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Academic Writing is Becoming a Caricature of Itself 0
- Education
- January 7, 2016
Much of modern postsecondary intellectual discourse emblematizes a regressive displacement of phraseology toward loquacious amalgamations intended to subvert intelligibility. Which is academic-speak for “Most academic writing these days is crap.” We’ve written on this subject before. In no other time in history have so many professors written so much that is unintelligible to the public,
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The Government Changes Food Recommendations … Again 0
- Culture
- January 7, 2016
Judging from the USDA food guidelines released this morning from our ever-wise government, it’s once again permissible to increase our salt intake, eat eggs, and skip breakfast if we so wish. Don’t agree with those guidelines? Never fear. We probably only have to wait for a few years until they revert to their original
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Christianity’s Intellectual Foundation 0
- Culture
- January 7, 2016
Christianity is often derided as “unintellectual”. Yet, if you actually spend any time with those making the most dogmatic arguments about the “stupidity” of religion, particularly Christianity, you get the feeling that few of those individuals have actually engaged in any meaningful way with the intellectual tradition of Christianity. In The Spirit of Early Christian
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1st Century Historian: Education is “The One and Essential Thing”0
- Education
- January 6, 2016
The ancient Greek thinker Plutarch (46-120 A.D.) is best known for his historical work Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans and his collection of essays entitled Moralia. This latter collection begins with a wonderful essay (or, at least, it’s attributed to him) on “The Education of Children.” I’ll discuss the rest of the essay
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Plato’s Very Relevant Warning about Politicians 0
- Politics
- January 6, 2016
It’s amazing how relevant ancient works can be to modern life. Such is the case with Plato’s dialogue Gorgias?, which contains a very applicable warning about politicians. The Gorgias is a polemic against rhetoric—the art of speaking well and persuading others. Plato was not completely against rhetoric; he was okay with it if used “with
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A source of our anxiety?0
- Culture
- January 6, 2016
Market Watch recently reported that while employment is up, the number of people who can go any length of time without a paycheck is abysmally low. “Approximately 63% of Americans have no emergency savings for things such as a $1,000 emergency room visit or a $500 car repair, according to a survey released Wednesday of
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