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1500 questions
28
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12 answers

What arguments would support a secular pro-life position?

I've been thinking about the pro-life position (by "pro-life" I mean the position that abortion should be illegal. I.e. on par with murder) for awhile, and it is normally presented as a religious position, one that a secular person cannot…
yters
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7 answers

What is the difference between a statement and a proposition?

I'm doing a MOOC on mathematical philosophy and the lecturer drew a distinction between a proposition and a statement. This is very puzzling to me. My background is in math and I regard those two words as synonymous. I looked on Wikipedia and it…
user4894
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27
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11 answers

I'm being drafted to the military but I have the option to refuse (legally), would it be immoral for me to serve?

I’m set to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces but I have the option to exempt from the military if I wish to. So I’m in a big moral dilemma on whether I should serve or not, I’m currently leaning towards not serving being the morally right…
Mimikyu
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27
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9 answers

Is infinite regress of causation possible? Is infinite regress of causation necessary?

For a number of reasons — including perhaps a desire to feel that we have a complete understanding of where we came from, or at least an understanding which is completely sufficient for all of our purposes — there is a strong tendency to suppose…
Niel de Beaudrap
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27
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16 answers

Is the claim "this coin is fair" falsifiable?

Wikipedia says, The claim "No human lives forever" is not falsifiable since one would have to observe a human living forever to falsify that claim. Thinking on similar lines, even if the coin is fair, it can produce a arbitrarily…
AIB
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27
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8 answers

If the Bible contains circular reasoning, does it discredit it?

If the Bible contains circular reasoning, does it discredit it? One of the reasons why I wonder about this is because in most academic/professional fields circular reasoning would discredit the research/answer/ect... Does this apply to religion as…
Programmer
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27
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12 answers

Are there any philosophical arguments to disprove or weaken solipsism?

My philosophy professor once told our class: The only people who believe in solipsism are infants and madmen. I was inclined to agree at the time. Yet years later, I have still not encountered any good arguments to disprove this idea. Thus, I am…
user151
27
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12 answers

Does the lack of randomness imply the lack of free will?

Let us assume that randomness does not exist. For example, even the flip of a coin is not considered random. The coin's flip can be calculated if certain variables are given (the force used for the flip, air resistance, distance from the ground,…
aanrv
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27
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3 answers

What are the major research programmes in contemporary logic?

As an interested outsider who is prone to reading about different formulations of logic, I've become interested in better understanding the big picture of what people are trying to accomplish as they are researching logic, or merely talking about…
Niel de Beaudrap
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Does hypocrisy invalidate an argument?

I was listening to a political podcast and David Poltz (one of the presenters) said of an argument that he was unconcerned whether the argument was hypocritical. I found that attitude jarring, counter-intuitive but very interesting. The contention…
Crab Bucket
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26
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7 answers

What type of rhetorical device is the offering of a source which is really long and not specifying what part of the source is relevant?

I'm encountering a frequent recurrence of a rhetorical device that seems to me fallacious but I can't figure out what it's called. When making an argument, the person does the following: Makes a claim that is unrealistic. Provides a source which…
Kiril
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26
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3 answers

What is modal logic for?

I understand "pure" logic as a structural description of what a valid proof is but I have never understood the reasons for using modal logic. What's an example typical of how modal logic is used?
user3085
26
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3 answers

Is the "legacy" of Marx & Engels unwarranted?

So something strange I've been thinking lately is that Marx & Engels are still pretty popular figures, even though their ideologues can be interpreted to be failures. They have numerous statues and continue to be cited over and over again, even…
mavavilj
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26
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14 answers

Is mathematics founded on beliefs and assumptions?

Note: I originally posted the question in meta.math.stackexchange.com but I reckon this would suit a more philosophical audience so I am posting it here. Background: I am a 28 year old undergraduate at a college majoring in mathematics with goal of…
user1207
25
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23 answers

Should I put my dog down to help the homeless?

I have a dog, and it costs $200 a month to sustain it, in terms of dog food and other miscellany. He's 2.5 years old, a very good boy and I value him as a great companion. Recently my friend mentioned a program to help the homeless in my town.…
Jessica
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