trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Pierre Bayle

[[File:Pierre Bayle 2.png|thumb|165px|Bayle in a 1774 engraving.]]{{philosophy|1}}
'''Pierre Bayle''' (18 November 1647 – 28 December 1706) was a French [[philosophy|philosopher]] of the early [[Enlightenment]]. He is probably best known for his defense of universal toleration as an end in itself, in contrast to better-known liberals such as [[John Locke]] who believed that toleration was justified for [[theology|theological]] reasons and should be restricted to Christian churches. Bayle is notorious for writing one thing and meaning another, a practice he picked up in France before he fled to the Netherlands. His ''Dictionnaire'', for example, included seemingly quite mild articles on controversial topics, while he inserted radical arguments in innocuous places. He claimed to be a [[fideism|fideist]] aligned with orthodox [[Calvinism]], and made the strident claim on this basis that religion is impossible to justify by reason. He took this argument through to its conclusion, saying that all religions must therefore be treated equally. He defended [[atheism]], saying that "''‘l'athéisme ne conduit pas nécessairement à la corruption des mœurs''"&mdash;"atheism does not necessarily lead to a corruption of morals"&mdash;along with claiming that an atheist society could be well-regulated and that atheism was a far lesser evil than what he termed "superstition". All of these claims were radical propositions in his time, and he was ostracized as a "[[Spinoza|crypto-Spinozist]]". He lost his university chair and was condemned by an ecclesiastical council, and most of his original allies and friends disowned him after the radical implications of his thought became clear.

{{cquote|Plato and Epicurus I reject,<br>And turn more hopefully to learned Bayle.<br>With even poised scale Bayle bids me doubt.<br>He, wise and great enough to need no creed,<br>Has slain all systems—combats even himself:<br>Like that blind conqueror of Philistines,<br>He sinks beneath the ruin he has wrought.|||[[Voltaire]]<ref>"Poem on the Lisbon Disaster", 1755.</ref>}}
==Further reading==

* Israel, J. I. (2006) ''Enlightenment Contested: Philosophy, Modernity, and the Emancipation of Man, 1670&ndash;1752''. Chapters 6 and 11.

==External links==
*[[wikisource:fr:Pierre Bayle|Works of Pierre Bayle in French on Wikisource]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{stub|philosophy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayle, Pierre}}

[[Category:Philosophers]]

Categories: Philosophers
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

{{christianity|1}}
'''Pierre Teilhard de Chardin''' {{lived|1881|1955}} was a French [[Jesuit]] priest, an [[archaeologist]], and a scholar.  A [[Catholic]] for his entire life, he faced, at times, exile (first to [[China]], then to [[New York]]) and punishment for [[Heresy|disagreeing]] with the Catholic church on two central points: first, he believed in [[evolution]], and second, he rejected the doctrine of [[original sin]].

Teilhard is an uncommon figure in the matter of the role of [[religion]] in [[science]] (and especially evolution), because he saw religion and science as eminently compatible.  His ideas went beyond the toleration expressed in [[NOMA|non-overlapping magisteria]], or the idea that religion and science need not conflict: Teilhard's union went far deeper than that.  Rather, he believed that religion and evolution were inextricably linked, such that [[Christianity]] did not make sense without evolution.  He first propounded the "Omega Point" theory — that mankind evolves towards Godhood, abetted by [[Jesus Christ]], making evolution, [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Hegel-style]], a theological as well as physical transition in forms.  

Teilhard was instrumental in the discovery during [[World War II]] of "Peking Man", a [[transitional form]] of pre-historic humanity (''[[homo erectus]]'') found in China. He was also involved in the excavations that produced the notorious hoax [[Piltdown Man]], and some people have theorised that he was responsible.<ref>[http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/study-reveals-culprit-behind-piltdown-man-one-science-s-most-famous-hoaxes Study reveals culprit behind Piltdown Man, one of science's most famous hoaxes], Michael Price, ''Science'', August 9, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.lrb.co.uk/v03/n17/john-maynardsmith/tinkering Tinkering], John Maynard Smith, London Review of Books vol 3 no 17, 17 September 1981, p 9</ref>

