[I use Ayn Rand’s classic The Fountainhead in my Introduction to Philosophy course, analyzing the five major characters as moral-philosophical types. Here is a digest of the novel’s brilliant-manipulator villain, Ellsworth Toohey.] The ethics of altruism holds that others are the standard of value. One is good to the extent one puts the interests of […]
Ellsworth Toohey’s five strategies of altruism [repost] Read More »
Did the death of one man in Mongolia affect the entire course of European history since the 1200s? Here’s the context: In 1227, Genghis Khan’s son Ogedai became head of the Mongolian empire, which at that time included much of northern China, southeastern Russia, and Persia. Ogedai sent one of his generals, Tsubodai (or Subotai),
The Mongols and modern European history Read More »
Reprising this on why some cultures become great explorers and others stay home: the role of metaphysics. “And as for trying to sail down the west African coast, everyone knew that as soon as you passed the Canary Islands you would be in the Mare Tenebroso, the Sea of Darkness: ‘In the medieval imagination [writes
On the dangers of exploration — medieval version Read More »
See this movie. Owl and the Sparrow, set in the new Vietnam, is about Thuy, a 10-year old girl. Her parents have died, so she is being raised by her harsh uncle and working in his factory. One day, after she makes a minor mistake, her uncle unloads on her, telling her she is deficient,
*Owl and the Sparrow* movie recommendation Read More »
I watched Zorba the Greek (1965), which I hadn’t seen since my teen years. My five-sentence summary: I’m incompetent and repressed. You’re incompetent and outgoing.We’re surrounded by viciously ignorant villagers.But that’s okay! Let’s dance! Related: 1955 movie Marty.
*Zorba the Greek* (my mini-review) Read More »
Recommended. Thanks to Joshua Zader for his recommendation. Here’s the trailer:
Movie: “A Most Violent Year” — business and grit Read More »
“Lo que la Ética Empresarial Puede Aprender del Emprendimiento.” The Spanish translation of my essay is by Walter Jerusalinsky and published online at Idóneos e-magazine. The essay was first published in English as “What Business Ethics Can Learn from Entrepreneurship” [pdf] in the Journal of Private Enterprise. It’s also available at the Social Science Research
Spanish translation of “What Business Ethics Can Learn from Entrepreneurship” Read More »
This is the sixth and final chapter of the audiobook version of Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault. Chapter Six: Postmodern Strategy [mp3] [YouTube] [54 minutes total] Connecting epistemology to politics [mp3] [YouTube] Masks and rhetoric in language [mp3] [YouTube] When theory clashes with fact [mp3] [YouTube] Kierkegaardian postmodernism [mp3] [YouTube] Reversing
Postmodern Strategy [Explaining Postmodernism audiobook] Read More »