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	<title>Montreal Philosophy</title>
	<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com</link>
	<description>Montreal-based blog on philosophy, ethics, politics, art etc.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:45:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>A letter on Haaretz, and the perspective we must take on Israel.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I was exchanging some words with a friend, after I had mentioned an article. He suggested that the article &#8220;could easily be Israeli propaganda to legitimize a new attack on Gaza.&#8221; I tried to explain that such information seemed contrary to Israeli interests &#8212; that if Israel wants to publish propaganda, it should write something [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/a-letter-on-haaretz-and-the-perspective-we-must-take-on-israel/</link>
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		<title>Neoliberalism: The Misunderstood Ideology (assuming it exists).</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I have seen both teachers and books describe neoliberalism as an ideology in &#8220;opposition to government intervention in the economy&#8221;*. Its adherents tend to be vilified as zealous believers in the invisible hand and this definition of neoliberalism is then used in a straw man argument, with neoliberalism clearly shown as false due to the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/neoliberalism-the-misunderstood-ideology/</link>
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		<title>The problems of immortality and the value of death.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
When trying to consider the problems of the future, we have to keep in mind that several assumptions are always at play. Still, it is interesting to think of problems we may very well face somewhere in the future. I do not believe that we should be too precocious in trying to attack these issues [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-problems-of-immortality-and-the-value-of-death/</link>
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		<title>Liberalism and Primitivism: Choice, or the natural and primitive life?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I tend to believe that philosophical differences boil down to differences in terms of values, of which none is better than the other since they are essentially assumptions about the nature of our world. The conflict between primitivism and liberalism serves as a fine example:
When I speak as a liberal, one of the most wonderful [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/liberalism-and-primitivism-choice-or-the-natural-and-primitive-life/</link>
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		<title>Eye on the News: Surveys and Lingusitic Barriers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
We have to be careful when reading the news, because many articles are misleading at least in one way (though the mistakes are usually innocent). Statistics are too often without context and, without easily accessible sources, they&#8217;re difficult to verify. Here&#8217;s an example of potentially flawed statistics:
Not even one in five 18- to 24-year-old French [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/eye-on-the-news-surveys-and-lingusitic-barriers/</link>
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		<title>Drugs: paternalistic government or absolute self-ownership?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
At 32%, what is marketed as the world&#8217;s strongest beer has just been released. As per its label:
This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/drugs-paternalistic-government-or-absolute-self-ownership/</link>
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		<title>An Analysis of William Wordsworth&#8217;s &#8220;Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections Of Early Childhood&#8221;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here is one of romantic poetry&#8217;s masterpieces: “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections Of Early Childhood&#8221;, by William Wordsworth. Through this poem he offers to us some insight into the nature of our inevitable growth as individual human beings. Not only are we forced to grow physically, but we cannot help but grow spiritually as [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/an-analysis-of-william-wordsworths-ode-intimations-of-immortality-from-recollections-of-early-childhood/</link>
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		<title>The Value of Wealth Inequalities</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Let&#8217;s consider these words by Winston Churchill:
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
I would not extend this to the economic systems of capitalism and socialism, but still, it holds a certain truth:
Something that is too often ignored is the value [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-value-of-wealth-inequalities/</link>
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		<title>Two challenges in creating a generation of philosophers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
It could be said that philosophy is about rational, systematic thought; intellectual creativity; defining our existence; resolving ethical and political challenges; etc. However it is defined, it essentially boil down to something that can benefit each individual, both in terms of contributing to his happiness and in terms of contributing to the well-being of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/two-challenges-in-creating-a-generation-of-philosophers/</link>
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		<title>The God Concept: is it rational to believe in God?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
It does not seem to me that there is a rational basis in claiming that there is no God. If the existence of an entity identifiable as a &#8220;God&#8221; seems improbable, then how should we consider the probability of life existing? We believe in life because we experience it, because it is all around us. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-god-concept-is-it-rational-to-believe-in-god/</link>
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		<title>Is our epoch that of a trivial culture, or the richest in our history?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
There are people who worry about how our world has become, how trivial we have become. So many hours are spent in front of the television, watching hollow comedies, hollow dramas and hollow action. People spend on clothes, beauty products and drugs. Few people have creativity to share in science, philosophy and art. Comparisons are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/is-our-epoch-that-of-a-trivial-culture-or-the-richest-in-our-history/</link>
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		<title>Children and marriage, family names and tradition</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Here is a man that has chosen to take his wife&#8217;s last-name. I understand his reasoning. He felt a personal want to share family names with his wife, but did not want to make her change her last name, since men often expect this on the part of women and some believe this to be [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/children-and-marriage-family-names-and-tradition/</link>
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		<title>Working-class families and US Universities</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
McGill University is a high-ranking one of international prestige. It also happens to be a public University with a relatively low budget and costs little even to foreign students, as compared to other similar ranking Universities. I see it as a sign of success and efficiency in the public University sector.
