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.

• BACKSTORIES

  By paulosophicalvimplications on August 20, 2026 • ( 0 )

  When looking up the etymology of a word, sometimes you need a backstory. For example, kleenex and hoover were once brand names. Or, how did we get ‘sincere’ from ‘without wax’? These are hardly grounds for complaint. But other disconnects… Read More ›

• JASON ARDAY

  By paulosophicalvimplications on August 20, 2026 • ( 1 )

  Jesus walked on water. George Washington couldn’t tell a lie. Davey Crockett killed his first bear when he was only three. Kim Jong Un played an 18 hole round of golf with a score of 17. And Jason Arday did… Read More ›

• THE FEMINISATION OF THE UNIVERSITY

  By paulosophicalvimplications on August 19, 2026 • ( 1 )

  The Grumblers – and yes, we do have membership cards – argue about when our universities began their decline. But we’re all of a mind that it began with the admission of women. Which is not to say it was… Read More ›

• FROM THE UNTHINKABLE THOUGHTS FILE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on August 19, 2026 • ( 0 )

  Well no, that can’t be right. If a thought were unthinkable I couldn’t think it, and if I couldn’t think it I couldn’t blog about it. On the other hand, by unthinkable I can’t just mean distasteful or unseemly. So… Read More ›

• NOT ALL THAT SERIOUSLY

  By paulosophicalvimplications on May 27, 2026 • ( 0 )

  Let me come clean about how shallow a person I am. I’ll put myself in harm’s way for a thrill, but not for a cause. Not even to save the life of a loved one? Well maybe, if the likelihood… Read More ›

• THE ALMANAC AND THE NUMEROSITY OF SEXES

  By paulosophicalvimplications on March 20, 2026 • ( 0 )

  In this entry I want to take issue with some of my otherwise-fellow travellers on their understanding of science. On two fronts. The first is about something they call ‘the scientific method’. And the second is about what they think… Read More ›

• FROM THE LET’S-SETTLE-THIS-ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL FILE: THE TRANS ISSUE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on March 19, 2026 • ( 0 )

  If, as its etymology suggests, by ontology were meant the study of being, it wouldn’t have much to say, because being is an unanalysable primitive. That is, if you don’t know what it is for something to be, then I… Read More ›

• AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FELLOW SAFS TRAVELLERS

  By paulosophicalvimplications on March 1, 2026 • ( 1 )

  You’re going to have to bear with me. Why? Because for what follows I’ll be trading in my SAFS hat for my philosopher’s one. And – and I’m sorry about this folks – sometimes philosophy, or at least good philosophy,… Read More ›

• LIVING WITH THE JUDGMENT OF OTHERS

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 21, 2025 • ( 0 )

  I’m a lone gunman, and I kill someone because and only because he’s black, or Indian, or Jewish, or Palestinian. Have I committed genocide? Clearly not. Suppose there’s a number of us, and we kill a number of people because… Read More ›

• THEOLOGICAL IRRELEVANTISM

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 21, 2025 • ( 0 )

  Two goldfish swimming in a fish bowl. One says to the other, “Do you think it’s possible that there’s someone dropping that food for us, aerating the water, turning the light and off, and so on?” “Well,” answers the other… Read More ›