Tag Archives: Bill Meacham

BILL MEACHAM, PhD : PHILOSOPHY | Moral confusion about abortion

One of my teachers has said that you can’t talk somebody into changing their mind, but sometimes you can listen them into it. By Bill Meacham, PhD | The Rag Blog | July 7, 2022 The controversy about abortion–whether it … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bill Meacham, PhD :
BOOKS | Lighting the Fire: A Cherokee Journey from
Dropout to Professor

The book traces author Steve Russell’s life from his dirt-poor origins in Oklahoma. By Bill Meacham, PhD | The Rag Blog | November 5, 2020 [Lighting The Fire: A Cherokee Journey From Dropout To Professor, by Steve Russell. (McLean, VA: … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Bill Meacham :
IDEAS | The anti-realist vegetarian

Once you realize the socially constructed nature of morality, you get to choose whether or not to buy into it. By Bill Meacham | The Rag Blog | August 25, 2015 I venture to guess that most people are moral … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bill Meacham :
IDEAS | Mental parasites

Just as a parasitical lancet fluke can direct an ant to climb up a blade of grass, we are unknowingly manipulated by cultural memes. By Bill Meacham | The Rag Blog | October 21, 2014 What if your brain were … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bill Meacham :
Learning from Zarathustra

Zarathustra is appropriately called the First Prophet. He spoke of themes later to be found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: a single universal God, the battle between good and evil, the devil, heaven and hell, and an eventual end to … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RAG RADIO / Thorne Dreyer : Philosophy Scholar Bill Meacham on ‘How to Be an Excellent Human’

Bill Meacham, right, with Rag Radio host Thorne Dreyer in the studios of KOOP Radio in Austin, Texas, Friday, May 31, 2013. Photo by Tracey Schulz / Rag Radio. Rag Radio podcast: Philosophy scholar Bill Meacham,author of ‘How to Be an … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

IDEAS / Bill Meacham : Imagine There’s No Morality

Art from Duck Soup. Imagine there’s no morality The philosophical question becomes an empirical one: what enables us to flourish? By Bill Meacham | The Rag Blog | May 30, 2013 Bill Meacham will discuss issues raised in his new … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

IDEAS / Bill Meacham : Free Will or Free Won’t?

Image from InspireD2.Free Will or Free Won’t? Human beings act on their desires and beliefs, and the way we predict what people will do is not by examining their brain waves but by understanding what they want and what they … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

IDEAS / Bill Meacham : Speaking of Consciousness

Image from TZA’s photostream / Flickr.Speaking of consciousness The cardinal sin of philosophy, committed all too often, is to use terms that are ambiguous. By Bill Meacham | The Rag Blog | January 15, 2013 The philosophy club is currently … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

IDEAS / Bill Meacham : The Mayan Calendar

The sun at the intersection of the galactic equator and the ecliptic. Image from Philosophy for Real Life.Is the end near?The Mayan Calendar On December 21 the 13th baktun will come to an end. Rather than starting a 14th baktun, … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

IDEAS / Bill Meacham : Is Religion a Parasitic Meme or a Helpful Adaptation?

Moai at Easter Island. Moai are the living faces of deified ancestors. Image from Wikimedia Commons.Religion:Parasitic meme or helpful adaptation? That humans are religious is indisputable. Like morality, religion in one form or another seems to be a universal aspect … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

IDEAS / Bill Meacham : The Human Virtue

Image from The Planning Notepad.The human virtue We humans have an ability that goes well beyond what any other animal can do: we can turn our attention to ourselves. By Bill Meacham | The Rag Blog | September 20, 2012 … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment