William James’s Argument for Free Will

It’s a simple hypothesis: I have the ability to choose freely what actions I will take. Whether that hypothesis is correct — or its opposite is correct, that our choices are determined by external forces — is impossible to prove by reason. Or is it? William James observed that generating […]

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Buddhism Is Wrong

Okay, that headline is unfair because “Buddhism” is not a discrete entity but has many forms. However, that is part of my point. Read on, please. I saw a video address using a Hollywood celebrity to promote a particular school of Buddhism. “I realized all my thoughts are illusions,” said […]

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The Soul of a Philosopher

Philosopher for Hire Every now and then I am contacted by someone who wants to hire me to help them write a paper or book. I’ve had rewarding collaborations over the years, helping people form their ideas and polish their writing, and it’s been a nice income supplement (being a […]

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Can You Be Anything You Want?

How much can you change your life? How much can you change who and what you are? It’s complicated. Let’s insert some philosophy into this topic. Reality Exists Between Extreme Viewpoints On the one hand, I get crap from some of my professor colleagues because I acknowledge human free will. […]

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John Muir on Connections

John Muir on Connections

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in he universe.” – John Muir It’s said that no person is an island. This is true of everything, though. Nothing is isolated. Nothing is without connections to other things and by extension to […]

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