Patricia Churchland is a prominent Canadian neurophilosopher known for her work in the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between brain function, consciousness, and moral reasoning. Churchland is particularly known for her advocacy of a scientific approach to philosophical questions, emphasizing the importance of empirical findings from neuroscience in shaping our understanding of the mind and behavior.
Patricia Greenspan is an American philosopher known for her work in the fields of philosophy of mind, ethics, and moral psychology. She has made significant contributions to discussions about emotions, rationality, and the nature of moral judgments. Greenspan has also explored the intersection of philosophy with psychological research, particularly concerning how emotions influence our reasoning and decision-making processes. Her work often addresses the complexity of human experiences and the role of affective states in shaping our moral and ethical frameworks.
Peter Millican is a notable figure in the field of philosophy. He is primarily associated with his work on Enlightenment philosophy, particularly the writings of David Hume and other early modern philosophers. Millican holds academic positions and is known for his contributions to the study of epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mind, among other subjects.
Rebecca Roache is a philosopher known for her work in the fields of ethics, philosophy of language, and applied ethics. She has contributed to discussions on various topics, including the ethics of artificial intelligence, moral philosophy, and epistemology. Roache has been associated with academic institutions and has published articles that explore complex philosophical questions and dilemmas.
Robert Audi is an influential American philosopher known for his work in various areas of philosophy, including epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of language. He is particularly recognized for his contributions to the understanding of practical reasoning, moral theory, and the nature of belief. Audi has written extensively on topics such as justification, rationality, and the role of reason in ethical decision-making. He is also known for his writings on the nature of knowledge, including his discussions on internalism and externalism in epistemology.
Roger Scruton (1944-2020) was a British philosopher, writer, and public intellectual known for his work in aesthetics, political philosophy, and cultural criticism. He was a prominent advocate of traditional conservatism and often addressed topics such as the nature of beauty, the role of art in society, and the importance of cultural heritage. Scruton wrote numerous books and articles throughout his career, covering subjects ranging from philosophy and music to architecture and environmentalism.
Roger Trigg is a British philosopher known for his work in philosophy of religion, epistemology, and metaphysics. He has written extensively on topics such as the nature of belief, the relationship between faith and reason, and the implications of religious thought in contemporary society. Trigg has been a prominent figure in discussions about the intersection of philosophy and theology, and he has contributed to debates on secularism, science, and the role of religion in public life.
Ruth Barcan Marcus (1921–2012) was an influential American philosopher and logician, best known for her work in the fields of modal logic, philosophy of language, and feminist philosophy. One of her significant contributions is the development of the Barcan formula, which connects modal logic and quantification. This formula has implications for understanding necessity and possibility in relation to existential quantifiers.
Sam Harris is an American author, philosopher, neuroscientist, and podcast host known for his writings and discussions on topics such as religion, morality, free will, and the nature of consciousness. He is one of the prominent figures in the "New Atheism" movement, which critiques organized religion and advocates for a secular worldview.
Troy Jollimore is an American poet, philosopher, and professor known for his work in both poetry and academics. He is recognized for his contributions to contemporary poetry and has published several collections of poems, often exploring themes of love, perception, and human relationships. Jollimore has also written on philosophical topics and has engaged in discussions related to the intersection of poetry and philosophy. In addition to his creative work, he teaches at California State University, Chico.
Ted Honderich is a British philosopher known primarily for his work in the fields of philosophy of mind, philosophy of consciousness, and political philosophy. He is particularly noted for his interpretations and discussions about determinism, free will, and the nature of consciousness. Honderich has also engaged with topics related to ethics, particularly in the context of political violence and terrorism. He has authored several influential books and has contributed significantly to philosophical discourse.
Thomas B. Warren (1919–2000) was an influential figure in the field of Christian apologetics and philosophy. He was known for his contributions to the defense of the Christian faith, particularly through his writings and teachings on logic, ethics, and the existence of God. Warren was a prominent advocate for the Church of Christ and engaged in debates regarding theistic arguments, specifically focusing on the existence of God and the validity of Christianity.
William L. Rowe (1931–2020) was an American philosopher known primarily for his work in the philosophy of religion, particularly on arguments for and against the existence of God. He is best known for his formulations of the problem of evil, which questions how to reconcile the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God with the existence of suffering and evil in the world.
Carl Gustav Hempel was a prominent philosopher of science known for his contributions to the philosophy of language, the philosophy of science, and the logic of scientific explanation. Some of his notable works include: 1. **"The Logic of Functional Analyses" (1952)** - This book addresses the concept of functional analysis in the philosophy of science.
"Principia Ethica" is a philosophical work written by the British philosopher G.E. Moore, first published in 1903. The book is significant for its contributions to ethical theory and is considered one of the foundational texts in modern moral philosophy.
"Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" is a book by the philosopher Daniel Dennett, published in 2006. In this work, Dennett explores the concept of religion from a scientific and philosophical perspective, seeking to understand its origins and functions from an evolutionary standpoint. The book argues that religion is a natural phenomenon that can be studied using the tools of science, much like other aspects of human culture.
"The Roots of Reference" refers to a philosophical and cognitive investigation into how language and symbols connect to the objects and ideas they represent. This concept often explores the relationships between words, their meanings, and the world around us, including the ways in which humans understand and interpret their experiences. In a broader context, this exploration includes various fields such as linguistics, semiotics (the study of signs and symbols), and cognitive science.
"Darwin's Dangerous Idea" is a concept introduced by philosopher Daniel C. Dennett in his 1995 book of the same name. The central idea is that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has profound implications not only for biology but also for philosophy, ethics, and our understanding of human nature. The "dangerous" aspect refers to how Darwin's idea challenges traditional views about the origins of life, the complexity of organisms, and the role of purpose and design in nature.
A categorical proposition is a type of statement in logic that asserts a relationship between two categories or classes. It typically makes a claim about the inclusion or exclusion of one category within another. Categorical propositions are often expressed in a standard form that includes a subject and a predicate, along with a quantifier that indicates the extent to which the statement holds.
The phrase "chicken or the egg" refers to a classic philosophical dilemma regarding causality and origin. It raises the question of which came first: the chicken (the adult bird) or the egg (the reproductive cell from which a chicken hatches). The debate can be understood in both a literal biological context and a metaphorical philosophical context. 1. **Biological Perspective**: From a scientific standpoint, evolutionary biology provides an answer.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 4. Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation.Figure 5. Web editor. You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.Video 4. OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo. Source. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact





