Adverbs and Events Davidson had a clever idea with his theory of adverbs. It seemed both intuitive and ingenious, a genuine advance. It linked language and ontology, showed the power of standard logic, and provided a model for future work. We might compare it to Russell’s theory of descriptions: a clever and convincing account of […]
Ted Honderich and Others Ted and I had adjacent offices at UCL. A tall man, with a corduroy suit, floppy hair, a Canadian-English accent—he was hard to miss. He had ambition, lots of it. It is fair to report that he was not held in the highest regard philosophically. When I left my office on […]
Atrocious Atoms Elsewhere I have described atoms as annoying.[1] Dull, dreary, drab. I now want to extend that critique to a further level—they are also atrocious. The OED gives us “horrifyingly wicked” and “extremely bad and unpleasant”. So be it: atoms are that. Strong words indeed, but let’s explore some of the more disagreeable aspects […]
Mutual Cancellation I don’t think cancellers understand a simple truth: cancellation can go both ways, and often does. I personally have cancelled many people because of their behavior towards me (and towards others). I will not have anything to do with these people; I will not do anything to help them; I won’t even read […]
Laws and Reality I am going to be brief but broad. It is a plausible thesis that reality requires laws: nothing can exist and not be subject to natural law. This applies to the mind as well as the physical world. Laws make things what they are; you cannot detach the laws and expect the […]
Ed Erwin and Cancellation Professor Ed Erwin was a valued member of the philosophy department at the University of Miami for many years. He was generally regarded as a person of high integrity and warm generosity. After he came to my defense, he told me of the change in his life in the department: colleagues […]
Annoying Atoms I have come to a rather grim conclusion: I don’t like atoms. Never have, never will. There is something so annoying about them. I wonder if I can get you to see it that way. This is not a phobia on my part, or a prejudice, but a considered judgment. It just isn’t […]
Coach Colin When I was at school, I did a lot of athletics: gymnastics, pole vault, diving, discus, table tennis, trampoline, basketball, as well as the usual football, cricket, and track. My PE teachers thought I would make a good PE teacher, and I didn’t disagree. They would be disappointed to learn that I became […]
Gods Let’s imagine a theological dispute of a different color: the question is which of two possible Gods, called Yum and Yam, exist. Yum and Yam are very similar—they are standard-issue Gods—but they do differ in certain particulars. Yum’s chosen people are the Dutch while Yam favors the Armenians, Yum’s day of rest is Saturday […]
Shortest Books in the World You will be familiar with this genre of humor. Well-known examples include: Italian War Heroes, Polish Wit and Wisdom. Here are my inventions (they are not intended to be fair or accurate—that’s the whole point). Triumphs of British Dentistry Irish Teetotalers I have Known Scottish Hospitality Welsh Wineries Nations of […]