Feeding Mind, Pursuing Truth
Blog 3 Columns
- Home
- Blog 3 Columns
William F. Buckley Once Trolled Arthur Schlesinger Jr.0
- Culture
- June 8, 2016
William F. Buckley Jr. was one of those once-in-a-generation thinkers. Whatever one thought of his conservative politics, it was difficult to overlook his many talents: a rapier-like intellect; impeccably refined taste; and a patrician charm that was unequaled (by any other conservative, at least). I never met Buckley, but of his many talents, it was
READ MORE
Teddy Roosevelt’s Reading List vs. Today’s Candidates0
- Culture
- June 8, 2016
Last week presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was asked to give a list of books he’s reading. As the Los Angeles Times notes, the fact that he couldn’t name the titles suggests that the question caught him off guard. He did give a little information about the books, however: “I’m reading the Ed Klein
READ MORE
Is It Ever Okay to Make an ‘Ad Hominem’ Argument?1
- Culture
- June 8, 2016
From what I’ve seen, most of the Intellectual Takeout audience values logic, and would like to see their fellow Americans resort to it more often. However, it’s important to not only value logic, but to use it correctly. With that in mind, I wanted to briefly address the logical fallacy most often referenced on our
READ MORE
Best Fantasy Books for Older Children (or Adults Who Want to Catch Up)0
- Education
- June 8, 2016
As I’ve said before, reading to my children has given me the opportunity to catch up on some great children’s literature that I did not read when I was younger. If you wish to do the some catch-up work yourself, or to recommend some books to your own children, you may want to check out some
READ MORE
Are Americans More Ignorant than We Realize?1
- Culture
- June 8, 2016
The other day I picked up Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, the pamphlet that played a huge role in promoting the American War for Independence. Knowing that Paine is generally regarded as a strong atheist, I was startled to see how many biblical references he used in his argument. It wasn’t long before I realized Paine
READ MORE
Why Is Violent Language Becoming So Normal?0
- Culture
- June 7, 2016
The death a few days ago of Muhammad Ali, an icon of boxing as well as racial equality, reminds me and others of something that you too may have noticed: how violent language is increasingly being used to describe disagreement. One public figure criticizing another is “attacking” or “bashing” the other. When somebody’s reasoning is
READ MORE
Today’s One-Room Schools: Why Families Love Them0
- Culture
- June 7, 2016
When I was in grade school, one of the annual highlights of my summer was the day my friends and I went on a field trip to an old one-room schoolhouse. To all of us, the day was an opportunity to “be like Laura [Ingalls]” by dressing up, having spelling bees, and reading lessons out
READ MORE
The U.S. Government Poisoned Alcohol During Prohibition0
- Education
- June 7, 2016
Between 1920 and 1933 America engaged in a “Noble Experiment”—prohibiting “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes” via the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment was repealed in 1933. As
READ MORE
Refugees vs. Immigrants: Let’s Not Conflate the Two0
- Culture
- June 7, 2016
A couple of months ago, when I first began writing for Intellectual Takeout, I wrote a piece about the difference between arguing and quarreling. I referred to G. K. Chesterton’s quip, concerning his relationship with his brother, that they were always arguing but they never quarreled. Chesterton’s point is that arguing is good, whereas quarreling
READ MORE