Dumbsh*t Decisions

What kinds of stupid decisions are trivial enough to forgive? Can we have some rules please? See the Utah State philosophy blog at http://usuphilosophy.com/2007/05/22/forgiving-dumbsht-decisions/ for a rather interesting discussion..

News of the RPE Summer Meal, and a Summer competition to follow...
Dave

Starting Out as a Philosopher (and A-levels)

Many people (in the UK) find their first taste of studying philosophy to be the AS /A2 Religious Studies courses - most notably the Philosophy & Ethics A Level options....

I thought it would be an interesting post for this site to ask the readers of the blog (many of our students did these qualifications) to tell us about their experiences - and others, how did you encounter philosophy? To summarise - we would love to hear:

• Tips / Advice for AS/A2 Philosophy & Ethics students
  
• Anecdotes about your studies at A-Level (16-18yrs old - for readers abroad!)
  
• How did (for all blog readers) you first encounter philosophy as a subject - and what did you make of it?

• And a question for students: Why are you studying philosophy? How did it happen?
  
  

Dave

Islamic Philosophy

Those of you studying the Islam module, RPE104, on the Religion, Philosophy & Ethics course may be interested (as indeed all RPE students may well be) in the resources about Muslim philosophers and the influence of Islamic philosophy that are at http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/.

There is a lot of material, but it is worth having a good look around, and seeing what might apply to your in-class studies at present.

Dave

Yo...

Some of you will know what 'Open Source' software is - where the code is freely available, and people can amend it as they choose. But what about an Open Source religion? This is what Yoism claims to be:

"Uniting Atheist, Skeptic, Agnostic, Realist, Enlightenment,Humanist, Unitarian,
Transcendentalist, Pantheist, andDeist systems of belief to create the World's
First Open Source, Rational Religion, the advent of Yoismmarks a turning point in the history of Homo sapiens,the next stage in human development: Childhood's
End. "

Is it serious? Is it a joke? A serious joke? Maybe up your own mind at http://www.yoism.org/

Dave

UC Berkeley Podcasts

Got access to iTunes? Go to http://itunes.berkeley.edu/ - go to their iTunes thing and look at the Arts and Humanities section for some really fantastic podcasts. Enjoy... Dave

Does Philosophy of Religion exist?

Google “Philosophy of Religion” and see what pops up…
(or just click here)

Look at key textbooks with the title (or click here)

What you will note is the Theistic focus of the topics - the nature of God, arguments for/against God, the Problem of Evil, etc.

Is this discipline which has grown up most notably in Anglo-American philosophy, not better titled 'The Philosophy of Theism'?

Philosophy Talk Radio

Philosophy Talk - a radio show co-hosted in the USA and Australia - has an archive of its chirpy but intriguing discussions online.

I have just enjoyed the one at http://philosophytalk.org/pastShows/MoralDilemmas.htm - which should be of interest to all Religion, Philosphy & Ethics students (as well as those revising for AS / A2 Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics) exams)

Dave

they also have their own blog at:

http://theblog.philosophytalk.org/

Zencast...

Students on the RPE202 Buddhism module may find the podcasts at http://amberstar.libsyn.com/ of interest..

Or maybe some Zen Radio at http://www.wzen.org/

Enjoy...
Dave