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Odysseus’ Voyage: What We Can Learn From Homer’s Everyman 0
- Culture
- January 24, 2017
Lovers of Monty Python will recall the scene in The Life of Brian in which John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin discuss the contribution of the Romans to civilization: “What have the Romans ever done for us?” In today’s supercilious culture we tend to believe that we owe nothing to the past in general
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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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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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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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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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What We’re In For with Trump 0
- Economics
- January 23, 2017
I happened to catch most of Trump’s conference with business leaders this morning over breakfast. Here are my thoughts. If I’m being a typical Midwesterner/Rust Belter on this, apologies in advance; I can’t help where I’m from. Trump’s speech can be divided into four parts of roughly equal size. 25% of the things he said
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