One of the most underappreciated 20th century philosophers is Rudolf Carnap. I’ve always been fascinated and very much influenced by his works (especially “Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology”), although they have been overshadowed by the works of Wittgenstein and Quine, and his philosophical project has been described as a failure. I am just excited about David Chalmer’s new book, entitled Constructing the World, that attempts to bring to light and, at the same time, develop the valuable philosophical insights in Carnap’s Aufbau. I just hope that, with Michael Friedman’s Reconsidering Logical Positivism, Chalmer’s book will trigger a significant resurgence of interest in the works of Carnap. I think that Carnap deserves deep appreciation from the philosophical community.
Last Sunday, a preacher asked the congregation to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” in church. I find such a practice idolatrous. My allegiance to my country is not a part of my Christian obligation. As a Christian, my ultimate allegiance belongs to God alone. My allegiance to my country is part of my obligation as a citizen or resident of my country. My allegiance to my country is primarily motivated by my willingness to contractually participate in social cooperation for the establishment of peace, security, social stability, and justice for all members of the citizenry. A country is temporarily and contingently established for the organization and management of the contractual participations of the citizenry in social cooperation. Of course, I am willing to die for my country, when the values (such as peace, security, social stability, and justice) that are essential for the social cooperation of the citizenry are unjustifiably threatened. But that’s not a Christian obligation. That...
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