Home | Jeremy Bentham: the greatest social philosopher | The Love of All Things, a Foundation for Ethics--jk | The Egyptian Account of the Origin of the Hebrews | HISTORY OF CHRIST--JK | Ancient Jewish Accounts of Jesus Christ | BEST DARN BOOK ON THE DRUG INDUSTRY | Reforming Big Pharma | Book lists 2,000 medications not worth taking | JOHN STUART MILL on his father and religion | U.S. drift towards a fascist state | American Justice: synopsis of our Federal court's published shocking cases--jk | AMERICAN JUSTICE: Revealed through published federal cases--jk | What Americans believe, opinion polls | WHY GOD PERMITS HARM--VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS--jk | WHAT HISTORIANS HAVE DEDUCED ABOUT THE HISTORICAL MOHAMMED--jk rework | HOLY HORROR--ATROCITIES IN THE NAME OF GOD. | Shorter look at the question of the historical Jesus | BROTHERHOOD OF RELIGIONS--jk rework | Social Justice, Eight Steps Forward-jk | Why the physics of everything was not the product of a Designer | EXODUS AND ARCHAEOLOGY--Prof. Stiebing + related articles | U.S. Stolen Elections--Palast

ENLIGHTENMENT

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Avian flu virus
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link to article

INTERNAL SEARCH ENGINE by Google

Special concern avian flu

 

 

This "Enlightenment" section here has many of the most eye-opening articles.  The overall theme here are articles for which common belief significantly differs from the reasonable conclusions.  Enlightened skepticism promoted also considers the harm arising from ignornace.  

 

 “Enlightenment” & “Utilitarianism" are the oldest two addresses under "skeptically.org". 

#128 Terrorism Hegemony

 

Currently averaging over 5,000 pages downloaded per weekday--see bottom of page.

 

The evidence based health site is nearly 1,000 pages per day

 

California skeptic thank you for the support—for our purpose is to inform.  Come again, please.

 

Send comments to thinker@skeptically.org

 

"Enlightenment" is the beginning; started in 2001.  Many of the most eye opening articles (contrary to the beliefs of the common herd) are found here in Enlightenment. 

Updated 4/23/12

This site is one of 3 sites maintained by California Skeptics

All with cool art and informative articles

To see the latest articles go to table of contents.  New articles are in blue

A = Art with some of the articles.  All home pages have art.

 

#7  TABLE OF CONTENTS skeptically, 40 topics, over 1,000 articles,  averages over 5,000 pages downloaded per day   A

 

#201 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CURRENT NEWS ISSUES, Current month’s political news, economic, and international news —over 900 pages downloaded per day A

 

#31  TABLE OF CONTENTS healthfully, 1,500 evidence based medical articles organized by topics over 1,200 pages downloaded per day.  Sections on worst drugs and the games PhARMA plays to maximize profits, including misinformation about aspirin and hormones   A

 

#220  VIDCASTS & U-TUBE, for those who like the visuals  A

 

#125 The Crash On the economic collapse; # 151 The Depression   A

 

#1 Enlightenment, our favorites, the flagship articles    A

 

#209  THE ARTISTS, bios and samples of their art  A

 

Skeptical sites:

#1   Enlightenment, collection of the best   A

#4   Logical threads

#6   Thinkers on Religion   A

#9   Spiritualism

#17  Quackery

#19  Skepticism

#29  For skeptics

#37  Biographical

#102 Quacks, theories & practice

 

Religious sites:

#1     Enlightenment  A

#5     Cartoons Mostly Religious

#6     Thinkers on Religion  A

#10   Literary Works on Religion

#8     Old Testament Analysis

#26   Ancient Sacred Works of the Hebrews

#15   Christian Apocrypha and Essays

#16   New Testament

#18   Against Religious foolishness   A

#20   Ancient Sacred Works of the Christians

#22   Christianity

#24   Bible Studies

#107 Holy Horrors

#109 Philosophy & religion

#9     Spiritualism

NEW SITE:  CURRENT POLITICS INCLUDING LINKS TO OVER A DOZEN A+++ MUSICAL CARTOONS ON THE CANDIDATES. 

