Medical-Advice-Column Malpractice

From First Thoughts

Dr. Peter Gott writes a widely syndicated newspaper column giving medical advice, competing for space with Dear Abby , crossword puzzles, and Doonesbury .  In his column published in my local paper this morning (see it in a different paper here ) he takes up the matter of stem cells, and . . . . Continue Reading »

The Perennial Brain-Mind Gap

From First Thoughts

The other day the Chronicle of Higher Education had a lengthy article about the work of the “neurophilosopher” Patricia Churchland, with a few critics heard from but for the most part praising her, on the occasion of her new book Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us About Morality . . . . Continue Reading »

The Uses of Philosophy

From First Thoughts

If you have ever wondered whether the conversations going on in philosophy departments have anything to say to us folks outside them, an encouraging answer came in a three-part series last week at Public Discourse by Matthew O’Brien and Robert Koons, both of the University of Texas.  . . . . Continue Reading »

College Life and Christian Sexual Ethics

From First Thoughts

A couple of months ago, Inside Higher Ed published an article by Joshua Wolff making a passionate case that many Christian colleges, in adhering to the traditions of faith and Scripture on sexual morality, do harm to their homosexual students.  Wolff concluded that “accrediting bodies . . . . Continue Reading »

Nature and the Philosophers

From First Thoughts

You may already have seen it, but if not, have a look at this New York Times article from last weekend, ” Debate Over Intelligent Design Ensnares a Journal .”  It’s a sordid tale of sneering and prejudice, dressed up in the costume of academic philosophy—and of the good . . . . Continue Reading »