contact(at)onbelief.orgList of Articles
Useful Links
A) philosphy Froums
http://forums.philosophyforums.com/
A good online place to ask questions and debate philosophical issueshttp://forums.philosophyforums.com/
B) Online Learning
http://www.philosophypathways.com/
B) New or More Ideas for Hungry Minds
1) TED 'Ideas worth spreading' Stimulating videos of talks on many subjects.
So good that it is hard to pick out particular talks!The Omnivore's Next Dilemma by Michael Pollan Also see www.polyfacefarms.com No bar code.html
Queerer than we can suppose: the strangeness of science by Richard DawkinsThe Design of Life by Richard Dawkins
[A personal comment on Richard Dawkins in 'The God Delusion" and in his talk listed above; it is perhaps a pity that he has so narrowly focused on religion rather than belief systems per se in these particular works. That of course might mean a more philosophical look at science which he might be resistant to.]2) Meaning of Life TV at http://meaningoflife.tv/
3) Bigthink.com A 'conversation about ideas' in a stimulating modern multimedia format open to anyone with ideas or questions.
See in Particular: Steven Fry the UK Comedian on Religious Belief
4) Edge.org taken from the About page at the Edge site " The mandate of Edge Foundation is to promote inquiry into and discussion of intellectual, philosophical, artistic, and literary issues, as well as to work for the intellectual and social achievement of society. ........ In the past few years, the playing field of American intellectual life has shifted, and the traditional intellectual has become increasingly marginalized. A 1950s education in Freud, Marx, and modernism is not a sufficient qualification for a thinking person in the 1990s. Indeed, the traditional American intellectuals are, in a sense, increasingly reactionary, and quite often proudly (and perversely) ignorant of many of the truly significant intellectual accomplishments of our time. Their culture, which dismisses science, is often nonempirical. It uses its own jargon and washes its own laundry. It is chiefly characterized by comment on comments, the swelling spiral of commentary eventually reaching the point where the real world gets lost. "
5) New Economic Forum An unconventional blend of utopianism and critical analytics consider some of the articles at the see for example: A well-being manifesto for a flourishing society The Happy Planet Index: An index of human well-being and environmental impact
6) Vega Science Trust See in particular the Richard Feynman videos
7) Universcience.fr Science in French
8) Compassion in World Farming
See In Particular Research papers on Animal Sentience
C) Belief, Faith, Secularism, Humanism and A-theism
1) BBC Programs and Internet Site:
The BBC Religions Page provides an introduction to 19 religions'In our time' philosophy archive, 'In our time' science archive, 'In our time' religion archive
Revealing Religion: from BBC Radio 4's Analysis series (also with transcript)
2) Discussions from Edinburgh recorded on video on the Gifford Lecture Series See in particular the afternoon session.
3) The National Secular Society
4) Humanism and its aspirations. Humanist Manifesto III, a successor to the humanist Manifesto of 1933 A statement which shows that the conventionally religious and political do not have a monopoly on moral thinking. Religious people might like to consider how their own morality compares with the ideas expressed on that page.
5) Humanist Society of Scotland provides a philosophical and very practical alternative to institutionalised religion. See the HSS leaflets on weddings and funerals ad naming ceremonies for children on the HSS documents page.
6) International Humanist and Ethical Union The world union of humanist organisations. See the Amsterdam 2002 declaration
7) Council for Secular Humanism An american organisation for the non-religious
8) Progressivehumanism.com on the philosophy of humanism
9) 10 myths-and 10 Truths-About Atheism by Sam Harris. I cannot say that I agree with everything in this very clearly written piece. However I strongly suggest you read it and make up your own mind even if you would not call yourself an atheist or a skeptic.
12) A video of a TV interview with Christopher Hitchens He makes the very interesting point in relation to the notorious Sudanese Teddy Bear incident that the Koran has a very sensible prohibition of idolatry. Good point. That incident is a very interesting example how beliefs (of all kinds) become misused and altered over time and therefore require constant challenge. As Prof. David Fergusson of the University of Edinburgh put it in his Gifford Lectures, belief can sometimes and in some places become pathological.
Also see the Philosophy Reference section on this site >
D) Skepticism
1) UK Skeptics . This site contains an informative series of articles on pseudoscience and a range of other topics.
2) In praise of bias by Taner Edis (an acknowledgement that skeptics just the same as believers are biased in their opinions) Also see enlightening fun poked at the everyday practice of science by the same author (The real scientific method)
3) The Skeptic.com Internet site of a US based organisations 'The Skeptics Society' and ' Skeptic' magazine aiming to provide rational debate and analysis on a variety of issues. See in particular A Skeptical Manifesto
4) Why people believe strange things by Michael Shermer (for some great skeptical fun watch this talk)
5) Skeptical Inquirer Online articles
6) The Skeptics Dictionary By Robert Todd Carroll (Also available in book from)
E) Useful Articles on Evolution and for a Natural Philosophy of Belief
Next >
On the Philosophy of Belief
www.onbelief.org
Scotland, 12th October 2007 and thereafter
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