiscussionThis past Friday, the PFC had a very interesting conversation about the importance of the historical veracity of the life of Jesus Christ. I feel we reached a good synthesis of ideas which I here make an attempt to lay out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-kN0VL0dFURFffmATd9DKgoPC6XuOrQAin_XIjJ1OX7DmQzqbHbUYaqIBZiA084RHQ3OyW9mWyUJY4shYo7zJhB7yGekwH0Jc-VwVZN_JCxsB3Dl8ch3Q79-9pZff2ll3JQaXP6k6bhi/s1600/Christ-Icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-kN0VL0dFURFffmATd9DKgoPC6XuOrQAin_XIjJ1OX7DmQzqbHbUYaqIBZiA084RHQ3OyW9mWyUJY4shYo7zJhB7yGekwH0Jc-VwVZN_JCxsB3Dl8ch3Q79-9pZff2ll3JQaXP6k6bhi/s320/Christ-Icon.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
The event of the incarnation and atonement are historical incidents. Jesus of Nazareth, according to the record (primarily the canonical Gospels), was a real man who lived, died, came back to life and ascended into heaven. These actions are significant whether we know about them or not (VDB's observation). Now, if nobody had recorded these actions, if they in fact had happened, that would still be significant (VDB). The fact remains however that these events were recognized for their significance and remembered by a community (RT's observation). If the events had not been recognized for their significance, not recorded, and subsequently not remembered - i.e., the Church did not start - this would cast doubt on the crucial claim of the man Jesus (RT, see note below regarding the crucial claim of Christ). This doubt, however, would not be sufficient for dismissing the reality of Christ's actions; the observation and recognition of an event have no bearing on whether an event actually happened (VDB). Now, the fact that the Church did indeed recognize and preserve the history of Jesus is good evidence to suggest that, in fact, it did happen, and that the event did have the meaning that it is alleged to have. The effect that Christ claimed to come to enact has indeed happened (i.e., his claim to be an atoning sacrifice, seeing the fruits of that sacrifice in a community that responded to his atoning work), supporting favourably the claims made that what he did in his life, death, and resurrection really mattered.<br />
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The theological significance of Christ has no foundation without the actual real events (VDB). But it seems significant that we know about the event, and the significance of the event due to the work of the Church, that community that continues to embody Christ and is made up of individuals who have been radically affected by the event of Christ (RT). The event is not logically contingent on the change it affects, but it would be reasonable to doubt the veracity of the claims surrounding the event if no change was affected. (Note: My understanding is that Christ's claim is that he is God which I understand as being closely accompanied by the claim that he would, in the words of Isaiah, "set the captives free" and build his Church. His primary claim would be suspect if the secondary claims that are closely associated with it did not occur. At best I would suggest a suspension of belief because of our inability to know; luckily, there is evidence that those secondary claims occurred, allowing for belief in the primary claim.)<br />
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Is it not wonderful that there was a community that recognized that Jesus truly was the son of God and recorded the historical events of his life, alerting us to the fact that he indeed did matter? Now let us gaze upon the Risen Christ in thanksgiving for the work of his life, and the continued work of his body the Church.<br />
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<br />Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-31604598580959824872012-09-14T11:01:00.000-05:002012-09-14T11:01:12.425-05:00Philosophy: Let's talk about it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Come to Philosophy Foosball lunches.</div>
Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-90564846863698475782012-08-18T23:08:00.000-05:002012-08-18T23:08:32.960-05:00NothingToday on <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2188844685">Quirks and Quarks</a> Bob McDonald interviewed Dr. Lawrence Krauss, author of <i><a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Universe-from-Nothing/Lawrence-M-Krauss/9781451624458">A Universe from Nothing</a>. </i>Krauss argues that Nothing is actually a quantity that is radically different than conceived by classical philosophy. He then proceeds to explain that Nothing, i.e., a vacuum devoid of all particles, actually has mass that can be measured. Diving into the murky waters of quantum physics he discusses the nature of gravity and how it has the ability to create things from nothing.<br />
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As I listened I was fascinated by his account, however I found that I disagreed with his description of Nothing. He was saying that Nothing was not actually no-thing but rather Something. Having a raging sea of energy, or so-called "Dark Matter" is not Nothing, there seems to be yet another language game at work here, a subtle redefining of the word. Krauss uses the word Nothing to refer to a state that is in reality something, his science is interesting, his reasoning ics flawed. Krauss, I believe, has made a category mistake in his explanation of Nothing.<br />
