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Monday, January 28, 2008

Colin McGinn talks to Point of Inquiry, DJ Grothe, Secularphilosophy.com

reposted from: http://cdn.libsyn.com/pointofinquiry/POI_2008_01_18_Colin_McGinn.mp3

British Philosopher Colin McGinn talked to Point of Inquiry with DJ Grothe. My brief notes don't do justice to this hour long talk.

  • Point of Inquiry - January 2008 - talk with Colin McGinn (1 hour)
    • philosophical scepticism
      • I'm not an extreme sceptic
      • there is no certain knowledge but there is reliable knowledge
      • certain that god and ghosts does not exist - no evidence produced over 100 years
      • secular philosophy - non religious - vast majority of philosphers teaching in USA and UK are agnostics or atheists
      • a very small minority of philosophers are religious - not a growing group
      • tolerance - tolerant of people - but not tolerant of their beliefs
        • should not persecuate them - that is bad, criticism is good what you do to ideas
      • most academic philosophers do not talk about religion - its a dead subject - ethically and politically it is a hot topic. What will America be like when it is post-theist?
      • Stunned by resurgence of religous belief.
      • When education is increased and indoctrination is reduced - America will reduce religious belief
      • If children were not indoctrinated - people would not come much to religion
      • evolution is a major reason to remove existence of god
      • no reason to believe in god, unicorns, fairies, ufo etc
      • physcological reasons for belief in god - no evidence for god
      • Philosophy of Shakespeare
        • evil people
      • death is a real thing - nothing beyond life
      • connect philosophy to sport, film - philosophy should not be 'dry' - infuse it with real life

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