Philosophy, literally ‘love of wisdom’, has been described by American philosopher William James as ‘at once the most sublime and the most trivial of human pursuits’: sublime, because it asks the most daunting of questions; trivial, because these daunting yet simple questions are asked every day by people all over the world. And still, there are more questions than answers. As Bertrand Russell once observed, science is what we know; philosophy is what we don’t know. Having fascinated Plato, Aristotle and Descartes, the great whys and wherefores of the universe now present themselves to our generation, begging to be defined - or perhaps threatening to define us.
What does our generation have to offer Philosophy? Join us as we unravel life’s most sublime and trivial questions.
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Some believe that the free operation of market forces results in the most efficient distribution of scarce resources whereas others hold that the government is in the best position to oversee and control the economy. Where do you stand and why?
Relativism is the philosophy which asserts that there is no absolute or objective truth. Friedrich Nietzsche, the father of Perspectivism and arguably a forerunner of Relativism, said that “there are no facts, only interpretations”. In his enigmatic books, he argued that humans beings do not find values, but invent them. Postmodernism, too, seems to be premised on this principle. Is it true that there is no absolute truth and that morality is man-made? What are the consequences of this school of thought for humanity?
Metaphysics aside, is the world better off with or without religion? Secularists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens argue that religion has been a malevolent force in human history and should be eradicated. Others disagree with some of the doctrinal claims of religion but believe that on the whole it is a force for good in the world. The faithful regard religion as the greatest gift of all. Where do you stand?
This paradox keeps theologians of all colours awake at night. How would you resolve it?
If God is merciful and inherently benevolent as some religions claim, how can tragedies such as the Holocaust be reconciled with his existence?
Does the divine gift of free will release God from all liability concerning human-induced suffering such as the Holocaust? Milton famously said in Paradise Lost that God made Man “Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.” If so, how can non-human-induced suffering such as the Boxing Day Tsunami be explained?
Can we believe that murder is wrong if there is no deity to which the values can be traced? If there is no such deity, where do these values come from and are they authoritative? Does atheism necessitate moral relativism or can atheists belief that murder is objectively wrong even in the absence of a God?
In September 2005, a Danish newspaper called Jyllands-Posten printed a series of cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammad and linking Islam with violence. The cartoons were reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries. (continue reading »)
Are you theist, atheist, agnostic or some other ist? Time to come out of the cloister!
Assuming there is a God, which religion is most likely to be right?
