Blog Small Slider

One Reason Conservatives Are Losing?0
- Politics
- June 7, 2016
In November 2012, I attended a conservative State Policy Network (SPN) conference the week after President Obama had won reelection. As you might imagine, the mood among the conservative think-tank attendees was rather somber. In spite of all their efforts over the past four years, the more liberal presidential candidate had defeated the more conservative
READ MORE
Refugees vs. Immigrants: Let’s Not Conflate the Two 0
- 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
CS Lewis’ Important Critique of ‘Democratic Education’0
- Culture
- June 7, 2016
America’s education system is increasingly “democratic.” It expends tremendous amounts of money and energy on ushering all students toward college and on closing “gaps” between high- and low-performing students. But according to C.S. Lewis, these concerns indicate a wrong understanding of democracy as it applies to education—one that indeed threatens a nation’s survival. In 1944 he wrote the
READ MORE

The Real Reason Students Should Study Philosophy 0
- Education
- June 6, 2016
Isn’t philosophy supposed to help people live well, not just exercise the mind? That was the ancient view. The evidence is clear that exposure to philosophical questions, ideas, and dialogue at an early age improves academic outcomes generally, and in particular cultivates the skills needed for reasoned dialogue. (Intellectual Takeout has posted several pieces to
READ MORE
Today’s College Students Aren’t Studying 0
- Education
- June 6, 2016
Most of those in the Intellectual Takeout audience already believe that college education has become a shadow of its former self… that its curriculum has been significantly dumbed down… and that its students spend more time partying than hitting the books. Here is just one more statistic that confirms that belief. According to a study
READ MORE
Are We All Bigots Now?0
- Culture
- June 6, 2016
First, some terms need to be defined here if this is going to make any sense. big·ot /’big?t/: a person intolerant of those holding different opinions. o·pin·ion /?’piny?n/: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. For the sake of clarity, let us say that opinions are the sort
READ MORE