History

J.R.R. Tolkien on Sex and Love 1
- History
- December 4, 2017
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century. Best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien served as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1945. He left this position in 1945 to take
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Can America stop being the world’s policeman?0
- History
- November 29, 2017
On September 19, 1796, our first president said goodbye to his country and offered his advice to any who would listen in a document known as “Washington’s Farewell Address.” In it, President Washington covered a wide variety of topics, including political parties, the importance of national unity, the need to uphold the Constitution and preserve
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Why We Shouldn’t Confuse Philanthropy and Welfare 0
- History
- November 28, 2017
In chapter 14 of The Road to Serfdom, “Material Conditions and Ideal Ends,” Hayek focuses on the path forward now that the Second World War was coming to an end. Specifically, he explains that calling on the state to coercively act in the name of the “greater good” is not a moral act worthy of
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Did Early Christians Believe that Mary was a Teen Mother? It’s Complicated 0
- History
- November 17, 2017
On Nov. 13, a fifth Alabama woman came forward to accuse Roy Moore, former judge and current GOP Senate candidate, of sexual assault when she was 16. Condemnation of Moore has been widespread, but Moore himself vehemently denies these allegations. He has backing from many in Alabama. One of his most controversial statements of support
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A Historian Explains Why America Will Probably Fail 0
- History
- October 19, 2017
The English author Paul Johnson opens his book A History of the American People (1997) by calling the United States “the greatest of all human adventures.” While clearly a fan of America’s grand experiment, Johnson nonetheless expressed some doubt about whether the nation could succeed beyond the 20th century because of its dark past, which included
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Trial By Ordeal Was Actually an Effective Test of Guilt 0
- History
- October 18, 2017
The quest for criminal justice is fraught with uncertainty. Did the defendant commit the crime, or is he a victim of incriminating circumstances? Is he guilty as charged, or has he been charged guilty by an overzealous prosecutor? Unsure about the truth, we often end up guessing ‘He did it’ when he might not have,
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