Is a seismic change rumbling through Left-wing circles? In the hard-Left Jacobin magazine, two young philosophers bemoan their discovery that postmodern strategies have now been captured by the hateful and hated Alt-Right — and so in reaction they propose that socialists embrace … More
What happens when you mix politics, bathrooms, and sexuality? Let the joking begin. A politician walks into a transgender bar. [Fill in the blank here.] Afterwards, he tries to explain: “I really only wanted to use the bathroom.” Ha ha. … More
Beware the compromisers — a lesson from this generation’s history. In 1998, President Bill Clinton announced: “We have moved past the sterile debate between those who say Government is the problem and those who say Government is the solution. My … More
Educating a child is a hugely philosophical project. How does one become a fully-functional adult with a zest for all that life has to offer — and acquire the knowledge, skills and habits to pursue it? Homework, traditionally conceived, is … More
I worked in construction for some years before returning to graduate school. My crewmembers were all hardworking guys, and an ethos of manly ruggedness prevailed among them. Beer was drunk. Pickup trucks were driven. Camping and fishing were practiced faithfully. … More
Nobody likes to lose money, but profit generates polarized attitudes. As with most morally-charged phenomena — competition, wealth, poverty, property — getting past the often confused discussions requires some subtle distinctions. Let’s approach profit by way of an example of … More
Who is more likely to cheat — those who play individual sports or those who play team sports? A fascinating experiment by Professor Sharon K. Stoll and reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education compared athletes in individual sports such … More
When I immigrated to the United States, the experience was not quite a nightmare but more like a series of bad dreams. I was from friendly Canada. I had a Ph.D. and a job offer from an American university. Yet … More
Universities are political places, but there’s good politics and bad. First point: The protesting students are neither “snowflakes” who can’t take the heat nor “delicate flowers” whose feelings have been bruised. University students have seen movie violence, broken up with … More
Defeating an enemy such as politicized Islam is a multi-front battle — police, military, diplomatic, cultural and philosophical. Any fight is triggered by short-term, local disagreements. But long-term, generalized conflicts are always about abstract principles in collision. As with neo-Nazis, … More
