Mere springs and coils produced the inward movements of our clockwork man [Gradus]. He might be termed a Puritan. One essential dislike, formidable in its simplicity, pervaded his dull soul: he disliked injustice and deception.…
Эволюція?
Любопытно разстояніе между недоумѣніями о происхожденіи зла, сформулированными въ гностическихъ теодицеяхъ, и недоумѣніями о происхожденіи новозаветныхъ чудесъ, сформулированными въ некоторыхъ протестантскихъ теологіяхъ.
Alister E. McGrath on Pietism & Romanticism
Pietism developed in a number of different directions, especially in England and Germany. Among the representatives of the movement, two in particular should be noted. Nikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf (1700–60) founded the Pietist community…
Brian Martin on the public vaccination controversy in Australia
In Australia, defending against SLAPPs [Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, a term coined by George Pring and Penelope Canan in SLAPPs: Getting Sued for Speaking Out (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996)] has to operate differently…
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Brian Martin on vaccination
On the surface, it might seem that a narrative is just a way of describing the practical reality of disease and vaccination. But narratives are more than descriptions: they affect the way people process information,…
Brian Martin on expertise & citizen science in public scientific controversies
To examine this issue, it’s useful to look at the role of expertise in public scientific controversies. Vaccination proponents sometimes say that in order to have any credibility, it’s necessary to have appropriate credentials and…
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Brian Martin on resistance in public scientific controversy
When expressing views is risky for some individuals, a general approach for resistance is for public comment to be made by those who are least vulnerable and for those who are most vulnerable to become…
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Brian Martin on debate in public scientific controversy
Why not engage in debate? If all the evidence supports vaccination, a debate might seem like an ideal opportunity to make the case for vaccinating and to demolish the arguments of the critics. However, there…
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Brian Martin on ‘boundary-work’
There are boundaries between countries and there are also less tangible boundaries between sets of ideas. One special boundary is between science and non-science. This can also be called a difference or distinction or demarcation.…
Cornel Zwierlein on early conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories in a narrower definition are an early modern ‘invention’ or a phenomenon only emerging after the Renaissance, during the confessional age. Two major types of conspiracy theories were evolving at this time: Those…