==Sources==
*Amir D. Aczel, ''The Jesuit and the Skull''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|Christianity}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre}}

[[category:Biologists]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:New York]]

Categories: Biologists, Catholics, New York
Pierre d'Ailly

[[File:Pierre d'Ailly.jpg|thumb|left|165px|d'Ailly]]
{{logicnav}}
'''Pierre d'Ailly''' {{lived|1351|1420}} was a [[logic]]ian and cardinal of the [[Catholic Church]] in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. d'Ailly is known for his [[skeptical]] writings which, building on the nominalism of [[Occam's razor|William of Ockham]], criticized the [[philosophical]] [[proof]]s for [[God]]'s existence made by [[Thomas Aquinas]]. d'Ailly was neither an [[agnostic]] nor [[atheist]], but believed that [[religious]] [[faith]] is supported only by [[scripture]] and the [[Argument from authority|authority of the institution]], rather than being a question of logic. d'Ailly's best known [[syllogism]] tackles Aquinas' Aristotelian Argument from Motion for the existence of God and runs as follows:
#It is not self-evident that an object has been moved; this movement may be only apparent.
#Assuming that the object is actually in motion, it is not self-evident that this motion was caused by another object.
#Assuming that all motion in an object is derived from another object ''and'' assuming that there cannot be a [[Infinite regress|series of movers that continues ''ad infinitum'']], a first "unmoved mover" can still not be inferred, because the first mover may be unmoved only at present.
#It is entirely possible that that there is a cycle of causes and effects (i.e. A causes B, B causes C, C causes A.)
#The possibility of an infinite number of essentially ordered (God-created?) causes cannot be ruled out.  
#The mere fact an object exists anew does not require that the object was produced.
#A satisfactory explanation has never been given for what it means for an object to be effected/produced by another object.

d'Ailly concludes that it is impossible to use [[logic]] to substantiate [[truth]], although logic may be used to calculate an argument's [[probability]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:d'Ailly, Pierre}}
[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Christians]]

Categories: Catholicism, Christians
Pigeon chess

__NOTOC__[[File:Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon.jpeg|thumb|right|165px|]]{{Internet}}'''"Pigeon chess"''' or '''"like playing chess with a pigeon"'''{{efn|Not to be be confused with "Playing Checkers With Pigeons" appearing in a Sesame Street sketch from 1978.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Dkf_UH_aI Sesame Street - Bert teaches Bernice how to play checkers]. LittleJerryFan92 on [[YouTube]], 5 July 2007.</ref>}} is a figure of speech originating from a comment made in March 2005 on Amazon by Scott D. Weitzenhoffer regarding [[Eugenie Scott]]'s book ''Evolution vs. Creationism: An introduction'':

{{quotebox|[[Origins debate|Debating creationists on the topic of evolution]] is rather like trying to play chess with a pigeon — it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory. The pro-creationist reviewers of this book clearly demonstrate this to be true.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/review/R2367M3BJ05M82 S. D. Weitzenhoffer] on Amazon, 16 March 2005. However, a commenter there claims that they "came across it in 2001 attributed to 'anonymous/unknown.'"</ref>}}

As such "[[Debate|debating]] techniques" are not limited to [[creationist]]s, the phrase has entered the general Internet lexicon,<ref>Obligatory [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pigeon+chess Urban Dictionary entry for 'pigeon chess']</ref> together with the source quotation, which is sometimes cited as an anonymous "[[Internet law]]". The reference to creationists is usually replaced with whatever group the user is arguing with.

Even [[Bible|the Bible]] advises against this sort of thing, in {{bible|Proverbs|29|9}}: "If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest."

[[Andrew Schlafly]] was similarly described for his contributions to [[Usenet]] [[talk.origins]] in 2002:<ref>Richard Carnes on talk.origins, [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/talk.origins/cHzYJE_VaSQ/HHL1v-BOtDQJ March 15, 2002]</ref> "I tried it for a while, but arguing with Andy is like playing chess with a small child who doesn't know the rules."