This site, once the skeptical-educational efforts of JK, it is now currently being revised to reflect the varied interests of members of the skeptical group of San Diego, and thus the content of a non-skeptical nature are being removed, and placed in the linked site jerrymondo.   (Other member sites will be found linked in suitable locations.)  This revision of this site will take some time, for there are many articles which we desire to add to this site and many others to move, and only two have volunteered to continue working upon the site. 

The essays which follow are exercises of our rational nature.  They also disabuse certain all too common errors in factual foundations and logical inference.  Taken as a whole, the articles contain a scientific explanation of the Nature of Things (as understood by the Greek atomist school of philosophy).


The reference to Socrates (below the title "ENLIGHTENMENT") alludes to his assertion--according to Plato--that the God Apollo required of Socrates that he teach the citizens of Athens to know themselves.  Philosophy lies at its core. The Greek philosophers of all schools shared a vision of the ideal citizen. California Skeptics feel that Apollo is looking over our shoulders.

 

 

WHY BOTHER?

 

You probable wonder why I have done this.  There is the psychological answer:  I like working on this site because of intellectual pleasures and the relief of boredom; viz., I get more reinforcements from this activity than others for approximately 20 hours per week.  And there is the conceptual answer:  the combination of the fulfillment of the utilitarian imperative of doing the greatest good, and Hope (the chance that this would lead to something bigger).  I am unloading years of learning and paper collecting.  I am driven by the urge to arrive at the best conclusion based upon the evidence.  Nearly all that I have pasted is for the sake of helping both you and me rise above our animal side and become logical.  Secondly, it is to prmote ataraxia, read (Love of all things as foundation for happiness).  The Greek philosophers held that the quite enjoyment from a mind that is at peace and delights iin studies is an important part of living the good life--elements of ataraxia.  I started this pursuit again of the academic once the 6-year break pot smoking break, which ended in 1976 with my enrollment again in college (I had completed 2-years of graduate school in 1970). 

Zoll
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# 125 The Crash On the economic collapse of 2008

#106 Economics, #119 Economic Developments  #121 Economics the Dismal Science #111  World Trade Organization A,      #116 OIL A

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Consumer Price Index
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Quite a SPIKE!

Notice what has happened to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), this is because the Federal Reserve and particular and the financial community in general defacto control our economy.  Our government prints money for the banks to loan out (their principle source of income).  Printing money causes inflation, and it also caused this and the last depression.  Debt payments are the 2nd largest item in the federal budget (over $400 billion).  Our Federal Reserve System was modeled on those in Europe, which is why the economic collapse is world wide.  One cannot understand U.S. government’s relationship with the business-banking sectors, or U.S. foreign policy without understanding the role of the Federal Reserve and other national-banking systems.  They are the foundation of the 3-headed Hydra, the IMF, WTO and World Bank.  To learn more on banking http://www.freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=214.

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A humane skeptic is one who not only believes in proportion to the evidence in support thereof, but also accepts utilitarian ethics and thereby  seeks to improve the condition of mankind in according to the measure of harm-and-happiness. If nearly all people saw half as deeply as Plato or Jeremy Bentham we would overturn our old apple cart. 

 

To him who little is not enough, nothing is enough--Epicurus

Original sin is the difference between my pleasures and yours--B.F. Skinner

Above all cause no harm--Horace

 

Political-economic sites:

#111 World Trade, World Bank, Privatization  A

#123 Neoliberalism at Work  A

#125 The Crash A

#131 The Depression

#133 Banking History &  Effects

#135 Globalization

#136 Populism

#106 Economics    A

#119 Economic Developments  A

#121 Economics the Dismal Science

#132 Economic Graphs  A

#23  Critical of Capitalism  A

#116 OIL  A

#128 Terrorism Hegemony

#126 Corporate system

#139 Government Sold Off

#129 Obama Watch

#134 Democrats Obama

#21  Muckraking Political Articles

#103 Parliament of Whores  A

#104 Government, Presidency, Congress, Courts

#117 Federal Court System

#12   Penal System

#28   Nuclear War Threat  A

#118 Iraq war & Wars A

#127  Military War  

#138 Genocides

#140 Education dismantled

#120 Election Reform  A

#124 Managed-Corporate Press

#2    Utopia  A

#137 Food Inc.

