Blog 3 Columns

What One of History’s Greatest Intellects Said About His Writings 0
- Uncategorized
- November 10, 2015
“All that I have written seems to me as so much straw.” No, these aren’t the words of a modern blogger. They came from St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), without question one of the greatest intellects history has known. How brilliant was Aquinas? He conducted quodlibetal disputations, in which a gathered crowd at the university could
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How to Politically Condition a Generation 0
- Culture
- November 10, 2015
With all of the intolerance of “offensive” speech and ideas, it’s worth considering what could be happening. Is it all just to create a better society or are we being coerced into a certain mindset? Sure, what’s going on is not on the level of some of the tyrannies of the 20th century or fictions
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Fragile Snowflakes or Manipulative Narcissists?0
- Culture
- November 10, 2015
At the same time some students are flexing their political muscles (with the help of some professors) at the University of Missouri, Yale, and other schools demanding “safe space”, we’re treated to an increasing number of stories about the lack of resilience and overall fragility of many college students. Quite honestly, the psychology of it
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College Isn’t the Time for a “Broad Education”0
- Education
- November 10, 2015
I always roll my eyes when I hear liberal arts professors today defending general requirements and expounding on the glories of a broad education. It’s not that I disagree with them about the value of a broad education (after all, my doctorate is in one of the liberal arts). It’s just that I think college
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Why We Have Moral Relativism Today 0
- Uncategorized
- November 9, 2015
Today, most of the defenses of traditional morality in the public square are pretty crappy. A lot of them are negative in formulation, reduced to exposing inconsistencies in the other side’s arguments, or warning of dire consequences if X or Y is allowed. Even many of those who generally support traditional morals feel that
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When the Father of Modern, American Education thought Soviet Schools were the Best Example 0
- Culture
- November 9, 2015
John Dewey (1859-1952) was the education philosopher largely credited with the creation of the modern, progressive approach to education that now dominates American schools. His influence was far-reaching and cannot be denied. As always, we must remember that there is no value-neutral education. All education is the purposeful shaping of young minds towards a certain
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The Children are in Charge 0
- Culture
- November 9, 2015
We live in strange times. At once both the tyranny and fragility of young Americans is on display. Over at Yale, earlier this week we were treated to the following reaction over Halloween costumes that some folks clearly thought were offensive: When a student gets away with screaming at a professor to “be quiet” and
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Sometimes, Is Spanking Still the Best Option?0
- November 9, 2015
“Spare the rod and spoil the child” isn’t in the Bible; it’s from the 17th-century Samuel Butler poem “Hudibras.” However, the phrase certainly expresses the spirit of the Bible’s Book of Proverbs and the prevailing wisdom of Western tradition. Recent polls show that almost seven in 10 Americans believe spanking is an acceptable form of
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Family Reading Lists for Toddlers to Teens 0
- Culture
- November 9, 2015
Parent-child reading times – even into the teen years – are one of the best ways to turn your child into a well-rounded and educated reader, at least according to early twentieth century author Walter Taylor Field. To encourage parents to read with their children, Field includes a number of age-appropriate suggestions in his book
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What One of History’s Greatest Intellects Said About His Writings 0