Feeding Mind, Pursuing Truth
Blog 3 Columns
- Home
- Blog 3 Columns
Does the Pressure to Get a College Degree Encourage Cheating?0
- November 4, 2015
A recent article in The Atlantic shows how cheating has bridged the gap from classroom to computer in colleges today: “Today, entrepreneurs and freelancers openly advertise services designed to help students cheat their online educations. These digital cheaters for hire will even assume students’ identities and take entire online classes in their place.” Author Derek
READ MORE
Christopher Lasch’s 9 Characteristics of the “New Narcissist”2
- Culture
- November 4, 2015
Christopher Lasch’s bestseller The Culture of Narcissism (1979) remains an influential description of America in its twilight. Without having read it, many wonder: what does Lasch mean by the term “culture of narcissism”? Well, in the preface, Lasch states the purpose of his work: “This book, however, describes a way of life that is dying—the
READ MORE
5 Little Known Facts of Apprenticeship0
- Economics
- November 4, 2015
This week marks the first annual National Apprenticeship Week. In recognition of it, here are five facts about apprenticeships that you should know: 1. Apprenticeship was Prevalent in Antiquity According to author Paul Douglas – a University of Chicago professor writing in 1921 – the common notion that apprenticeship began in the medieval age is
READ MORE
Why Tennessee Forces Seventh Graders to Learn Islam0
- Education
- November 3, 2015
How big is the distinction between education and indoctrination? Not terribly, if you ask some Tennessee lawmakers. They are pushing to remove any mention of religion from Tennessee’s State Academic Standards. At issue is an apparently controversial unit in seventh grade world history class that spends some time exploring Islam. At some point, the students
READ MORE
Why Rachel Dolezal Doesn’t Matter, But Should0
- Culture
- November 3, 2015
Many of those against the transgender lobby LOVE the Rachel Dolezal case. In case you don’t remember, Dolezal was the Spokane (WA) NAACP president whose parents outed her last summer for having been born white. Yesterday, Dolezal was back in the news for finally admitting, in an interview, that she “was biologically born white, to
READ MORE
What Life is Like in a Relativist Society0
- November 3, 2015
So, morality is all a matter of personal preference. There is no way to have a rational argument between competing moral claims, or about whose vision of life is more correct. All we can do is agree to disagree, or try to force other people to agree with us through non-rational means. At least,
READ MORE
Tradition! “Fiddler on the Roof” Gets it Wrong0
- Culture
- November 3, 2015
It is hard not to have seen the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof or a stage performance of the play. It is a staple in high school drama clubs across the United States and the world. Many communities have a local playhouse that has at one time or another put on a
READ MORE
Stop Blaming Poverty for Educational Problems0
- Education
- November 3, 2015
Last week the news hit that U.S. student scores in math and reading had dropped. In stark terms, this news tells us that only 40% or less of American 4th and 8th grade students are proficient in math and reading. These poor results are excused by a number of issues, poverty being the most prevalent.
READ MORE
15 Thoughts from the Father of Modern Propaganda0
- Culture
- November 3, 2015
Fascinatingly, the term propaganda has roots in the Catholic Church’s missionary work and push-back against the Protestant Reformation. Mark Crispin Miller, professor of media studies at New York University, describes the development of the word propaganda as follows: “The word had been coined in 1622, when Pope Gregory XV, frightened by the global spread of
READ MORE