The 2007 cartoon "King me!" by Rudis Muiznieks uses a similar joke:

[[Image:Kingme.png|center|frame|''(Above image copyright © 2007, Rudis Muiznieks,  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License)'']]

==See also==
*[[Not even wrong]]
*[[Fractal wrongness]]
*[[Dunning-Kruger effect]]
*[[Monkey typewriter theory]] — with enough pigeons and chess boards, we could find a grand master

==External links==
*[https://pigeonchess.com/ Playing Chess With Pigeons] - [[talk.origins]] veteran Troy Britain's blog

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{crebox}}
[[Category:Creationism]]
[[Category:Skepticism]]
[[Category:Neologisms]]

Categories: Creationism, Skepticism, Neologisms
Pink-baiting

{{homophobia}}

'''Pink-baiting''' is [[Scapegoat|the linking of everything bad]] to [[homosexuals]] and homosexuality. The concept has its roots in the [[Religious Right]], and shares the same [[xenophobia]] as linking everything bad to [[liberal]]s, [[Islam]], [[Jews]],<ref>http://www.realjewnews.com/?p=808</ref> [[atheist]]s, [[communist|☭communists☭]], etc. [[Scott Lively]] is a particularly odious proponent of it, but many other people and organizations have also found [[Jonanism|the fun]] in blaming homosexuals for everything. For example, did you know that according to [[whale.to]], JFK was murdered for being straight?<ref>http://www.whale.to/b/homo_international.html</ref>

==Methods and tactics==
Commonly found with most religious fundamentalists is a rather stubborn, if [[List of actions prohibited by the Bible|arbitrary]], interpretation of ancient religious laws. One of those laws relates to homosexuals and their evils. However, [[Establishment Clause|citing religious resources may not work when arguing with secular authorities]], so they often resort to other means:

*Create historical works, on homosexuality, and evils, and start [[Association fallacy|drawing parallels]].<ref>''The Pink Swastika'', Lively, Scott. ISBN 978-0-9647609-0-5.</ref>
*Cite those works, and don't forget [[Argument from authority|to pump up the image of the creator]]. (e.g.: Scott Lively, PhD Dr. MD. Archbishop, Lord Mayor, MP, PM, Adm).
*Cite other works; don't worry if it's outdated, proven false, or retracted.<ref>DSM I-III is commonly cited.</ref>
*If refuted, call on the [[homosexual agenda]].
*Get your fellow evangelical people near you and repeat above steps for maximum <del>profit</del> conversions.

==People and organizations==
Notable people and organizations that feel the need to [[Just asking questions|just ask questions]] include:

*The entire [[Westboro Baptist Church]]
*[[Traditional Values Coalition]]
*[[Scott Lively]]

==See also==
*[[Homosexual agenda]]
*[[Gaysdidit]]
*[[Red-baiting]]
*[[Hurricane Sandy]]
*[[List of actions prohibited by the Bible]]

==External links==
*{{wpa|Gay Nazis myth}}
*{{wpa|Lavender Scare}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Fallacious arguments]]
[[Category:Informal fallacies]]
[[Category:Scapegoating]]

Categories: Homophobia, Fallacious arguments, Informal fallacies, Scapegoating
Piri Reis map

{{pseudohistorynav}}
[[File:Piri reis world map 01.jpg|left|thumb|The surviving fragment of the 1513 Piri Reis world map.]]
The '''Piri Reis map''' is the surviving fragment of a {{wpl|Piri_Reis_map|1513 world map}} compiled from previous sources by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] cartographer {{wpl|Piri Reis||.}}

Only about a third of the original map still exists. It shows relatively accurately parts of the coasts of [[Europe]], North [[Africa]], [[Brazil]], the Azores, the Canary Islands and [[Japan]]. [[North America|North]] and [[South America]] are not accurately depicted, with some substantial errors. Significantly, an error in the depiction of South America has been interpreted by some to be a depiction of the coast of [[Antarctica]], without the current icecap.

