Humanism

Like so many many many times. A star trek episode sums up many philosophical ideas better than most philosophy books do

This line has stuck with me over the years.

“I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” ~ Gandalf (J. R. R. Tolkein ~ The Hobbit)”

A sim…[Read more]

Unseen, I’m still curious what your answer is.

What do you all think?

Like so many many many times. A star trek episode sums up many philosophical ideas better than most philosophy books do. In an episode of DS9, in a future where Earth is a paradise and a strong Federation reigns, they are invaded by a dominion and humans become somewhat ugly in the war. Quark says:

Let me tell you something…

[Read more]

Davis wrote:

pull their legs off one at a time

Well, if you really want them to suffer just pump a trillion tons of carbon dioxide into their atmosphere and they can “global warming” to death over a century or so.

Yeah, I was gonna say we are actually doing this to all the earth’s creatures now. Is the prime directive continuation of our spe…[Read more]

1. No

and

2. No

that not evolving is bad somehow

That’s not what I meant at all. I included that because for many people, they would be MORE likely to not eradicate some simple life forms if they were eventually to become conscious sentient beings capable of all the wonders and creative abilities and emotion and experiences that we have. The point wasn’t to…[Read more]

pull their legs off one at a time

Well, if you really want them to suffer just pump a trillion tons of carbon dioxide into their atmosphere and they can “global warming” to death over a century or so.

Davis wrote:

this life form will never evolve into anything more (they’ve been like that for billions of years and have no capacity for genetic change or any other mechanism?).

We need to discuss an unstated assumption in your arguments, which s that not evolving is bad somehow. Maybe not evolving further (they must have evolved somehow into t…[Read more]

As for number 1, kill them all. pull their legs off one at a time, use flame throwers and RAID bombs. Take their coal, drill for their oil baby, drill, drill, drill.

Actually unless us humanoids need their resources for our very survival we have no right to destroy their world. However……if we need these resources in a dire way; the first…[Read more]

Here’s a recent radio programme on BBC Radio 4 about the “gender pay gap”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005t3n

Oh and the answer to your questions is “maybe.”…

@Davis

A few problems with this study that jumped out at me:

1. Although published in 2005, they took data from 1960-1990….That’s….30-60 years ago. Do you have anything more recent (like within the past 5 years?)…

Secondly, it even says in the paper that “a continuous, even moderate equalization of the sexes is taking place…(p. 508…[Read more]

Would you vote in a referendum to rectify problems in wage gaps where age or pregnancy is not an issue and productivity is the same.

I would probably vote yes for a fair pay act if such a law did not exist. It is not clear how it would be determined if discrimination exists; salary information is usually private and compensation packages are often…[Read more]

Pope my question was extremely specific and very local. Would you vote in a referendum to rectify problems in wage gaps where age or pregnancy is not an issue and productivity is the same. I didn’t ask if you supported affirmative action or universal wage fairness. This referendum would happen wherever you personally live. You can vote yes or no…[Read more]

Ivy I don’t know what your answer actually is. Would you try to rectify a wage gap that is objectively demonstrated? Yes or no. Maybe is also allowed. But “there are more important things to worry about” or listing speculative theories of why it might happen (totally irrelevant to a discussion on a case where something objectively demonstrated,…[Read more]

As about comprehensive as you can get is a meta-meta study of meta-analysis andatheir own meta-analysis  done over several decades which rigourously control various factors which people usually use as excuses for why women who are equally productive make less than men. The result is: things have gotten better, which points to a recognition of the…[Read more]

Robert_ wrote:

So is this law gonna force corporations to give equal raises to underperforming minority professionals?

So I may not have thought this out thoroughly enough, but I don’t like the idea of requiring companies to comply with affirmative action laws. There’s too much litigation involved as a remedy after the fact of alleged…[Read more]