Philosophy & Ethics

    SUICIDE OF A WOMAN February, 1995 – London   Ayad Gharbawi   Killing Your only Haunted eye And those that witnessed How frail You are Yawn O! How vile Man is!   And if hell Were to breathe So within Your failing language Yet again Then, understand That your ending truths Within your faltering self Is nearing.   How much you did suffer Can ever a Man guess? Or feel? Just as you succumb now I tell you, No one can Or will Feel for you Sweet.   PANIC August 27, 1993 – London   You can tremble In these here This final Unknown twist In your life…

    Death Of A Friend   Ayad Gharbawi   Say to us Hurtful Words Of changes to come Impersonal   Waves A-wash Upon hearts Mortified – O days; Gone? Or are you To become?  

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Note to self. The list of countries to avoid visiting grows in 2010 with the entry of Ireland, a green country where people speak with a funny accent and drink good spirits. These are not at all reasons to avoid a visit. Instead, I find it sufficient the new law in force since January 1st against blasphemy. The law condemns the publishing or expression of content offensive or insulting religions (not just the Catholic one) with fines up to 25,000 euros. Ireland is a nice, attractive country to travel to. On the down side, it sports a rather high concentration of pedophile priests, but I would…

For many the turbulence of life are inexplicable and profoundly frustrating our faith in goodwill. What is the essence of personal meaning in a world where human relations are becoming increasingly fragile? What is the meaning of this world when only one in a thousand will succeed in his lifestyle? And what of the majority others left stranded by forces that apparently none can escape from? What is the meaning of this world where millions upon millions are forced to work in underpaid tiring jobs? While the extravagances of wealth are accepted, tolerated, applauded and esteemed, where does…

A new study suggests that the increase of MRSA in healthcare settings results from clinicians who prescribe antibiotics more often and more broadly than clinical circumstances and evidence-based guidelines warrant because of medical liability concerns. So it isn't politicians or insurance companies who are picking your treatment, it is lawyers.   The study in the American Journal of Therapeutics analyzed census figures, statistics on population density of attorneys and physicians, and data on antibiotic utilization for the United States, Canada, and 15 European countries. They compared…

Found this article in Dissent magazine interesting: "Is Obama's War in Afghanistan Just?" by Michael Walzer. The core of Walzer's argument is that the decision to go to war inAfghanistan in 2001 was just but the way the Bush administration pursued the war was unjust. Thus the war in Afgahanistan achieves jus ad bello but not jus post bellum.  Walzer goes further and argues that the most compelling argument for the war in Afghanistan is not necessarily strategic arguments but rather the moral and political argument, "that we owe the Afghan people eight years after we invaded their country…

[from guest blogger and podcast co-host Julia Galef] Hey there, rational readers! I’m honored to be Massimo’s guest blogger and co-host of the upcoming Rationally Speaking podcast for the NYC Skeptics. Since our second episode is scheduled to air the week of Valentine's Day, we couldn’t resist making that show's topic, “The Skeptic’s Guide to Love.” I do realize that raising this subject risks fueling the widespread and irritating misconception that “skeptic” = “cynical killjoy,” which is the last thing I want to do. So, please let the record show that I am enthusiastically pro-love…

A couple of months ago I attended a lecture by Saul Kripke at CUNY’s Graduate Center. Kripke is one of the most influential philosophers of the late 20th century, someone who you simply have to go see give a talk if you have the chance, on the sole basis of his legendary status. As in many such cases, it is not unlikely that one is going to be disappointed, given the extremely high expectations. Sure enough, Kripke was not at his best that day, and his legendary extemporaneous style of lecturing fell short of the mark, resulting in an interesting, but somewhat chaotic and hard to…

I've been researching the Just War tradition lately specifically jus post bellum with intent to submit a paper in January or so. So far I find the research and sources pretty satisfying and enlightening. But a series of questions and comments keep cropping up in regards to what has been written: 1) The overwhelming focus on inter state war in terms of the Just War tradition, 2) lack of comment on counter insurgencies within the tradition, and 3) lack of linkage between jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and jus post bellum. Does anyone know of writers, books, or articles that have commented on the…