Thus, various cranks have seized on this purported "fact" to prop up their pet ideas:
*For [[Charles Hapgood]], that is evidence of [[Atlantis|an ancient global sea-faring civilization]]
*For [[Erich von Däniken]], that is evidence of knowledge obtained from [[ancient astronauts]] 
*For Gavin Menzies, that is evidence of [[1421 theory|far-reaching Chinese voyages]]
*Etc, etc.

The more likely explanation is that this is meant to represent {{wpl|Terra Australis||,}} a hypothetical continent in the southern hemisphere invented in the 15th century (before Europeans had fully mapped out the Southern hemisphere), based on nothing more than the assumption that the Southern hemisphere would have just as much land as the Northern one.

==External links==
*{{see-wp|Piri Reis map}}
*http://www.sacred-texts.com/piri/
*[http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/mapas_pirireis/esp_mapaspirireis01.htm#Piri%20Muhyi%20I%20Din%20Reis www.bibliotecapleyades.net] in Spanish
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20011217181402/http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/PSEUDOSC/PiriRies.HTM Piri Reis Map] by [[Steven Dutch]]
{{stub|pseudohistory}}
[[category:Pseudohistory]]
[[Category:Ancient aliens]]

Categories: Pseudohistory, Ancient aliens
Placodermi

{{sources needed}}
[[File:Dunkleosteus interm1DB.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of ''Dunkleosteus'']][[File:Ride On 5312 at Glenmont.jpg|thumb|As you can see, it's as big as this bus.]]
The '''Placoderms''' ("plate skin") are a class of extinct jawed vertebrates which are - by those few laypeople who've heard of them - dismissed as being a bunch of sluggish has-beens which were somehow easily outcompeted by primitive sharks and primitive bony fish. That is, except when people talk about the "first vertebrate superpredator," the bus-sized ''Dunkleosteus'', which is popularly imagined as being akin to a swimming dumptruck of death that munched on primitive sharks like fishy carrot sticks. They are also known as "Panzer fish" in most German-speaking countries, but only a very few had body patterns that included the Iron Cross.

==Evolution and fossil record==
[[File:Silurolepis platydorsalis.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of ''Silurolepis platydorsalis'' (not as big as a bus, but you do get two at once)]]
The placoderms first arose in marine environments sometime during the [[Silurian]] period, but left very few fossils from that time.  As was mentioned above, the ancestors of the first placoderms are thought to be an armored jawless fish related to the Osteostracans and the Galeaspids.  Only two Silurian placoderms have been named, one being the mysterious "''Wangolepis''," which is known from a few fossil fragments, and the early antiarch, ''Silurolepis platydorsalis'', from the Ludlow epoch of Yunnan, China.  Although ''Silurolepis'' is the only officially/formally described Silurian placoderm, what little evidence we have is still enough to demonstrate that, by the start of the late Silurian, the placoderms had already begun diversifying into most of the known orders, including antiarchs and the arthrodires.

Come the start of the Devonian, the placoderms were, more or less, in all known marine environments, and would go on to colonize many freshwater environments by the Middle Devonian.  The placoderms' domination of virtually all aquatic environments would last until the very end of the Devonian.  Insultingly, human authors of "popular" books on prehistoric life tend to ignore, gloss over, or dismiss this fact in favor of focusing on the evolution of tetrapods.  This is akin to writing a book on the modern history of Nevada, and devoting only a three-sentence paragraph about the influence of the gambling industry on the shaping of Las Vegas.
{{evonav}}
[[Category:Evolution]]
[[Category:Transitional fossils]]
[[Category:Fish]]

Categories: Evolution, Transitional fossils, Fish
Plaid Cymru

{{UKpolitics}}
'''Plaid Cymru''' (pronounced [plaɪd ˈkəmri], meaning '''the Party of Wales'''), also commonly referred to as '''Plaid''' for short<ref group=note>While "Plaid" means "party" in Welsh, the term is slightly old fashioned. Other parties are available.</ref> is a left-wing political party in the [[United Kingdom]] which also advocates an independent [[Wales]], and campaigns vigorously for the Welsh language. Their current symbol is a Welsh poppy, although the logo looks curiously similar to the daffodil which is more commonly associated with Wales as a national symbol.

