Charles Dickens was mad. He was angry at his father, who was sent to debtors’ prison, forcing young Charles to pawn his belongings, drop out of school and work in a shoe-polish factory. He was also angered by the conditions in which England’s poorest children lived and worked. He was going to publish a political
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The majority of our relationships are in shambles. The U.S. divorce rate hovers at 40 percent, but that’s not the whole story. Many intact relationships are on life support. According to a survey by the National Opinion Research Center, 60 percent of people in a relationship say they’re not very satisfied. There are some familiar
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The ideas of the great modern philosophers have shaped the way men and women today view the world. Therefore, for the sake of cultural literacy, one should have some familiarity with these ideas. Take this brief quiz below to see if you’re up to speed with some of the basics of modern philosophy.
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A prominent intellectual at a recent private meeting was asked the difference between nationalism and patriotism. His response was similar to the explanation Justice Potter Stewart once offered on the difference between “obscene speech” (i.e. porn) and “protected speech”: “I know it when I see it.” George Orwell, in his essay Notes on Nationalism, offered
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No Christmas season would be complete without plentiful opportunities to watch stage or television productions of Charles Dickens’ unfortunately immortal A Christmas Carol. The classic Reginald Owen and Alastair Sim movies will no doubt play several times on multiple cable channels. We have a live production showing at the Alleyway Theatre here in Buffalo, N.Y.
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December 15th marks the anniversary of the American Bill of Rights. At the time the Bill of Rights was inaugurated, Thomas Jefferson noted that every government is obligated to provide such rights for its citizens. Unfortunately, many Americans today seem oblivious to this entitlement. Take, for example, the man-on-the-street interview Jay Leno conducted several years
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