Some science studies scholars support creationist schooling (Steve Fuller), free-thinking climate denialist think-tanks (Bruno Latour), lawyers’ dominance above scientists’ evidence and media’s post-truth turn (Sheila Jasanoff), lament top-down reassurances of harmless mobile phone radiation (Jack Stilgoe), believe values and facts… Read More ›
Articles
Articles are stand-alone contributions to SERRC.
A Bibliography and Brief History of the Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories, Kurtis Hagen
The current discussion of conspiracy theories occurring in the philosophical literature began in 1995 when Charles Pigden reflected on Karl Popper’s influential argument against the “conspiracy theory of society.” Pigden noticed that Popper’s critique was not really directed at conspiracy… Read More ›
A Revised Defense of the Le Monde Group, Scott Hill
On January 7th, 2015 two French brothers shot, injured, and killed staff in the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, in Paris, France. Over the next several days, connected attacks followed. The brothers pledged their allegiance to the Islamic… Read More ›
A Cento on Plagiarism, Brian L. Frye
Art is not truth; art is a lie that enables us to recognize truth.[1] The law is the least artistic medium ever devised by humankind. After all, the law is society’s super ego to art’s id, and the legal system… Read More ›
“A Republic, If You Can Keep It”, Kenneth R. Westphal
In August 1787, directly following the close of the Constitutional Convention (USA), Maryland delegate to this convention, James McHenry, recorded this significant exchange between Benjamin Franklin and Elizabeth Willing Powel: A lady asked Dr. Franklin: ‘Well Doctor, what have we… Read More ›
Misunderstanding the Human and the Divine, Ljiljana Radenović
In the last years of socialism and my third year of high school in late 1980s Yugoslavia, my logic teacher asked the class why people believe in God. The question was received with silence. I do not remember who came… Read More ›
Honesty is the Best Policy: Why the Science of Vaccination Matters, Des Hewitt
In recent weeks and months SERRC has published a number of contentious articles and replies which focus on vaccines: vaccines which combat COVID-19. Making the latter statement so definitively makes me suspect my writing will be taken by readers as… Read More ›
The Salvation of the State is in Watchfulness of the Citizens: A Reply to Ahmed Bouzid, Lee Basham
In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ― Eric Blair[1] In this brief note we examine an interesting if perhaps unusual reply to Kurtis Hagen’s, “Vaccination and Intellectual Honesty: Reflections on a Theme in Recent… Read More ›
What is to be Done with Eurasianism—or the ‘Promised Heartland’—as Someone Who is a Real Eurasian? Andrey Ivanov
The problem with ‘Eurasianism’ as an idea in Russia (Fuller 2022) boils down both to the words ‘Euro’ and ‘Asia’ and to their ordering. Do Russians actually identify themselves as a part of Europe or Asia? Do they have any… Read More ›
Weaving Faith into a Moral Life, Ljiljana Radenović
Many philosophers have tried to define the moral thing to do in a challenging (either possible or fully imaginary) situation. Should we lie to the murderer about the whereabouts of his potential victim? Kant says: ‘No, we should not!’ Should… Read More ›