* speculative catholic has a good post noting that it's the official Catholic position that death is natural to human beings (saying otherwise is heretical [at least in the broad sense that it has been condemned; I would have to look up what its precise status is--ed.]). I'd forgotten about the Baius controversy.
* Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology quiz. Baker's answer to (1) is fairly clearly false, however; since we can comprehend the description "a strange, undiscovered species of ant deep in the Amazon rain forest," it exists in the understanding -- discovery is not relevant to the question. As Anselm says, "When he hears of this, he understands it, and whatever is understood exists in the understanding." If "a strange, undiscovered species of ant deep in the Amazon rain forest" did not exist in the understanding, Baker couldn't intelligibly ask the question, because we wouldn't know what he was talking about.
* Tolkien Geek is blogging The Lord of the Rings. Awesome project.
* Why I Am Not Bertrand Russell at "Real Clear Theology Blog" discusses Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian. You'd think from the post alone that Steve is being excessively harsh, but, alas, he's not. The book is far and away Russell's least interesting work; and, while Russell does occasionally say something worth noting, the reasoning of the book sometimes descends into the embarrassingly bad. (HT: Rebecca Writes)
* Thursday is UNESCO World Philosophy Day. I know you'll all find a way to celebrate it. Attend a philosophy lecture. Read a philosophical work. Make a special effort to think critically. Do your best imitation of Socrates: Go to a party, get drunk, and debate the nature of love. Or pester your friends with questions in order to make them think. When they say something's true, ask them what truth is. If they say something's good, ditto.
UPDATE: History Carnival XX at "Tigerlily Lounge". I especially like the post on the man who saw a dragon at "Frog in a Well"
UPDATE2: Homer Simpson is Britain's Men's Health Magazine Philosopher of the Decade. Samantha Burns gives us a sampling of Homer's philosophical work.
