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Blog 3 Columns

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Blog 3 Columns

The 4 Horsemen of the Philosophical Apocalypse 0
- Education
- January 23, 2017
Robert Maynard Hutchins (1899-1977) was the dean of Yale Law School, the president of the University of Chicago, and one of the more influential philosophers of education in the 20th century. In a stirring passage from a series of lectures he gave in 1951, Hutchins identified four intellectual trends that had been absolutely disastrous for
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Study: Immaturity Being Mislabeled as ‘Mental Disorder’0
- Culture
- January 23, 2017
Once upon a time – not so very long ago – a diagnosis of ADHD and its subsequent treatment with prescription drugs was accepted without much question. After all, the experts know best, right? But as the number of ADHD diagnoses have increased, parents, doctors, and even scientific studies seem to be questioning the wisdom
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Should Mothers Be Paid to Stay Home?0
- Culture
- January 23, 2017
An editorial from The New Zealand Herald this month states that a proposal to pay New Zealand stay-at-home mothers has merit, commenting: “many parents who return to paid careers when their child is still very young cite financial necessity. It would be interesting to see what their decisions would be if it were possible to
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Partisanship and the Reason Each Side Thinks the Other Side is Crazy 0
- Politics
- January 23, 2017
To some liberals, Donald Trump’s inauguration portends doom for the republic; to many conservatives, it’s a crowning moment for the nation that will usher in an era of growth and optimism. It’s as if each side is living in a different country – and a different reality. In fact, over the last few months, a
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On Ben Franklin’s Letter to an Atheist 0
- Economics
- January 23, 2017
Benjamin Franklin’s feelings on God and religion were complicated. While it’s true that Franklin believed in God and saw great benefit in religion, he himself (as I’ve written before) had an aversion to church services (or at least services led by dull pastors). Like many people, Franklin’s own views on faith and religion changed throughout
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How Ancient Greek Skepticism Can Thwart Internet Trolls 0
- Culture
- January 23, 2017
How do you deal with those pesky trolls who seem to be everywhere on social media sites nowadays? Nothing ruins the cool vibe of the social media experience more than their online diatribes, meant to tease and instigate with every key stroke. Kendall Walters defines a troll as “someone who deliberately provokes others online, typically
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Betsy DeVos’ Secret (and Paradoxical) Weapon 0
- Education
- January 23, 2017
Over the past few weeks, the political and media controversy has primarily centered around Donald Trump’s various selections for cabinet positions. Perhaps, of them all, the one pick that has garnered the most profuse and stringent criticism has been Trump’s choice for United States Secretary of Education—Betsy DeVos. Whether one believes the Michigan philanthropist and
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Why Americans Need to Give Trump a Shot 0
- History
- January 20, 2017
Donald J. Trump was sworn in as America’s 45th president on Friday. Tens of millions of people watched the ceremony, which took place on the National Mall amid a sprinkling rain. Many no doubt watched the event with excitement, others with fear. I’ll admit that I felt both of these emotions as I watched Trump
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The Oldest Rhetorical Trick in the Book 0
- Education
- January 20, 2017
In his brilliant 1956 collection, Minority Report, H.L. Mencken stated: If you were against the New Deal and its wholesale buying of pauper votes, then you were against Christian charity. If you were against the gross injustices and dishonesties of the Wagner Labor Act, then you were against labor. If you were against packing the
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