#14   Labor  A

#41   Medical Business Abuses

#130 Big Pharma at Work

#25  Bush Bashing

#112 Bush Watch   A

 

Utopia, ethics, happiness, misc. sites:

#2    Utopia  A

#3    Utilitarianism   A

#5    Cartoons & satire

#7    Table of contents & links

#101 Links & quotes

#105 Scientific psychology

#108 Psychoanalysis, their weird theories

#27  Recreational drugs   A

#110 Recreational drug research  A

#113 Environmental & animals

#114 B.F. Skinner, works and life

#115 Ethics humanistic

#122 Pod casts & u-tube  A

                 

JK’s Poetry, Satire &

Short Stories sites:

#32  Short stories, etc.

#33  Satire

#34  Rhymed poems

#39  Rhymed poems romantic

#40  Rhymed poems melancholy

#42  Rhymed poems social message

#43  Rhymed poems satire

 

California Skeptics has an excellent collection of political cartoons and huge collection of links to sites with political cartoons and animation

We appreciate feedback.  Contact US

at thinker@skeptically.org.

 

Moreover, JK has something to say, and he likes saying it.  He has written several works of fiction in need of a publisher.  Can you help? 

LINK TO MY WEBRING PAGE

GRIFFIN

Just as Socrates/Plato wrote on many things, to which the totality thereof constituted an overall weltanschauung, for which only an extensive reading of the works of Plato along with an understanding of the issues he addressed would open the doors of their perceptions; so too does the collection of material presented by me require a reading to understand my mind and how thus how I have taken their foundation and adapted it to the truths of our era.

In order to know what is one must know what isn't.  This site addresses popular delusion, and also to provide the tools to recognize delusions.   

MEDICAL LINKS This site is one of 3 sites maintained by California Skeptics All with cool art and informative articles 9/6/18 #31 TABLE OF CONTENTS healthfully, over 1,200 pages downloaded per day. #7 TABLE OF CONTENTS skeptically, over 8,000 pages downloaded per day. #201 TABLE OF CONTENTS CURRENT NEWS , over 900 pages downloaded per day #209 THE ARTISTS # 180 RECOMMENDED WESTERN DIET PANDEMIC, high fructose diet and its conditions—proofs #158 RECOMMENDED GATEWAY PAGE Gateway to the research on pharma and health #152 RECOMMENDED--CONCISE Bad drugs, good drugs, treatments & supplements, #161 RECOMMENDED HEALTHFUL Improving health including diet and nutritional science #185 RECOMMENDED FRUCTOSE PAMDEMIC BOOK fructose makes us sick book in preparation #157 Video documentaries lectures YouTube Healthful diet, bad pharma, GMOs etc. with description

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Danish cartoons that started riots in 2/06

JERRY

The Greek Philosophers self-servingly (for they were the teachers) held that an essential condition for the development of right character of the upper class citizens consisted in instructing their sons in philosophy (which in those times also included the now separate fields of sciences, social science, political science, mathematics, and literary analyisis) so that their rational nature could guide their actions and thus dominate in prudent ways over their animal side.  Their students would learn to be free through rational understanding the frightful superstitious beliefs of the masses including their brand of religion. As their students developed they would come to understand the conditions necessary to live the good life and have sufficient to control--if not abjectly poor--to fulfill those conditions.
The good life included in--given the unstable political conditions--fulfilling obligations to the state, so as to avoid becoming an outcast. It also consisted of living in moderation, of having control--as a rational animal--over ones desires, to seek the purer pleasures, of which those arising from quite contemplation while being at peace with oneself ranked as the purest. A person living the good life exercised and participated in sports, enjoyed the fine arts, was honorable, had a group of noble companions, and of course had the skills of a philosopher (the term which means "lover of wisdom).

