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.

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL

  By paulosophicalvimplications on December 12, 2024 • ( 0 )

  The birth of the Saviour wasn’t foretold. It was backtold. That doesn’t mean the story is false, though in fact it is. But it does mean the backtellers have to make up a whole lot of the details. Repeat a… Read More ›

• LUIGI MANGIONE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on December 11, 2024 • ( 0 )

  It’s not yet clear what particular beef he had with the American health care system, but clearly discontent with it is widespread enough in America that some Americans – not many but some – are hailing Luigi Mangione as a… Read More ›

• THE PERILS OF ASSOCIATIVE THINKING

  By paulosophicalvimplications on December 11, 2024 • ( 0 )

  Every liberator will eventually become a tyrant. He has to, because otherwise – or so he tells himself – the forces of the counter-revolution will reassert themselves. It happened with Robespierre, with Stalin, with Mussolini. It happened with Mao and… Read More ›

• IT’S A LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT …

  By paulosophicalvimplications on December 10, 2024 • ( 0 )

  When someone initiates a conversation with “It’s a little known fact that …”, what he typically means is that there’s something he knows, but his interlocutor probably does not. But I want to bring our attention to another use of… Read More ›

• HOBBES ON ABORTION

  By paulosophicalvimplications on November 8, 2024 • ( 0 )

  Do our fellow citizens have an interest, and so can they take an interest, in our reproductive behaviour? Of course they do and can. But can the state, on their behalf, take an interest in our reproductive behaviour? Pro-Lifers say… Read More ›

• PETER BOGHOSSIAN

  By paulosophicalvimplications on November 8, 2024 • ( 0 )

  Apparently some celebrants are having a little fun by sending notices to Black addresses to report immediately to the nearest plantation. Tasteless but – c’mon, be honest – would the woke have been any less insensitive had they been taking… Read More ›

• HOBBES ON OPPRESSION AND RESISTANCE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on November 6, 2024 • ( 0 )

  (1) Oppression is morally indefensible. As is brutality. So(2) brutality in the service of oppression is doubly indefensible. (3) Resistance to oppression, if not morally mandatory, is certainly morally laudable. So (4) brutality in the service of resistance is at… Read More ›

• THE DETRITUS OF LAST NIGHT

  By paulosophicalvimplications on November 6, 2024 • ( 2 )

  Banality of the day: By definition, governments produce winners and losers. In democratic polities, like America, elections produce governments. So yes, elections produce winners and losers. In this one, notwithstanding I’m not an American. I’m a loser. Last night I… Read More ›

• BUT THAT COULD CHANGE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on November 3, 2024 • ( 0 )

  What is it to win a war? Well, it’s for the war to have achieved its objective. The objective of Israel’s neighbours in the wars of ’48, ’56, ’67 and ’73 was to push the Israelis back into the sea…. Read More ›

• THE GENOCIDE DEBATE REVISITED

  By paulosophicalvimplications on October 30, 2024 • ( 1 )

  Harris and Trump are calling each other a fascist. But either claim will die the death of a thousand qualifications. So it’s not a claim. It’s what Wittgenstein would call a move in a language game called political rhetoric. Fair… Read More ›