Modern Philosophy – Jon Haines

15 May

Great Lecture: The Nature of Knowledge and the Knowledge of Nature – Fr. Brian Chrzastek, O.P.

By Jon
In Modern Philosophy, Philosophy

This week’s lecture was chosen because, In my view, Kant and St. Thomas are both giants representing and synthesizing their respective traditions. Kant synthesizes the moderns: Descartes (idealist) and Hume (empiricist). This is in contrast with Aquinas, who in many

10 Apr

Chance, Determinism, and Providence

By Jon
In Modern Philosophy, Philosophy

I’m currently reading Yves Simon’s Foresight and Knowledge (Prévoir et savoir), a work written in 1944 on philosophy of science. The first chapter makes up a third of the book. There he considers what chance is (and is not), gives

27 Feb

Porn…and Metaphysics?

By Jon
In Modern Philosophy, Philosophy

Besides recent events in Chicago, this video has been making rounds on the internet: It’s interesting to see how mostÂ people today need and require physical experience or demonstration before believing something, when knowledge about a things nature is a suitableÂ guide.

18 Jul

Nothing Is Greater Or Less Than Us – Sidewalk Art

In my time spent just around Chicago in the past week or two, I have begun to pick up a theme of a message that is very popular: Nothing Is Greater Or Less Than US. I began to notice

19 Apr

3rd Annual Reasonfest!

By Jon
In Modern Philosophy, News Commentary, Philosophy

Just like last year on the national level, secular humanists continue to host 'reason' events ever more, continuing the tradition from the French Revolution. Its interesting because with these growing each year, it just goes to show even more that

09 Apr

More Ignorance on the “God Particle”

By Jon
In Empirical Science, Modern Philosophy, Philosophy
2 comments

Anyone reading this blog probably already intelligent enough to understand why this article is nonsense and part of the continued effort to spin the science of the higgs boson as having significant philosophical, and therefore theological implications, but I'll put

09 Feb

The God Particle and Metaphysics

By Jon
In Modern Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion

Behold! The latest and greatest evidence out there to show that God doesn't exist, brought to you by…wait for it…empirical science! The higgs boson, mentioned in the previous post is the answer to why the “supernatural” is really an

31 Oct

404 – Page Not Found

By Jon
In Fun, Humor, Modern Philosophy, Philosophy

404 – Page Not Found The page you’re looking for does not exist, or does it? According to Immanuel Kant, there are fundamental features of reality that escape our direct knowledge because of the natural limits of the

14 Aug

Randomness Part II

By Jon
In Empirical Science, Modern Philosophy, Philosophy

Recently in my reading a quote stood out to me: “It is certainly true that if physics has to move back farther and farther in the regress from universe to multi-verse to something that gave rise to the

18 Jul

Another One Bites the Dust…

By Jon
In Compromise/Dissent/Heresy, Education, Enlightenment, Higher Education, Modern Philosophy, News Commentary, Religion

One of the oldest universities in Europe (notice I didn't say oldest Catholic university since they were ALL Catholic)…makes a declaration of independence. The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The