Author Archives

I'm a philosophy professor at the University of Lethbridge in Southern Alberta, Canada. I specialize in philosophy of war, game theory, contractarianism, and theodicy (the Problem of Evil). I am bald, fat, and ugly, but my wife loves me, so I don't care.

• JUST WALK AWAY

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 10, 2023 • ( 1 )

  In Canada, the US and the Antipodes, English is the name of the language spoken by us Western settler colonialists. I accept that. So those opposed to Western settler colonialism should have no trouble accepting that the language they’re speaking… Read More ›

• DYSPHORIA

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 7, 2023 • ( 2 )

  You say you present as a man but you feel like a woman. I get the first part, because I can see that you do, but I’m not sure I understand the second. How would you know what it feels… Read More ›

• HOW TO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 7, 2023 • ( 1 )

  Try as it might, no constitution can include a mechanism for its own suspension, since if that mechanism were invoked it would have been constitutional to do so. That’s just a matter of logic. By contrast it’s not strictly speaking… Read More ›

• UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 6, 2023 • ( 0 )

  Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is one of the cleverest plays every written. If you haven’t read it, it’s about two characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet who pop into being without the slightest idea of who they are or… Read More ›

• THE MEANING OF OBSCENITY

  By paulosophicalvimplications on June 23, 2023 • ( 2 )

  I’m going to make up a stat, but I’m guessing it won’t be too far off the mark. I’m going to claim the mainstream media dedicated 17 times the coverage to the loss of those 5 would-be adventurers in a… Read More ›

• OF VIAGRA AND MIDOL

  By paulosophicalvimplications on June 1, 2023 • ( 0 )

  No socialist believes the state should cover even our discretionary expenses, like dinners out; and no libertarian believes the state shouldn’t provide us with police, the courts, and national defence. But everything other than police and courts and national defence… Read More ›

• MENSTRUATION SHAMING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

  By paulosophicalvimplications on May 30, 2023 • ( 3 )

  Before you read this, take a look: Menstrual Equity at Waterloo Apart from the bit about free tampons in the women’s washrooms, my wife thinks this is just bat shit crazy. I disagree. I’ve already reported on the number of… Read More ›

• CONVOLUTION

  By paulosophicalvimplications on April 19, 2023 • ( 1 )

  The fallacy of self-exclusion is an old saw in philosophy. Common example? Intolerance of intolerance. Or, “There’s no place for hate at the University of Fill-in-the-Blank!”, except of course for our hatred of haters. Or, “Our mandate is a university… Read More ›

• RUSSIA, UKRAINE, CALIFORNIA AND BRAZIL

  By paulosophicalvimplications on April 18, 2023 • ( 0 )

  Trade relations are transitive. If America trades with Brazil and Brazil trades with Russia, then America just is trading with Russia. So if America doesn’t want to trade with Russia, it has to tell Brazil, “Either you can trade with… Read More ›

• CRITICAL RACE THEORY

  By paulosophicalvimplications on April 18, 2023 • ( 1 )

  By Critical Race Theory (CRT) is meant a) an analysis of the concept of race such that b) race will turn out to be a, if not the, prime determinant of social stratification. In that sense CRT cannot but be… Read More ›