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Throughout this interview he repeatedly bashes creationists and religious believers. However he takes it a step further by even rejecting philosophical explanations. This shows an example of a scientist overstepping his bounds (for more on the limits of Science, see Dr. van der Breggen's class on the Philosophy of Science). Regardless of one's views on the origins of the cosmos, it is important that one thinks critically about the nature of Nothing, I would caution against those who define Nothing as Something. Give the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/episode/2012/01/21/january-21-2012/">interview </a>a listen, and think critically!Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-70093698713795088442012-08-15T00:12:00.000-05:002012-08-18T22:41:17.892-05:00Meme AnalysisBlogmaster Emeritus, Mark Jensen, recently sent me this internet meme asking PFC to do an analysis of its alleged logic. I'm sure many of you have seen it on Facebook but here it is again. When I received this in a message I suddenly got a mental image of VDB muttering into his mustache "So many fallacies" and I knew that something must be done.<br />
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*Disclaimer: I or PFC do not necessarily agree or disagree with the above conclusion of this meme, this exercise is merely a look at the use (or lack thereof) of critical thinking.</div>
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For starters, the nature of internet memes is such that there is almost inevitably going to be a massive case of the Straw Person fallacy going on. There are in fact many quite nuanced arguments against H, drawing inspiration from the Bible that cannot be so casually dismissed with a sentence, more work should be done.</div>
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Now working from left to right.</div>
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"Because Jesus Said So" - the objection is true, although a case could be made that inferences could be drawn from what he did say on similar topics.</div>
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The first blue box, "Have fun..." unnecessarily insults people who hold to a certain view. This is known as an ad hominem attack and in this case bullies people into agreeing with the author rather than actually engaging in debate.</div>
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The next two boxes, "OT and NT" end with false dichotomies. There are other ways to answer the secondary questions than just a simple yes or no (although flow charts get messy when they have to deal with every possibility). </div>
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A theological insert here - to say that the Bible clearly defines anything can often be a stretch, and both boxes in this route fall prey to a rather shallow reading of the text.</div>
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The appeal to the "ick factor" in the final route is an interesting one and should not be so quickly dismissed. Yes we should be tolerant, and there should under no circumstances be hateful discrimination. However, there is something to be said for prima facie arguments, appeals to the obvious norm (this is basic anatomy). Much can be said for alternatives, but the simple fact of our anatomy remains and questions can and should be raised about a cavalier approach to sexuality: Are all practices healthy, safe, beneficial? These issues should be examined in and of themselves, not simply dismissed out of hand.</div>
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Finally, the only green box, the alleged "right answer". The inference of this comment is that those who disagree are uncivilized barbarians, which is simply not the case. There are civilized, educated people with very real concerns and to paint them as something they are not, is as bad as discriminating against homosexuals. Fighting discrimination with discrimination, while perhaps rhetorically effective, is not logically sound.</div>
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In conclusion, this meme is riddled with fallacies and logical shortcuts. Complex questions very rarely have easy sloganesque answers.</div>
Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-12997513316326462342012-07-31T21:25:00.003-05:002012-07-31T21:25:40.209-05:00A note about language.An ever-popular and decisive debate in popular culture centers around the issue of gay marriage. This summer I have been tossing around some thoughts on language and I think they might be relevant here.<br />
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The debate (in Canada at any rate) often comes up when members of clergy refuse to perform weddings for homosexual couples. The real problem, I would like to suggest, is one of language. English only has one word for that particular union between two people, that is "marriage". I would like to suggest that much of our current conflict could be diverted if we were more clear in our definition of this word.<br />
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For the Church, marriage is a symbol of Christ's relationship with the Church, and more importantly a symbol of the Trinity (particularly in it's procreative capacity). For more on the Church's view on marriage see the discussion held by St. Margaret's Parish <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Human-Sexuality-Nuptial-Mystery-Jeal/dp/1606089447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343785368&sr=8-1">here</a>.<br />