However, let us not forget [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/working-class-families-and-us-universities/</link>
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		<title>Organizing Large Media Libraries with Mediamonkey</title>
		<description><![CDATA[For the avid downloaders out there, or those en route in that direction, there&#8217;s MediaMonkey (MM). I&#8217;ve put Microsoft&#8217;s Windows Media Player, Apple&#8217;s iTunes and Linux&#8217;s amaroK to good use. I&#8217;ve also tried many others out there. The only one I could recommend is MediaMonkey. You can download it here.  With a lot of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/organizing-large-medialibraries-with-mediamonkey/</link>
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		<title>Bowling For Columbine is shit, #2</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I have previously written an article on the subject, entitled &#8220;Bowling For Columbine is shit.&#8221;, but I had not seen the film in quite some time when I wrote that and my focus was not on flaws with the documentary itself, but with the general position supported by its fans and, to some extent, Michael [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/bowling-for-columbine-is-shit-2/</link>
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		<title>Is it right for a Muslim to consume intoxicants, drugs, alcohol?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I was curious to understand the theological basis behind why Muslim countries often have a ban on alcohol and other drugs and why Muslims refrain themselves from drinking:
[4:43] O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying. Nor after sexual orgasm without bathing, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/is-it-right-for-a-muslim-to-consume-intoxicants-drugs-alcohol/</link>
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		<title>Why do we suffer?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
It seems quite clear to me that humans are not designed for &#8220;happiness&#8221;. There are many aspects of how our mind functions that seem to suggest that the priority in our &#8220;design&#8221; was focused on something other than happiness, certainly other than happiness per day lived.
Sometimes there&#8217;s a clear, long-term use for our suffering. When [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/why-do-we-suffer/</link>
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		<title>The Evils of Hip Hop (or so they say)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I&#8217;ve often heard people, with their nose held up high and the inside of their nostrils clearly visible, describe hip-hop with disgust and ignorance. Sometimes it is even blamed for violence and sexism, even though these claims seem to be never accompanied by any evidence (age of sexual encounter has mostly been stable while crime [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-evils-of-hip-hop-or-so-they-say/</link>
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		<title>Burka, will you forever remain so controversial?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Once again, how Muslim women dress has been made into something worthy of public concern. This time, it was Sarkozy:
The problem with the burqa is not a religious problem. It&#8217;s a problem of liberty and of the dignity of women. It is not a religious sign, it is a sign of subservience, it is a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/burka-will-you-forever-remain-so-controversial/</link>
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		<title>The value of Japanese blood, and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
With the Second World War, we witnessed the end of a cruel and oppressive regime, of the Asian equivalent to the Nazis. They had lost all the territories they had conquered &#8212; China, Korea, French Indo-China,  Thailand, Burma, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia etc &#8211;, they were isolated back on the Japanese archipelago, without a hope of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-value-of-japanese-blood-and-the-destruction-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/</link>
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		<title>Neo-Nazi Parents and Child Abuse</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
A seven year-old girl showed up to school marked with the Nazi swastika. It was removed. The next day, it was worst. So, the school contacted the Child and Family Services, who then came to the girl&#8217;s home to talk to the parents about the situation. They noticed &#8220;neo-Nazi symbols and flags, and took custody [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/neo-nazi-parents-and-child-abuse/</link>
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		<title>The Monarchy, the Queen; insignificant or tyrannical?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
The dear old Queen of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and so many other countries: just what is she good for? Though, in my experience, few people care about her either way, there are those who see in the monarchy a powerful symbol. That is, a powerful symbol of injustice, of oppression, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-monarchy-the-queen-insignificant-or-tyrannica/</link>
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		<title>Pictures of Military Abuse: Should the truth be hidden so as to fight prejudice?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I&#8217;m troubled. 
