Classical Conditioning There is something puzzling and not quite believable about Pavlov and his dogs. The dogs instinctively salivate to the sight and smell of food—this is an inborn reflex reaction. The claim is that if you sound a bell a number of times at the same time as presenting food you will get the […]
Causality and Perception The causal theory of perception states that it is necessary condition of perceiving an object that the object causes the perception of it. The theory is very plausible, given the counterexamples to a theory without such a causal condition. If the object is causally cut off from the sense impression, we get […]
Bill Maher and Donald Trump Bill Maher gave an unexpected report of his dinner with Donald Trump. The president, according to the comedian, was gracious, warm, undogmatic, and quite different from the person we see all the time on television. Bill seemed to think the real Donald was the one he had dinner with not […]
Skepticism and the Mind-Body Problem It is sometimes illuminating to compare disparate areas of philosophy in order to find shared patterns, e.g., ethics and mathematics. I will do the same with respect to skepticism and the mind-body problem. These two problems have a similar structure and arise from similar origins, surprising as that may seem. […]
On Knowledge, Consciousness, and Philosophy Some philosophers have maintained that the proper subject of philosophy is thought. The idea is not wide of the mark (better than the thesis that philosophy is about language), but it is surely a mischaracterization. For it can hardly be true that philosophy is concerned with false thought, or incoherent […]
Immigration and Deportation When the European settlers arrived on the American continent four hundred years ago, they did not enter the country legally. The native inhabitants did not give them permission to enter or to stay permanently. I don’t know if the natives had any laws prohibiting entry unless it was formally granted; they may […]
A Problem About Mysteries What is the natural history of mystery? When did human beings first feel a sense of mystery, and what mystery came first? We don’t know, but presumably there is a fact of the matter. Is there a logical order here—with mysteries ranked according to their subject matter? So, consider a time […]
American Intelligence America is not a very intelligent country. I take it this does not need much arguing. The question is why. I think it is because America is young. The intelligence of a country does not arrive overnight; it takes centuries, millennia. It is hard won, a struggle. It is passed down the generations—not […]
Evil and Plasticity It used to be held, with some vehemence, that what is bad or evil in human behavior is derived from our “animal nature”: aggression, uncontrolled sexuality, greed, lack of personal hygiene. We must not give in to our animal tendencies; we must cultivate something called “civilization”. We must “rise above” animal instinct […]
Ducks When I first started skateboarding in December 2024, I used to see a mother duck and her ducklings every day. There were seven of them, evidently just born. With the passing weeks they grew and grew. The mother clearly recognized me as time went by and became less afraid for her family. I always […]