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.

• THE HAIDT HYPOTHESIS

  By paulosophicalvimplications on August 1, 2018 • ( 0 )

  Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has argued, quite convincingly, that a university can dedicate itself to the search for truth, or to the promotion of social justice, but not both. Truth and justice are seldom about the same thing. But when… Read More ›

• ISRAEL’S NEW NATION STATE LAW

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  Eighty-three years after the National Socialist government of Germany passed the Nuremberg Race Laws in 1935, the Zionist government of Israel has decided to follow suit. It wasn’t inevitable, but perhaps predictable. Eighty-three years is a long time to hope… Read More ›

• A MODEST WORRY AND A MODEST PROPOSAL

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  Living next to the American juggernaut puts Canadians in an ambiguous position. It’s not that we’re worried that the current American drift towards fascism is going to spill over the border. Not all, but I think enough Canadians find the… Read More ›

• CAN UNSOLICITED POETRY BE SEXUAL ASSAULT?

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  I have no problem with your sexual orientation provided you stop calling it that. You say you’re not attracted to women. Well, I’m not attracted to most of them either. And of the ones I am attracted to, the last… Read More ›

• THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  We all have things we’re better off not knowing. I don’t want to know how my meat gets from field to supermarket. Others don’t want to know just how fair Fair Trade coffee really isn’t. And I’m betting you don’t… Read More ›

• TRUMP, VOLTAIRE, AND EDMUND BURKE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  In real estate it all comes down to location, location, location. In comedy it’s all about timing. Put the two together and that’s all that can be said about one’s own take on the world. From the here and now,… Read More ›

• AN ALIEN PERSPECTIVE

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  Three score and eight years ago I landed on this planet, but I think it might have been from another one. I say this because I understand so little of why humans think as they do, and they seem to… Read More ›

• THINGS THAT DON’T BEAR THINKING ABOUT

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  There are certain thought experiments that ought not to be performed. Here’s one: Does the visceral reaction we all have about the Shoah – and by ‘all’ I mean we Jews and you Gentiles alike – have a best-before date?… Read More ›

• THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 0 )

  Once upon a time – or outside of it, if we’re to have it Boethius’ way – having nothing else to do, God decided to conjure in His mind all the worlds He could bring into being were He so… Read More ›

• THE PERILS OF PATTER

  By paulosophicalvimplications on July 31, 2018 • ( 1 )

  Given the number of times a politician’s heart goes out to the families of this tragedy or of that, one wonders whether it ever stays home. This kind of patter isn’t as innocent as it might appear. It’s not that… Read More ›