Vast chunks of Indonesia’s peatlands have been burned, logged, drained, and left vulnerable to fire as part of an effort to feed a rapidly growing population of more than 210 million Indonesians. Tropical peatlands consist of layer upon layer of forest debris too wet to decompose. They cover approximately 50 million acres (20 million hectares) …
Continue reading ‘Epicurean ethics: destruction of ancient environments’ »
Lawyers arguing for the District of Columbia to forego its ban on handguns have made the most extraordinary claim. To quote from a Washington Post article of February 5th: "No doubt or ambiguities arise from the words ‘the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed", the brief contends. "The …
It is unethical to deliberately begin a war without the provocation of an attack or definite knowledge and forewarning of attack. It is not only unethical, incidentally, but banned by the United Nations, under rules that the United States itself principally wrote. In the event that an unprovoked attack occurs and lives are taken, …
Freedom: without freedom one cannot make one’s own choices. Even in the free West most people live imprisoned in their own minds by convention, religion, ignorance and laziness. Independent thought: Thinking for yourself is nature’s greatest gift. be autonomous, listen to others, be brave enough to change one’s mind given better arguments and evidence. Dignity …
Continue reading ‘Epicurean values: Essential values for the good life’ »
I am indebted to Professor John Bellamy Foster for the observation that Epicureans were not always apolitical; it was more complex than that. They opposed a tyrant in at least one case. Life and history are seldom straightforward and simple and the nuances trip us up as we try to simplify to understand. So if …