There were of course disagreement among the different schools of Greek Philosophy, but compared to their agreement about the good-life, it was minor. Epicurus as leader of the Greek Atomists best and succinctly voiced what the good-life is. A revival of his teachings occurred with Gassandi--and others--in 17th-century Europe. This culminated with utilitarianism (see my other site). I hold this theory of ethics to be an improvement upon the Greek Ethics in its metaethical foundation and prescriptions for society.
Utilitarianism in my life occupies a place comparable to that of a religion, but without the need to believe in that which given the totality of evidence is quite unbelievable.

Boris Artzybasheff
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M.C. ESCHER
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link to recreational drug site
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Original sin is the difference between your pleasure and mine--B F Skinner

e-mail me if you have any suggestions.

 

Now averaging over 3 1/3rd  million pages viewed per year

64,234 x 52 = 3,340.668

 

 

General Summary

1.

Host name

jeromekahn123

2.

Program start time

Mar 12, 2008 02:07

3.

Time of first request

May 31, 2004 03:47

4.

Time of last request

Mar 11, 2008 23:59

5.

Time last 7 days lasts until

Mar 12, 2008 02:07

6.

Successful server requests

6,317,380 Requests

7.

Successful requests in last 7 days

64,224 Requests

8.

Successful requests for pages

3,600,122 Requests for pages

9.

Successful requests for pages in last 7 days

64,224 Requests for pages

 


Your site had 11132 page views yesterday and 261227 page views so far this month.

This report was generated on March 12, 2008 02:07. Report time frame May 31, 2004 03:47 to March 11, 2008 23:59.  This site has been up since the spring of 02

 

 

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This is where skeptically.org began, March of 01.  With the encouragement of Alan Peters the site /enlightenment was born.  The articles here expose the major common fallacies:  that the world is better for religion, that there is a beneficent Creator, that the laws physics (and nature) prove divine design, that the ancient Hebrews were in Egypt, that there is historical and reliable  (independent of religious writings) information on the lives of Mohammed and Jesus Christ, that the U.S. criminal justice system upholds the Bill of Rights (sound principles of jurisprudence), that our political-economic system is a blessing, and the benefits of big PHARMA.   Other sites in the skeptically.org family expand the issues raised in enlightenment and others branch out into the critical examination alternative medicine (including chiropractics),  psychic phenomena, mind based psychology and psychiatry, the performance of our president and legislature, economics, nuclear bombs and the Iraq war, & the war on drugs--to name the principal.  A large portion is a resource in religious studies with many ancient works and modern critical works.  To increase the number of visitors, there are several art works on each home page, a section of cartoons, and many, many links to other sites.

alandpeters.tripod.com

OUROBOROS

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#31 Health, medical science, drugs:  an encyclopedic collection of articles on assorted medical & health issues.   The best on the web.  Science (evidence) based articles on all the major health issues including cancer, obesity, tobacco, back pain, ulcer & heart burn, dubious drugs and medical treatments, male & female hormone replacements, NSAID & aspirin, longevity, introns stem cells and other important basic medical science.  Over 200 articles, plus a large collection of fascinating art.    

 

OUTSTANDING SITES

QuackWatch, guide to health fraud by Dr. Stephen Barrett

 

http://www.worstpills.org/:  Part of the Nader network of Public Citizen

 

http://skepdic.com:  Contains The Skeptic Dictionary by Robert Carroll, over 460 first rate articles on all the topics of interest to a skeptic

 

EXCELLENT BIBLE STUDIES SITE

The skeptic is one who judges all things according to the evidence.  The common herd affirms many things to a degree well beyond what the evidence supports; and conversely doubts that which is worthy of greater affirmation.  The humanistic skeptic applies a second measure, that of  harm resulting from such beliefs.  Issues of economics and politics, of religion, quackery and corporate medicine, and of imprudent behavior top the harm done list.   Education and scientific psychology are gateways to following the dictates of reason.