Reprising this open letter Douglass wrote in 1848 to Thomas Auld, his former master, on the tenth anniversary of his escape from slavery to freedom. TO MY OLD MASTER. Thomas Auld, Sir: The long and intimate, though by no means friendly, relation which unhappily subsisted between you and myself, leads me to hope that you […]
Frederick Douglass’s letter to his former master Read More »
The next three in the new Philosophers, Explained by Stephen Hicks series will be: 26 Immanuel Kant on educating for duty and obedience. On Education. 27 John Dewey against “individualism” and for “democratic” education. Democracy and Education. 28 Thales and the beginnings of Western philosophy. And in contrast to Homer’s The Iliad. 1 Immanuel Kant
Next three in *Philosophers, Explained*: Kant, Dewey, Thales (and Homer) Read More »
The audiobook edition of Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault at YouTube, now with timestamps for easy navigation. This audiobook edition of Explaining Postmodernism is read by the author. To listen to a specific chapter of the audiobook, visit its YouTube site. To download MP3s of the audiobook or for more information,
Audiobook timestamps for *Explaining Postmodernism* Read More »
At CEE, Stephen Hicks interviewed Jeffrey van Davis about his documentary on Martin Heidegger’s life and thought. Here is the documentary (with timestamps), with interviews of leading scholars of Heidegger: See also the episode on Martin Heidegger’s “What Is Metaphysics?”, in the *Philosophers, Explained* series:
Interview with *Only a God Can Save Us* director van Davis Read More »
Where on the spectrum are you? Heidegger joined the National Socialist Party and was an active and gung-ho supporter. But why this “basically” claim about Nietzsche? Because he said this, along with dozens of other forerunner-to-Nazi things: “mankind in the mass sacrificed to the prosperity of a single stronger species of man — that would
The *politics* of philosophers — graphic Read More »
Noticing some social-media discussion by opponents of compulsory vaccinations, noting that even Adolph Hitler opposed them. A pair of quick nuance-y corrections, one on extent and one on motivation. Extent: AH favored compulsory vaccinations—but only for Germans. Motivation: He opposed them for non-Germans because he didn’t want to extend their benefits to people he didn’t
Compulsory vaccination and the National Socialists Read More »
Reprising this series of quotations, collected over the years, on the theme of pessimism about the present in relation to the past: Plato, 360 BCE: “In that country [Egypt] arithmetical games have been invented for the use of mere children, which they learn as pleasure and amusement. I have late in life heard with amazement
The constant decline of civilization? Read More »
Locke and Mill, that is. Locke on freedom of choice for students: “great care is to be taken, that [education] be never made as a business to him, nor he look on it as a task. We naturally, as I said, even from our cradles, love liberty, and have therefore an aversion to many things,
John and John on liberal psychology Read More »