Philosophy Stack Exchange
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How is "time" defined in modern philosophy?

We know the definition of "time" of Augustine of Hippo: "If no one asks me, I know: if I wish to explain it to one that asketh, I know not" (Conf.). What is time? Philosophically, what can be said about time in modern times? Moreover, does time…
villamejia
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Should we save endangered languages?

There are over six thousand living languages in the world, of which more than one thousand are defined as "endangered" - they are at serious risk of becoming extinct, with no living speakers. Rather more surprising, it is estimated that more than…
commando
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Semantic vs syntactic consequence

I see that the double turnstile ⊨ denotes the semantic consequence of some sentence of logic, and single turnstile ⊢ denotes the syntactic consequence of some model. This seems equivalent to me. Why do we need to make this distinction? Are there…
RECURSIVE FARTS
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How to start learning philosophy and overcome my bias towards mathematics?

I am interested and curious about philosophy, especially topics like morals, justice, ethics, etc. I want to read books that explain the philosophy behind them. However, I am very ignorant and I don’t know anything about philosophy, so I have no…
pie
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Is "time" an abstract mental construct or does it exist independent of human consciousness?

When I consider my own existence with respect to time I can imagine three possibilities: (1) Time extends infinitely into the past. In this case, how can the present, with me in it, exist, since there would be an infinite period of time that…
Steve d'Apollonia
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Are we at the end of scientific paradigm shifts?

Thomas Kuhn’s theory of Paradigm shifts state that a paradigm shift is a massive change in scientific belief and understanding in a specific field e.g. the switch from the geocentric universe to heliocentric. The Paradigm shift Wikipedia page lists…
Max
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What is this "going to the other extreme to make it look stupid to prove something"?

I don't know why I see this so often. When I say, it may not be good to sell 35 years of your life to the corporate world in a stressful way being golden handcuffed by a high salary or stock, somebody would say, "you can always go to a burger place…
Stefanie Gauss
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Should I trust my own thoughts when studying philosophy?

I sometimes find myself disagreeing with Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy or other seasoned philosophers. However, I am scared to trust my own thoughts lest my ideas are erroneous. I do not know whether to back myself and to have confidence in my…
tryingtobeastoic
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Does Intelligent Design (ID) entail an infinite regress of designers, and if so, is that problematic?

We can arrive at an infinite regress of designers as follows: Suppose that X is so complex that it's considered to show evidence of design. Accordingly, we infer that an intelligent designer must be behind X. Let ID1 be this intelligent…
Mark
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Do computers use logic?

I know we refer to computers as using logic, logic gates and the like, but is this just us ascribing human capacities to the machines? It sounds like a case of us giving more meaning to the machines than they deserve. I've read about things like…
adkane
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"I trust my senses" — Why does this tend to be restricted to the external senses?

I routinely come across mini-epistemologies that start with something like: Cogito ergo sum. (presupposes "I", oops!) My senses are sufficiently reliable. These days, it is often admitted that we are susceptible to many cognitive biases, but these…
labreuer
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What's the solution to Sorites paradox?

Suppose you have a heap of sand. You remove one grain. Is there still a heap? You remove another, until you get down to a heap with three grains, a heap with two grains, a heap with one grain, and finally a heap with no grains at all. But that’s…
ActualCry
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Why is nepotism considered immoral?

It is generally considered acceptable to prioritize the well-being and safety of oneself and one's family over the well-being and safety of strangers. On the other hand, offering a job to a family member over a more qualified stranger could be seen…
user63509
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What's the point of this quote from Seneca (Stoicism)?

If anyone says that the best life of all is to sail the sea, and then adds that I must not sail upon a sea where shipwrecks are a common occurrence and there are often sudden storms that sweep the helmsman in an adverse direction, I conclude that…
Luciel
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Do all religions summarise into the same principle?

I have read, a highly revered mystic and ascetic of Hinduism -- Lord Ramakrishna, the Guru of Swami Vivekananda, had a worldview that every religion is true and every religion eventually leads to God. They differ in practices and methods, but they…
user63180
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