Reposting this from a favorite novel, set in Paris in the world of mid-nineteenth century theater, a time and place of revolutionary art and politics. A young woman of wonderful intensity and resilience remembers a key lesson from a mentor, Nandou, an actor. “She walked to the place du Calvaire and stood for a time […]
The Center of the Universe (quotation) Read More »
In an 1846 review of Grote’s History of Greece, John Stuart Mill makes this claim: “The Battle of Marathon, even as an event in British history, is more important than the Battle of Hastings.” My first reaction to Mill’s sentence was agreement. My second reaction was to the audacity of the claim and to wonder
Audacious historical cause-and-effect claims Read More »
First, here’s the full interview, with timestamps for sub-topics, filmed in Arizona in November 2024: In the following excerpt, Dr. Peterson sketches a hypothesis, Dr. Hicks objects to it, Dr. Peterson then rephrases, and Dr. Hicks suggests an alternative formulation. An example of how disagreement can be constructive when truth-seeking is one’s mutual goal: Related:
A favorite poem, by Rupert Brooke, which I sometimes use in my Introduction to Philosophy course. The Great Loverby Rupert Brooke I have been so great a lover: filled my daysSo proudly with the splendour of Love’s praise,The pain, the calm, and the astonishment,Desire illimitable, and still content,And all dear names men use, to cheat
On this day, I am thankful in a way that history puts in perspective. Three quotations: From William Manchester, A World Lit Only By Fire, on life in medieval Europe: “Because most peasants lived and died without leaving their birthplace, there was seldom need for any tag beyond One-Eye, or Roussie (Redhead), or Bionda (Blondie),
First, a healthy way to think about trade: Canada produces more and better maple syrup and high quality copper than the USA does. Yet the USA’s California wines are better than Canadian wines and the USA produces more hickory lumber than Canada does. So, Americans get more of their maple syrup and copper from Canada
Tariffs as tit-for-tat revenge Read More »
This documents a huge shift in one generation. HERI is the Higher Education Research Institute. It asks faculty what their top educational goals are. Candidates: Individual self-development, becoming a well-rounded person, learning to think and judge for oneself, career preparation, becoming a social-change agent, and so on. In 1990, only about 20% of faculty said
(0:39) Intro (2:19) Lecturing for Peterson Academy (two course published, three in post-postproduction) (5:16) The giants in philosophy who shook the earth — learn why (10:54) The practical case for philosophy (14:24) Narrative, weighting facts, and how various philosophies reconcile perception versus reality (25:24) Epistemology (the theory of knowledge), how you know that you really