Author Archives: shaunmiller

Unknown's avatar

About shaunmiller

I have just completed a visiting position as an assistant professor at Dalhousie University. My ideas are not associated with my employer; they are expressions of my own thoughts and ideas. Some of them are just musings while others could be serious discussions that could turn into a bigger project. Besides philosophy, I enjoy martial arts (Kuk Sool Won), playing my violin, enjoying coffee around town, and experimenting with new food.

Let’s See What’s in the News Today (Dec. 15, 2014)

Posted on December 15, 2014 by shaunmiller

Economics The University of Utah is opening a food pantry to their students who have food insecurities. Ethics Should governments pay ransoms from terrorists?  Peter Singer says no. Sharing a painful experience with strangers promoted greater group cooperation. Free Will … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Ethics, Free Will, News, Peter Singer, Pornography, Race, Science, Sexuality, Will | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sexual Consent and Memory

Posted on December 11, 2014 by shaunmiller

Suppose there is a wife and a husband.  They have sex, but the man is being charged with rape.  He responds back by saying that she consented.  The Attorney General’s office says that she didn’t.  Why?  It’s because she has … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Sexuality | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Let’s See What’s in the News Today (Dec. 10, 2014)

Posted on December 10, 2014 by shaunmiller

Philosophy More news about the smearing of Cheryl Abbate.  An anonymous post analyzes how McAdams blog post was factually incorrect.  Very good and very impressive! Listen to an impressive interview of Simone de Beauvoir (in English) by Studs Terkel taken in … Continue reading →

Posted in Casual Sex, Pornography, Promiscuity, Race, Religion, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s See What’s In the News Today (Nov. 30, 2014)

Posted on November 30, 2014 by shaunmiller

Emotions There could be a danger emphasizing empathy.  “Once you see someone as fundamentally other, fundamentally different, empathy turns off like a switch.” Paul Ekman has been an expert at detecting the emotions of faces and even whether they’re dishonest … Continue reading →

Posted in Casual Sex, Drug Use, Emotions, Ethics, News, Race, Sexuality, Values | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s See What’s in the News Today (Nov. 23, 2014)

Posted on November 23, 2014 by shaunmiller

Abortion Some questions to ask pro-lifers. Economics Switzerland may give every citizen $2,600 a month. Ethics Molly Crocket, a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, discusses the neuroscience of moral decision making.  It’s a fascinating talk.  You can listen to … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, Economics, Ethics, Health, Humor, Politics, Pornography, Relationships, Science, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Physics of Mosh Pits

Posted on November 18, 2014 by shaunmiller

In 2013, a group of researchers published a paper called Collective Motion of Moshers at Heavy Metal Concerts. The paper’s abstract reads: Human collective behavior can vary from calm to panicked depending on social context. Using videos publicly available online, we study the … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Let’s See What’s in the News Today (Nov. 17, 2014)

Posted on November 17, 2014 by shaunmiller

Books The book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is about a young man, Chris McCandless, who left his comfortable life outside of Washington D.C., gave his money away and burned the rest, and headed to the Alaskan wilderness.  Why did … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Ethics, Health, News, Relationships, Religion, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is there Such a Thing as “Good” Sexual Objectification? (Part Three)

Posted on November 9, 2014 by shaunmiller

Let’s recall Marino’s argument: One can consent to objectification in the weak instrumental use. Consent is the morally significant feature that makes objectification permissible. Weak instrumental use is characteristic of the best sexual objectification. Therefore, consent should be the morally … Continue reading →

Posted in Article, Casual Sex, Ethics, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is there Such a Thing as “Good” Sexual Objectification? (Part Two)

Posted on November 6, 2014 by shaunmiller

Let’s recall Marino’s argument: One can consent to objectification in the weak instrumental use. Consent is the morally significant feature that makes objectification permissible. Weak instrumental use is characteristic of the best sexual objectification. Therefore, consent should be the morally … Continue reading →

Posted in Article, Casual Sex, Ethics, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is There Such a Thing as “Good” Sexual Objectification? (Part One)

Posted on November 4, 2014 by shaunmiller

It is assumed that sexual objectification is morally wrong.  To be clear, sexual objectification is to treat someone as an object of sexual pleasure—in short, a sex object.  So to make sure one is not sexually objectifying another person, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Article, Casual Sex, Ethics, Sexuality | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments