Sorting Through Sophistries: The Fleet of Theseus
Theseus called; he wants his ship back. Oh, and Bertrand Russell called; he needs to know where he can put his box full of boxes?
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Texts in Context: Just What Was the Hellenistic Period?
As Dickens put it: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. At least, one assumes it could have been someone’s best of times; we know more about the other one.
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Sorting Through Sophistries: Pathetic Appeals (That Are Bad)
Here we offer the “mugshots” of some common sophistical appeals to emotion. Take note of their traits; next time you see them, they probably won’t be labeled.
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Texts in Context: Aristotle and Alexander
In less than twenty years, Alexander the Great transfigured the world and its future.
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Sorting Through Sophistries: Appeals to Emotion (Aren’t Always Bad)
Like poisoning the well or the fallacy fallacy, we have here a set of ambivalent sophistries; they lack commitment to being sophistical.
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Texts in Context: The Legacy of Socrates
Death is normally the end of a person’s story; but for a small handful of figures, Socrates among them, things only get more interesting afterwards.
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Sorting Through Sophistries: Dishonesty in Detail
Fortune-tellers claim to divine secrets from kings, jokers, and knaves; but what is the real source of their information? And for that matter, is it information?
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Twenty-Five Top-Notch Lines in Literature
“These days people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” What’s the value of a good book?
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Texts in Context: Thirty Tyrants and One Nuisance
Socrates, though executed five years later, was arguably the last victim of the Thirty Tyrants.
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Sorting Through Sophistries: Five Words to Watch Out For
This week, we discuss five minor fallacies. Four are essentially appeals to our insecurities; the fifth is a curveball.
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