Monthly Archives: December 2015

Expect the unexpected

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Quentin

Before Christmas we discussed John Rawls’s idea of the ‘veil of ignorance’. He argued that social rules should be seen from the several points of view held by the different categories potentially affected. Apart from other advantages, it can be … Continue reading →

Posted in Moral judgment, Quentin queries | Tagged | 21 Comments

TRUE or FALSE. Eyes down for the Catholic Herald Christmas Quiz.

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Quentin

Answers below. Questions 1 Humans share about 50 per cent of their DNA with bananas. 2 “Get thee to a nunnery.” Hamlet thought that only life in a convent could save Ophelia. 3 The Battle of Bunker Hill was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald, Quentin queries | Tagged | 7 Comments

Catholic Herald Christmas Quiz. ANSWERS (questions above)

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Quentin

(Do not read until you have tried the questions above!) 1 True. 2 False. In Elizabethan slang ‘‘nunnery’’ meant ‘‘brothel’’. 3 False. It took place on Breed’s Hill, and the Revolutionaries lost. 4 True. It comes from the Latin minutus … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald, Quentin queries | Tagged | 2 Comments

Is it all Rawls?

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Quentin

CATHOLIC HERALD ‘TRUE OR FALSE’ QUIZ WILL BE PUBLISHED ABOVE THIS POST ON 23 DECEMBER How do we achieve a just and fair society? Throughout our lifetimes we have witnessed a political pendulum – swinging backwards and forwards between left … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Church and Society, Moral judgment, Philosophy | 33 Comments

My marriage was a mistake

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Quentin

There I was, repairing this fiddly little gadget when I lost my screwdriver. I knew that I had used it not a minute before, but it had disappeared. Frustrated, I asked my wife if she had seen it. Within a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Catholic Herald columns, evolution | 66 Comments

Choosing faith

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Quentin

Our contributor, Alan, has asked: “…what limitation is there on faith or any faith based claim?”. Let me give you some thoughts. I start with the (philosopher) Hume’s dictum: “If we take in our hand any Volume; of Divinity or … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Quentin queries, Spirituality | Tagged , , | 78 Comments