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Blog 3 Columns

  • Middle School Reading Lists 100 Years Ago vs. Today

    Middle School Reading Lists 100 Years Ago vs. Today5

    I recently dug up a 1908 curriculum manual in the Minnesota Historical Society archives. It provided instructions on everything from teacher deportment to recommended literature lists for various grades. As a book lover, I was especially interested in the latter! With the exception of a few textbook-like anthologies, the chart below lists the recommended reading material for

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  • James Madison on the Separation of Church and State

    James Madison on the Separation of Church and State1

    It’s not unusual to witness discussions on the topic of whether or not the United States was founded “as a Christian nation.” (Or, worded slightly differently, whether or not America had a Christian founding.) The answer to this question depends largely on semantics. On one hand, the Founding Fathers were overwhelmingly Christian and built a

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  • Is Western Civilization ‘Superior’?

    Is Western Civilization ‘Superior’?3

    In many posts, we at Intellectual Takeout have argued that people in the West should know the Western tradition. We say this not only because we believe that Western civilization has made many great contributions to the world that should be appreciated, but also because we believe a knowledge of one’s past is crucial to

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  • Can the Decline of the West Be Stopped?

    Can the Decline of the West Be Stopped?0

    In watching the 2016 campaigns unfold, it’s hard not to be depressed. It feels to many like America and the West are in decline. Demographic and economic struggles, threats from parts of the Muslim world, increasing tensions with China and Russia, and racial tensions weigh heavily upon many Americans today. At the same time, it feels

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  • Are We Blindly Accepting Preschool without Evidence?

    Are We Blindly Accepting Preschool without Evidence?1

    Last fall we shared a new bit of preschool research conducted by the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt University. The research found that Tennessee’s state-funded Voluntary Prekindergarten program made little difference in giving children a head start in learning. In fact, the time in preschool actually seemed to make children fall behind their peers who

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  • Yale Dean in 1949: Stop Worrying About Security So Much

    Yale Dean in 1949: Stop Worrying About Security So Much0

    Recently, while reading an old book about a young man’s adventures at Yale, I came across a speech delivered by the dean of that school, who was speaking to the graduating class of 1949. Periodicals at the time apparently suggested that the graduating class had indicated it was “primarily interested in seeking security,” and the

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