I'm against theologically based natural law, but I cite a religion oriented journal

OK, in my second most recent piece here, I talked about Massimo Pigliucci and his 30 years in America.

Well, asterisks are needed, starting with one big new one, per the header.

Massimo has a clunker, in his most recent readings roundup, on natural law. He cites a conservative Presbyterian oriented journal — John Witherspoon himself was more of a Unitarian — in defense of natural law, while admitting in comments he rejects theologically based versions of it. Myself? In parallel with the idea that I believe parts of human psychology are driven by biological evolution, not just cultural, but rejecting the phrase "evolutionary psychology" because of its baggage, I reject "natural law" as the term for legal-philosophical ideas derived from biological and cultural evolution. Wittgenstein would have a field day with this.

He also, in the same comment to me, claims I'm wrong in criticizing the piece's take on Hume. Rather, I was specifically focusing on the idea that Hume "rejected" such things as it claims. Rather, he rejected any proof that such things existed, but is well known — as I know Massimo knows — for telling people how he could live with this, that it was quite simple, and that he went to bed at night without a worry.

Anyway, he can claim to reject theologically based natural law, but ... he sure didn't look hard for a non-metaphyisical, non-theological journal of natural law to talk about first principles. I mean, Media Bias Fact Check has a page on it that says, in short, it sucks. In short, Massimo, on this? You sawed off your own limb.

Per late friend Leo Lincourt, my philosophy of life (with the addition of a variety of nature and aesthetics issues) is to be at the center of that Venn diagram at left.

I sometimes give in to temptation on acting a bit Gnu-ish, I'll confess. But I generally hold to all three of these targets.

And, Massimo?

I don't know if this is your biggest failure since defending NATO bombing the shit out of Libya, in 2011, followed by remaining unapologetic six years later, but it's up there.

And, THAT, in turn, is why he and I disagree on duopoly vs non-duopoly politics. And, linking to the Witherspoon Institute leads me to question where you're at, at times, on the lower left circle.