Open Letter to Academic Philosophy: All Your Moral Theories Are the Same
In my work I have repeatedly pointed out two things about what philosophers think the options are in developing a theory of moral truth: (1) that their standard assumption of only three options (consequentialist, deontological, and virtue ethics) curiously omits a...Might Stellar War Be a Good Christmas Gift? (Hint Hint)
Oh, sorry, “Holiday Gift.” For those atheists who abhor the Christ in Christmas. Although we know everything distinctive of Christmas is pagan. And paganism is fun. So most of us atheists happily celebrate the pagan holiday under its now familiar moniker....Updating Definitions: Defining Polyamory
I have improved my Defining Polyamory article after useful comments and discussions. Since I want it to be of longstanding utility, I want it to be as clear and complete as possible without becoming overlong. The revisions list is here.Defining Polyamory
Polyamory is relatively new, and consequently not well defined. The poly community is still experimenting and feeling out how to define its terms. I get asked a lot about what it means and whether one thing or another is or is not poly. When asked about my...Appearing in Kenya! (And You Can Watch)
Early this Saturday morning I’ll be joining Robert Price, David Fitzgerald, and Harrison Mumia of Atheists in Kenya in a live broadcast event held in the Metro Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. I won’t actually be in Africa (at least not this time!). This will be a...No, Bacon Is Not as Bad for You as Smoking
Some of you might have heard that bacon was rated as being as carcinogenic as smoking by the World Health Organization. No. That did not happen. And this is a good case for learning some modern critical thinking skills. I’ll spoil the surprise by quoting them...Guth Documentary on How Women Are Fighting Online Harassment
Amy Guth is a filmmaker and an experienced industry insider on women’s issues, who wants to develop a documentary series on the online harassment problem and the people who have been fighting it, who will no doubt include every fascinating case from the woman...New & Improved Critical Thinking Course
I’ll be teaching critical thinking skills online this November. With a new, easier, lower priced textbook: Logically Fallacious: The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies, the new Academic Edition, by Bo Bennett of The Humanist Hour. Get your copy...Speaking for Columbus Rationality Next Month!
I will be speaking on Bayesian history and epistemology for Columbus Rationality and the Secular Student Alliance at OSU in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday, November 16th, at 7:30pm in Lazenby Hall (room 021) on the OSU campus. Details here. I Will duscuss Bayesian...Dinner for Patronage? Help Me Out at Skepticon This November!
Last chance for fans & supporters! Want to secure a dinner conversation with me? Here’s how. Not only will I be at Skepticon this November 13th-15th (not to speak but just for fun!), but I’m helping Bo Bennett & Kile Jones launch their Secular...The Moral Bankruptcy of Divine Command Theory: Matthew Flannagan’s Failed Defense
Theology has no salvageable theory of morality. Theists complain atheists have no reason to be moral. But in fact theists have no reason to actually be moral, as in: to elevate compassion, honesty, and reasonableness above all authority, even the authority of their...Support Skepticon This Year!
I’ll be attending Skepticon this November just as a regular Joe. But it’s a fantastic event that deserves your support. A thousand and more people benefit from getting to attend a free, well-run, kick-ass godless conference in the middle of the Bible Belt....Sex & Sexism in Ancient Rome (Video)
My talk for PolyColumbus last month has now made it to YouTube! It is age restricted due to its sexual content. A transcript is underway. I will add a link for that to this post (and announce it in comments, so if you want, subscribe to comments below to be alerted...Did Muhammad Exist? (Why That Question Is Hard to Answer)
I get asked this a lot. “Why not apply your methods and skills to the question of whether Muhammad actually existed or not?” My answer is always the same: I will not likely ever be able to do that, because it would require getting a whole second Ph.D. in...Errata for On the Historicity of Jesus
Originally I updated this page for years since its first publication in 2015, as I and others find typos in On the Historicity of Jesus that slipped through even our excessive editorial process (a common experience I find). This page has now evolved into two sections....Get Dr. Carrier’s Latest!
About the Author
Richard Carrier is the author of many books and numerous articles online and in print. His avid readers span the world from Hong Kong to Poland. With a Ph.D. in ancient history from Columbia University, he specializes in the modern philosophy of naturalism and humanism, and the origins of Christianity and the intellectual history of Greece and Rome, with particular expertise in ancient philosophy, science and technology. He is also a noted defender of scientific and moral realism, Bayesian reasoning, and historical methods.
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