Anyone who values rational debate, clever quips and insightful conversation about the past, the present and the future, has a home here. The roots of the present lie in the past, just as the future has started to take form, today. Those who like to think about those sorts of things can grab a bottle, a bowl or a cup, and pull up a chair!
We welcome everyone interested what was, what is, and what might be, but have no patience for foolishness, and that means this place has some rules.
Aristotle made unprecedented contributions to all categories of knowledge, but perhaps his greatest gifts came from his examinations of the foundation of “knowledge,” itself. In other words, in the absence of some external authority, such as Plato’s Realm of True Forms which Aristotle rejected, how can human beings “know things.” The philosopher asserted that the basis of knowledge (episteme) lay with an examination of everything […]
As noted in the last post, Aristotle placed a lot of importance on good parenting. To him, the life of a philosopher was, hands down, the best one, but he clearly understood that not everyone could manage it. Aristotle wrote that self-discipline served as a vital pre-condition to a life based on reason, and that required a lifetime of practice. When a parent forbids a […]
The fact that Socrates wrote nothing, himself, but made such an impression on others, makes him pretty easy to write about. Moreover, the fact that Plato’s central arguments about the Realm of Pure Forms cannot stand up to rational scrutiny makes discussions of his ideas relatively straightforward. However, when it comes to philosophers who have a vast range of good ideas, matters become much more […]
Rationalist’s real name is Thomas S. Higgins. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and History from Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he specialized in political theory and the history of the United States Constitution. He spent 10 years as a newspaper reporter, where he covered politics and business news (and a bunch of other stuff), before changes in the industry forced him to find another profession. He now works as a software QA tester, where he finds the attention to detail and the thick hide he developed as a journalist remarkably useful.
Politically, he’s a moderate centrist who believes the best available facts should drive policy and that government exists primarily to defend individual rights and civil liberties. He also thinks government must fight the tragedy of the commons and abuses by the powerful, as well as promote political stability through the establishment of a minimal social safety net.
As a general rule, he thinks leadership in politics appears about as frequently as it does in any other human endeavor (“not very”), and argues the best elected officials know they exist to serve the public, and understand they have no business dictating how others should live their lives.
For fun, Rationalist likes to play complex games with friends on table-tops or computers, goes camping at least once per year in the Colorado high country (but wants to go more often), and travels abroad when he can. He frequently dines in downtown restaurants and brewpubs, but could turn up just about anywhere in the Denver-Boulder metro area.
On this site, Rationalist speaks only for himself, and bears all responsibility for its content.
