High schools in America today typically offer students a plethora of classes in math, science, literature, social studies, the arts, foreign languages, and specialized electives. But in the history of Western education, that’s a fairly recent development. From ancient times up until the 18th century, after attending a primary school, students would usually move on
READ MOREProtesting has seemingly becoming the preferred method of “discourse” today. In part, the apparent increase in protests is due to the expanded coverage offered by news and social media today. However, as philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre has argued, the increase in protests is also a result of relativism and the consequent breakdown in rational discourse. “It
READ MORERecent shootings have once again revived debate about gun control in America. In considering the potential of greater gun control measures, it’s worthwhile looking at the issue from various angles: the rule of law, philosophy, recent events, the example of other countries, changes in the modern social context, and… history. Though historical precedent should not
READ MOREA good teacher is one of the most important factors in the successful education of a child. But are bureaucrats increasingly tying the hands of good teachers and hindering them from effective teaching? A recent study from the Department of Education suggests that might be the case. The study surveyed teachers on their level of
READ MOREExperts almost universally agree that exercise in an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. But what if the educational system is set up in a way that deters students from being active and, in turn, being healthier? Last week, the New York Times reported on a new study that shows that while teenagers spend about
READ MOREQuite often one will see individuals quoting the Old Testament to either prove the barbarism of Christianity or equate it to Islam with that faith’s Quran. Unfortunately, a lot of folks end up looking exceedingly foolish doing so. EvilBible.com is a commonly used source. Its motto is “Fighting against immorality in religion.” Currently, the homepage
READ MOREComedian Jim Gaffigan recently gave a hilarious interview on traveling with his five kids. In it, he compared travelling with his children to “transferring serial killers from prison to prison… you have to be constantly aware,” and acknowledged that he and his wife “didn’t get a lot of sleep on the bus tour, but we
READ MOREDecember 15th marks the 224th birthday of the U.S. Bill of Rights. Originally drafted in 1789, the document addressed many of the qualms people had with the Constitution by guaranteeing freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to a trial by jury, and many other freedoms which we often
READ MOREThe popular narrative is that the religious, particularly Christians, are knuckle-dragging Neanderthals attempting to prevent scientific advancements. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Usually, Galileo (imprisoned) and Giordano Bruno (burned at the stake) are offered as proof, though both came from roughly the same time period, about four-hundred years ago. While those activities of
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