Axioms

Axioms is a soon-to-be-published book by Duke University Physics professor Robert G. Brown.

This book appears to be a philosophical commentary which masquerades as being scientific in nature, but ultimately is a re-hash of various Christian apologetic principles.

We're going to discuss aspects of the book from the author's web site: http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/Philosophy/axioms.php

Current outline: http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/Philosophy/axioms.php

1. Reason and its Limitations

   * Wanted: Answers to some Big Questions
         o Primate Philosophy
         o Big Questions, Big Answers
         o The Advantage of Reason 
   * The Laws of Thought
         o Making a Living as an Early Philosopher
         o Thought and the Joy of Sets
               + Quantum Theory and the Laws of Thought 
         o Assertions and Experience 
   * Formal Set Theory
         o Naive Set versus Axiomatic Set Theories
         o The Power Set
         o Set Theory and the Laws of Thought
         o The Null Set
         o A Bit of Formalism
         o Set Theory of Thought
         o Summary 
   * Logic
         o Examples of Logic in Action
               + Computational Logic
               + Propositional Logic
               + Predicate Logic 
   * What's an Axiom
   * Gödel
   * Paradoxes
         o Fun with Logic: Contradictions and Null Results 
   * The Pit of Existential Despair 

1. Philosophy

   * Philosophy is Bullshit
         o Philosophy is Bullshit 
   * The Fundamental Axioms of Religion:
         o The Common Memes of Religious Scripture
         o Memetic analysis of the Superorganism
         o Religion versus Science: Axiom Wars 
   * The Fundamental Axioms of Science
   * The Fundamental Axioms of Human Society
   * Critique of Specific Philosophies
         o Why Descartes Proof of God's Existence is Bullshit
         o Why Solipsism is Bullshit
         o Why Science (Natural Philosophy) is Bullshit
         o Why Logical Positivism is Bullshit
         o Why the Ontological Proof of God's Existence is Bullshit
         o Why the Intelligent Design ``Theory is Bullshit
         o Why Religious Scripture is (without exception) Bullshit
         o Why Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness is Bullshit
         o Proof by Silliness: Fairy Philosophy 

1. Axioms

   * Meta-Axioms
         o The Axiom of Open-Mindedness
         o Shaving the Barber with the Razor of Ockham
         o The Esthetic Principle
         o The Axiom of Romance
         o The Axiom of Deity 
   * You ``Are Your Axioms
         o The Axiom of Open-Mindedness
         o Shaving the Barber with the Razor of Ockham
         o The Esthetic Principle 
   * Conclusions
   * Galileo and St. Bellarmine