Tim Minchin on human logic (by dizcourage)
The Black Box of Empirical Falsification (via AntiCitizenX)
A nice metaphor for how empiricism and falsification work to build knowledge.
Favorite bit: “Scientific theories are not held because they are ‘true’ in any philosophical sense. Rather, they are held because they are able to withstand a continuous barrage of attempts at falsification. So even though the ultimate theory may still be fundamentally flawed, it eventually shares so much in common with the truth that it loses all practical distinction.”
If hindsight bias and confirmation bias had a baby, it would be the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy.
This is a great fallacy to learn and remember because humans are such pattern-seekers.
The Misconception: People who are losing at the game of life must have done something to deserve it.
“Zick Rubin of Harvard University and Letitia Anne Peplau of UCLA have conducted surveys to examine the characteristics of people with strong beliefs in a just world. They found that people who have a strong tendency to believe in a just world also tend to be more religious, more authoritarian, more conservative, more likely to admire political leaders and existing social institutions, and more likely to have negative attitudes toward underprivileged groups. To a lesser but still significant degree, the believers in a just world tend to ‘feel less of a need to engage in activities to change society or to alleviate plight of social victims.’”
- Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez from an essay at The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Really interesting stuff…
William Lane Craig: The Artful Dodger (via AndromedasWake)
Now I’m curious to read more about the Kalam Cosmological Argument because this is the second time I’ve seen it brought up by theists.