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The state on the other hand, has a much simpler non-sacramental view of marriage that views marriage as a certain intimate legal contract between two people.<br />
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Now the state has decreed that marriage, as they define it, applies to homosexuals, so when a homosexual goes to a church and asks a clergy member to marry them, they believe they are asking for what they have a right to. However, when they ask for this in the Church, they are asking for something that is quite different than they think they are asking for. The Church's definition of marriage would actually probably disqualify many heterosexual couples (again, see "Human Sexuality and the Nuptial Mystery"), Christians are therefore not necessarily being discriminatory, it is rather that there are conflicting definitions that lead people to assume that two quite different unions are<br />
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The Church has an ancient tradition of civil union between two partners (regardless of sex) that is blessed in the Church, but IS NOT MARRIAGE (as understood by the Church). Perhaps a change in terminology would go a long way towards defusing some of the tension in this debate.<br />
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The state definition says that homosexuals have all the rights and privileges of heterosexuals, this does not seem problematic. What would be problematic is the destruction of this sacramental symbol. Perhaps as Christians it is our duty to more clearly define what it is that marriage is, and how that affects both hetero and homosexual couples.<br />
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What other debates do you see that the language we use regarding them unnecessarily inflates them?Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-90090702892043379092012-07-16T17:27:00.000-05:002012-07-16T18:53:27.546-05:00Summer 2012 Philosophy Foosball Dinner Notes<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyle Derkson, VDB, Harley Dyck</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Our number was small but our appetite for food and philosophy huge.
After some fine Canadian cuisine (burgers; many thanks to Carla VDB), we
settled in for serious philosophical discussion (see photos).</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Topics ranged widely and wonderfully.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Near the end of the evening, PFC Übermensch Mark Jensen suggested that
each of us set out a "thesis" (i.e., some philosophical topic that
interests us). Each of us "defended" a thesis, which was great fun. Some theses included examining the criteria
of historicity used in the Jesus quest/s (Jeff Honsberger); studying the logic
of language used in God-talk and studying its relevance to persuasion (Kyle Derkson); exploring the philosophy of music (David Ward); defending
the notion of objectivity in objective truth (VDB). Some PFC members (Harley Dyck, Mark Jensen, and
Jordan Ross) kindly put their thesis statements to print, so below I publish their
thesis statements for the reader's enjoyment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Note to Jeff, Kyle, and David: If I have misrepresented your theses, I
apologize; it was getting late and I should have been taking notes.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harley Dyck, Jeff Honsberger</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Harley Dyck</b>: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">My thesis would (at this moment) be an exploration of the
application of Christian morality to the question of violence. Is
violence ever good or justifiable? Is there a difference? What
about 'redemptive violence'? What of the arguments for the just war
position? Is Christianity really pacifistic? What of Bonhoeffer's
idea that following God's will should come before questions of applied ethics?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">"I have been
contemplating this topic for quite a while now, and am beginning to reach some
conclusions. Interestingly, some of my conclusions have been disturbing
and uncomfortable, so more contemplation will definitely follow in this
area."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Jensen?</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Mark Jensen</b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">"My thesis, which I
intend to write in 2012-2013 at CMU, is on the relationship between Immanuel Kant's
philosophy of religion and his early upbringing in Lutheran Pietism. More
specifically, I want to answer the question of whether Immanuel Kant's
understanding of pure religion bears the markings of his earlier religious
upbringing in Lutheran Pietism. It is often noted in scholarly literature that
Kant has absorbed Christian language and filtered it through his philosophy,
but no one has provided more than an assertion to this point. I intend to
investigate this question, primarily through looking at Kant's later writings
on religion (<i>Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone</i>, <i>The Conflict of the
Faculties</i>, <i>The End of All Things</i>). </span></div>
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"Why am I interested in such a subject that seems to be, on first glance,