First, Obama decided that those responsible for torture during the Bush administration should not be charged. I&#8217;m still not sure what to think of this, but I think that the safest choice &#8212; in terms of not wrongly punishing people &#8212; is to forgive those responsible for torture now that the movement to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/pictures-of-military-abuse-should-truth-be-hidden-to-fight-prejudice/</link>
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		<title>The Ethics of Female Circumcision: not as simple as it seems</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Recommended Artist: Pineapple Thief &#8211; Don&#8217;t Hate Me)

Female circumcision, or female genital mutilation / modification (FGM), is an emotional topic. I remember, in school, being shown a video of young girls undergoing the practice. It was presented as a barbaric practice that Muslims &#8212; all Muslims, I thought at the time &#8212; do, as something [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-ethics-of-female-circumcision-not-as-simple-as-it-seems/</link>
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		<title>Seal Clubbing: unethical, but let&#8217;s not be hypocritical.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Recommended Artist: K&#8217;naan &#8211; Strugglin&#8217;)

Europeans have been complaining a lot about the Canadian seal hunt, about those cruel, cruel men, devoid of empathy, pity, love and perhaps emotion as a whole &#8212; those men who murder seals for the sake of profit. What I find pitiful here is not so much the situation of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/seal-clubbing-unethical-but-lets-not-be-hypocritical/</link>
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		<title>A liberal&#8217;s rant against liberals</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(recommended Artist: Karsh Kale &#8211; Distance)
REMINDER: I use &#8220;liberal&#8221; in the original sense of the term, so those who identify liberalism as &#8220;the left&#8221; &#8212; a mistake common in the United States and English Canada &#8212; should perhaps see it as being roughly (roughly) equivalent to &#8220;libertarianism&#8221; or &#8220;classical liberalism&#8221;. Read more about this detailhere [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/a-liberals-rant-against-liberals/</link>
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		<title>The News: a problem on their side, and ours</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Recommended Artist: Sage Francis &#8211; Crack Pipes)
Journalism plays a key role in our society and is essential for democracy to function as intended. If the media is divided into political factions, arrogant and opinionated, then so will society. But if the media is careful not to offend anyone with &#8220;opinions&#8221;, then it will be difficult [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-difficulties-of-news-media/</link>
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		<title>The Consumer&#8217;s Bell Curve</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Recommended Artist: Nujabes &#8211; Reflection Eternal)
Many of those products we buy serve the &#8220;unnecessary&#8221; purpose of maintaining or modifying our persona, or public image. This might be a new watch, a cell phone with more features than necessary, a high performance car or a shirt with a little logo that&#8217;s worth far more than the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-consumers-bell-curve/</link>
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		<title>The Future of Language</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Language is a tool for us to express ourselves to others, and also to express our own thoughts to ourselves. It serves for communication, entertainment and philosophy (which includes science). Its important role in society suggests that by improving language, we could perhaps bring significant changes to the whole of society. The differences may be [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-future-of-language/</link>
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		<title>The fear of misinterpretations.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
A few days ago, I was at a friend&#8217;s house where we just had casual conversation and relaxed, doing little of significance. At one point, while she was outside, I decided to take out my wallet from my pocket &#8212; I&#8217;m more comfortable with empty pockets &#8211;, but then I paused, realizing that I might [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-difficulty-of-being-yourself/</link>
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		<title>Tobacco Laws: The Smoky Restaurant</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
In Montreal, it is no longer possible to smoke inside of restaurants and bars. There was resistance at first, but the anti-tobacco law is now part of the past and done and it seems to have popular support. But was it the right choice? Many will consider the answer to this question obvious, but this [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-tobacco-ban-those-smelly-restaurants/</link>
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		<title>Neutrality in the News</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Recommended Artist: Thievery Corporation &#8211; Until the Morning)
One inherent difficulty in producing article that allows readers to have an objective understanding of the material offered is the reality that the facts do not always portray the whole issue accurately. Consider, for example, this article on how Amazon.com recently removed some books that had homosexual content [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/neutrality-in-the-news/</link>
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		<title>A very, very dangerous bicycle&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Poland has decided that to ride a bike drunk is a jailable offense. When convicted for such a terrible, oh so terrible crime, you will likely get not one night behind bars, but 11.5 months (two thousand are in jail for this). I&#8217;m not sure if I&#8217;m amused or troubled, shocked or laughing, but the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/a-very-very-dangerous-bicycle/</link>
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		<title>Bowling for Columbine is shit.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
There was perhaps no financial incentive for Michael Moore to take an intelligent and sensible approach to firearm laws &#8212; people like to see a black and white approach to political issues, and they like a touch of humour &#8211;, but that doesn&#8217;t change the fact that Bowling for Columbine is a shitty documentary. By [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/bowling-for-columbine-is-shit/</link>
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		<title>The Limits of Free Speech</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Free speech is often claimed to be one of the natural rights granted to us by our very existence and it is perceived as an absolute that may never be treaded upon. To disagree, it is suggested, is to side with the ideals of authoritarianism, with the enemies of liberty.
According to this, expressing hateful ideals [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/the-limits-of-free-speech/</link>
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		<title>On Art &amp; Subsidies; An Open Letter to Xavier Dolan</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
‘A string of thought’
A string of thought lead me to wonder how your film was doing. If I recall, when we first met about two years ago you were looking for funding. I read the voir.ca articles and ended up reading a letter of yours, found here, dealing with the infamous &#8220;coupures du gouvernment Harper&#8221;.
It [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://montrealphilosophy.com/time-for-an-art-cut-open-letter-to-xavier-dolan/</link>
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