Author Archives: shaunmiller

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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.

Monkeys Understand Fairness and Cooperation

Posted on May 21, 2009 by shaunmiller

Everyone thinks humans are special because they’re the only species that understands fairness.  Think again:

Posted in Respect, Rights, Values | 5 Comments

How to do Philosophy

Posted on May 18, 2009 by shaunmiller

As an undergrad, I did philosophy by reading the material, trying to get an understanding of them, and then answer various questions in class.  In grad school, I did philosophy by trying to get a broader understanding of the philosophers … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Paper Topic | 2 Comments

Saying “I Love You”

Posted on May 16, 2009 by shaunmiller

Saying “I love you” seems to be a trick, a chicanery, a manipulation just to get the other person to say “I love you too.”

Posted in Love, Relationships | 25 Comments

US views of Abortion Have Shifted to Pro-Life

Posted on May 15, 2009 by shaunmiller

. . . for the first time in 15 years.  The majority of Americans have typically been pro-choice since Roe v. Wade (except for a few moments during the Regan administration).  But a recent poll which you can see here … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, News | 1 Comment

Adding Sketches to Spam

Posted on May 14, 2009 by shaunmiller

Someone has made sketches pertaining to those lame spam mails that you receive.  Check out the rest here.  It’s awesome.

Posted in Humor | Leave a comment

Two Examples of Freedom of Speech in Crisis

Posted on May 13, 2009 by shaunmiller

A few weeks ago, Carrie Prejean (aka Miss California) got some heat mainly from two things.  The first is seen below: Many people got offended by this.  At the same time, Prejean also posed in topless pics before she became … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom of Speech, J. S. Mill | 9 Comments

The 20 “Most Important” Philosophers of the Pre-Modern Era

Posted on May 11, 2009 by shaunmiller

Voted by 531 philosophers: 1. Plato (Condorcet winner: wins contests with all other choices) 2. Aristotle loses to Plato by 231–229 3. Socrates loses to Plato by 366–81, loses to Aristotle by 356–122 4. Aquinas loses to Plato by 447–37, … Continue reading →

Posted in Experts, History | 2 Comments

How Much Water do you Use?

Posted on May 9, 2009 by shaunmiller

There’s a nice chart that you can see here along with some good advice.  Notice how much water is needed for meat.

Posted in Environment | 1 Comment

Being vs. Doing

Posted on May 8, 2009 by shaunmiller

“Go out there and be someone.”  This is a line you often hear from parents, teachers, and other peers.  But what does it mean?  People usually mean that you must achieve something in your life and that your very being … Continue reading →

Posted in Empiricism, Epistemology, Paper Topic, Rationalism | 6 Comments

Religion and Happiness Don’t Always go Together

Posted on May 7, 2009 by shaunmiller

A while ago, there was a study showing that the more religious one was, the more happy one was. Religiousity and happiness were proportional to each other.  I was always skeptical of this claim because I thought the numbers were … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion, Values | 4 Comments