boring and pointless? I think that if such a connection between Kant and
Pietism can be demonstrated it can help give us a glimpse into how we got from
the German Enlightenment to Protestant liberalism and Evangelicalism. Of
course, sketching such a genealogy would be beyond the scope of a graduate
thesis. I only wish to fill in one piece
of the puzzle."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kant, David Ward, Jordan Ross</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Jordan Ross</b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">"My 'thesis' (not a
thesis in a formal sense, but just something that I've been thinking about
recently) is simply, 'What is the best way to characterize the relationship
between a thinker's biography and his or her ideas?' On one extreme we have the view, represented
by Roland Barthes, that one does not need to know anything about a thinker's
biography to adequately understand that thinker's ideas. On the other extreme we have a view, sometimes
seen amongst 20th century psychoanalytic thinkers and some current postmodern
theorists, that biography determines a thinker's ideas. I'm trying to sort through all this and come
up with a more moderate, but also a more nuanced view on the matter. I'm motivated to do this because I think
getting this relationship between idea and biography right can help correct
misunderstandings of certain thinkers."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Ah, the joys of fine
philosophy, fine food, and fine friends!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-36648524554487875472012-06-24T11:22:00.000-05:002012-06-24T11:36:04.136-05:00Summer 2012 Philosophy Foosball Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmExudlU70_xPi1mv0vE6GFFyuuh7OLe83g_9S-s8lGDb82udVk-n7a0z8vyFSeQ1x9DJt2T9Z4TjL4M5IQg_R5ELPIm6aoqdu959orSowQ6h-et2XQtHT6Srj_u3Wi1_2dhLA5BsmZfT/s1600/Sweden-Nobel-dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmExudlU70_xPi1mv0vE6GFFyuuh7OLe83g_9S-s8lGDb82udVk-n7a0z8vyFSeQ1x9DJt2T9Z4TjL4M5IQg_R5ELPIm6aoqdu959orSowQ6h-et2XQtHT6Srj_u3Wi1_2dhLA5BsmZfT/s400/Sweden-Nobel-dinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: medium;">Important
Notice:</span></strong><br />
<br />
Summer 2012 Philosophy Foosball Club Dinner will
occur at the VDBs' place on Saturday, July 7, 2012, at 5:30 p.m. Food, philosophy, foosball<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="background-color: white;">good times for sure! (In other words, we will imitate the Form of the Good in the realm of Becoming.)</span><br />
<br />
For those planning to attend, please
RSVP by email to Dr. V by noon on Thursday July 5th at the latest.<br />
<br />
Hope
to see you all there!<br />
<br />
Disclaimer: Objects in photo may appear more glamorous than actual objects in the VDB residence.Hendrik van der Breggenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149481975577863835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232903554513250778.post-63147316779418438812012-06-20T23:40:00.000-05:002012-06-20T23:59:02.990-05:00Freedom of Speech, the Canadian Myth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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More and more in today's social climate it seems that civil discourse that relies on the freedom of speech and expression is becoming extinct. It is becoming increasingly apparent that if you do not agree with public opinion you are made to be silenced. ID advocates have run into this for years as the movie Expelled attempts to show, but now close to home the <a href="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/government-funded-registry-of-homophobic-acts-launched-today-in-quebec">Homophobe registry in Quebec</a> seems to move even farther in the censorship of this essential freedom.<br />
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Democracy can only function properly when all sides are given a voice, we are reduced to some sort of totalitarian fascism if all voices except the officially approved ones are silenced. Democracy ceases to function in a climate of censorship.</div>
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This registry would seem to contradict the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. On a more alarmist note, when voices are silenced, deeds are resorted to, if homophobia wants to be assured, Quebec has taken the proper steps in ensuring that desperate measures may be resorted to by those who feel as though they have lost their voice.</div>
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Please think critically as to how we can have civil discourse about all manner of socially explosive issues, without resorting to leveling lawsuits against those with whom we disagree. Do not allow the chains of censorship to silence the free speech of democracy.<br />
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Also,<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL6mqIrRnJs"> here is a lecture</a> by Slavoj Zizek in which he argues that this so-called "tolerance" banner beneath which such acts as this registry are justified, is actually fundamentally intolerant. He makes an astute observation on the Christian duty to "love thy neighbor". This registry, and other such moves done in the name of "tolerance" are, according to Zizek, our way of keeping the "neighbor" at arm's length, ultimately leaving them unloved.</div>Ryan Turnbullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04793079884375147252noreply@blogger.com0