Can a non-human animal be cruel? Is it cruel of a hawk to kill a squirrel? Or of a cat to bat around a mouse before killing it?

Are statements about probability universal truths? Is it possible to conceive of a universe in which a fair coin lands heads 75% and tails 25% of the time?

In a public place, let us say a dormitory common area, should I be expected to constantly watch my tongue for fear of offending a strictly religious peer of mine? I could understand being expected to not jabber about how I hate God right outside her door, but does she have a right to demand I respect her beliefs when talking about subjects taboo for her in a said common room? I never go out of my way to offend her, but her beliefs structure is so strict she may explode on me for talking about and number of topics from Wicca to cyborgs. Where do I draw the line where she is forcing her beliefs on me and I am disrespecting her? She has a short temper and I have a very hard time compromising. Any suggestions?

Vaughan Williams' music has been termed 'nationalistic', or 'spiritual'. Would you construe these terms as metaphorical? They have been used to decribe and categorize his music, have been seen as attributive, and his music has been known for these qualities for generations. I would really appreciate a comment on your view of 'nationalism' as metaphor for a body of music.

What makes a person a Philosopher? I have to write a paper asking any Philosopher in history, dead or alive, two questions. I'm just curious as to what a Philosopher is. Is it a self-proclaimed title? Do you have to go to school and get a degree? Can I just find any random person who claims to be a Philosopher and assume they know what they are talking about? What about Jesus? Does he count?

To what degree do humans have an ethical responsibility to sustain the species? Let's imagine a situation in which every single person on the planet decided to opt for voluntary sterilization (or every person of child-bearing age). Would this be unethical? Does the human species, as a species, have a responsibility to reproduce itself? Clearly, the planet and the other species on it would, on balance, be much better off without humans on it.

Current pop and media culture puts a lot of emphasis on "passion." Often one can hear in marketing phrases such "find your true passion." But is it, from a philosophical standpoint, good or healthy to be passionate? Throughout the history of philosophy, from the Stoics through to Spinoza, there has been a lot of distrust about passion? Can passsion be said to be our true feelings and therefore authentic? How does passion compare to Platonic love?

I read that an artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. However, a dead body still has arteries, and they don't carry blood anywhere anymore. Moreover, there may be dead or non functioning arteries within a living body. A friend of mine suggests that an artery is a blood vessel that evolved to carry blood away from the heart, but a creationist wouldn't believe her, and I would prefer a definition of "artery" that could be accepted by anyone. Could you, philosophers, provide such a definition?

Is it correct that Saint Augustine first came up with the idea that sex is primarily for reproduction and should only be used for this purpose and did the Vatican pick up on this idea from him? Is there any philosophical reasoning that can support this view?

How can a rational philosopher attempt to understand philosophers, such as Heidegger, Derrida or Foucault? These philosophers claim to be against the method of reason. Can a philosopher still philosophize without using reason?