Plaid Cymru probably does not contain any [[druid]]s, nor does its annual conference coincide with an Eisteddfod. Out of forty Welsh seats in Parliament, Plaid Cymru currently holds an amazing four. However, despite their lack of success in the 
English dominated
 British parliament, they have been relatively successful in the Welsh Assembly, forming a coalition government in Third Welsh Assembly (2007–11) with the [[Labour Party]].

They are not to be confused with 1980s [[nationalist]] group {{wpl|Meibion Glyndŵr|Meibion Glyndŵr}} (pronounced ''May-beon Glin-doore''), who used to burn down English people's holiday homes in protest not only to the way this affected the price of neighbourhood houses - primarily because the houses were empty save for two nights a year, which was considered extremely disrespectful to Welsh locals - but also the way the English treated the country at the time. To this day, the group have not been caught. The police actually arrested well-known nationalist celebrities who had nothing to do with the group.<ref>[http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/25-years-later-still-not-2918750 25 years later... why have we still not caught the cottage burners?] Daily Post, 9 December 2004.</ref>

Despite having 'plaid' in their name, most of them do not wear [[kilt]]s.<ref group=note>Welsh kilts, or ''cilt''s (sic), are a thing, but are not as common as their Irish, let alone Scottish, equivalents.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Gethin ap Gruffydd]]
* [[Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru]]
* [[Scottish National Party]]

==External links==
*[https://www.partyof.wales/ Official Website]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British politics]]
[[Category:British political parties]]
[[Category:Social democratic political parties]]
[[Category:Nationalism in the UK]]
{{UKPoliticalParty}}

Categories: United Kingdom, British politics, British political parties, Social democratic political parties, Nationalism in the UK
Platypus

[[File:Platypus.jpg|right|thumb|165px|'Ello, ducky!]]
{{evolution}}
The '''platypus'''<ref group=note>[[Latin]] derived from the [[Greek]] words πλατύς ("weird") and πους ("animal thing").</ref> (or ''Ornithorhynchus anatinus'', also known as "a semi-aquatic egg-laying [[mammal]] of action)<ref group=note>This is because of the [http://phineasandferb.wikia.com/wiki/Perry_the_Platypus_(song) song from ''Phineas and Ferb''],</ref> is an [[evolutionary]] screw-up and laughingstock of the animal kingdom. It is an incredibly dangerous semi-aquatic mammal indigenous to [[Australia]]. (wait, isn't that par for the course?) The ridiculous appearance of this egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed [[mammal]] baffled European [[naturalist]]s when they first encountered it, with some — especially those only presented with platypus skins or preserved specimens — considering it an elaborate [[hoax]].

The bill is an example of [[convergent evolution]]: if you're sucking bugs out of water-bottom mud, you'll want something about that shape, whether you're a duck or a platypus. Form follows function. [[Ironically]], [[creationist]]s often cite the platypus as "proof" against evolution, claiming that a creature this strange cannot possibly be a product of [[natural selection]]. Contrary to popular belief, the platypus is not a "[[living fossil]]" that represents a link between [[birds]] and [[mammals]] (that link never existed in the first place) as it does not retain the features of the primitive mammals it evolved from.<ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/platypus.html</ref>

Though docile unless you try to skin it and sell its fur, the male platypus packs one more surprise: it has a spur on the hindfoot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to [[human]]s.

The platypus is one of only four extant egg-laying mammals, all in the order of monotremes (Monotremata). The other three species are all echidnas in the genera ''Tachyglossus'' and ''Zaglossus'' (family Tachyglossidae);<ref>''A Handbook of New Guinea's Marsupials and Monotremes'' by James Menzies (2011). University of Papua New Guinea Press, 2<sup>nd</sup> ed. {{Isbn|9980945125}}.</ref> the extant platypus is in the family Ornithorhynchidae. The platypus sports numerous avian and reptilian features (who also lay eggs) not present in any other modern mammal. Thus, it might be (in appearance, though certainly not in [[phylogeny]]) the [[crocoduck]] that [[Kirk Cameron]] has told us we should expect to see.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Evolution]]

Categories: Animals, Australia, Evolution