Links and Resources
These are articles that have caught my attention and I have continued to refer to over the years. They’re not published in specialist journals but are mainly from popular media, with the exception of a few that have been reformatted and republished via Google Drive. It might be updated from time to time.
Philosophy of Maths and Universals
What interests me about philosophy of maths and universals, is the sense in which these real but not material. Due to the decline of realism concerning universals (‘realism’ in the traditional not the modern sense) and the dominance of empiricism in modern philosophy, their reality is routinely disputed, relativised or denied.
- The Cultural Impact of Empiricism, Jacques Maritain — This essay summarises the indispensable role that universals occupy in the functioning of reason, and argues that it is the ability to grasp universals, rejected by empiricism, that constitutes the properly rational abilities of human beings. It’s dated in some sections, but the salient points remain important in my view.
- The Mathematical World, Jim Franklin — Aeon Magazine, a brief account and defense of Aristotelian philosophy of maths.
- What is Maths? Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine — contemporary essay on debate between Platonism and empiricism in philosophy of maths. I’m with the Platonists!
- The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences, Eugene Wigner — Seminal essay on the uncanny ability of mathematical reasoning to predict physical outcomes. The word ‘miracle’ occurs a dozen times.
- The Indispensability Argument in the Philosophy of Mathematics — Highlights the contemporary empiricist criticism of Platonism in philosophy of maths with reference to Putnam and Quine, especially useful for its comically condescending descriptions of philosophical rationalism
Philosophy of Physics
- The Debate between Plato and Democritus, Werner Heisenberg — text of a keynote speech given on philosophy of physics by one of the quantum pioneers who was also a lifelong student of Plato. Concludes that Plato was nearer the truth of modern physics than the materialist Democritus.
- Does the Universe Exist if we’re Not Looking? Tim Folger, Discover Magazine — Profile of John Wheeler and his ‘participatory universe’. Philosophically suggestive, to say the least!
- A Private View of Quantum Reality Quanta — Interview with founder of QBism, Chris Fuchs.
- The Multiverse Idea is Rotting Culture, Sam Kris, The Atlantic — On the stultifying implications of many worlds ideas
- The Many Problems of Many Worlds, Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine — On the incoherence of many worlds interpretations of quantum physics.
Philosophy and Evolution
Nowadays it’s normal to believe that ‘evolution made us so’, pretty well in exactly the same way our forbears would have said that ‘God made us so’. But the implications are completely different. These essays explore the way in which evolutionary theory has crept into our accounts of mind, life and culture.
- Anything but Human, Richard Polt, NY Times — Pithy essay on the inadequacies of evolutionary and computer science to illuminate ethics.
- It Ain’t Necessarily So, Antony Gottlieb, New Yorker — How much do evolutionary stories reveal about the mind?
- The Core of Mind and Cosmos, Thomas Nagel, NY Times — synopsis of his controversial 2012 book.
- The God Genome, Leon Wieseltier, NY Times — review of Daniel Dennett’s ‘Breaking the Spell’.
- The Illusionist, David Bentley Hart, The New Atlantis — another critique of Dennett.
Philosophy of Science
- The Blind Spot of Science is the Neglect of Lived Experience, Adam Frank, Marcello Gleiser, Evan Thompson, Aeon — It’s tempting to think science gives a God’s-eye view of reality. But we forget the place of human experience at our peril. A book is forthcoming. There is also a Youtube lecture series.
- Minding Matter, Adam Frank, Aeon — The closer you look, the more the materialist position in physics appears to rest on shaky metaphysical ground.
Science, Philosophy and Religion
- On the Origin of Everything — David Albert, NY Times — critical review of Krauss’ Universe from Nothing — a controversial review of Krauss’ attempt to replace God with the quantum vacuum.
- The Metaphysical Muddle of Lawrence Krauss, Neil Ormerod, ABC Religion and Ethics — further comment on this title.
- Does Reason Know what it is Missing? Stanley Fish, NY Times — an analysis of Jürgen Habermas’ dialogue with religion.
- Secular Philosophy & The Religious Temperament, Thomas Nagel.
- Evolutionary Naturalism & The Fear of Religion, Thomas Nagel.
- Sorry, but your Soul just Died, Tom Wolfe — Celebrated 1990’s essay on science and the soul — may require free registration to read.
- The Neural Buddhists, David Brooks, NY Times
