History

Facial hair and philosophers

“In Athens haircuts and hairstyles had social and political implications. Aristocratic horsemen still wore long braids and gold hairpins. The common man (and the politicians who spoke for him) preferred a short cut, though not quite a crew cut. The customer sat on a low stool, his body draped in a sheet to catch the shorn locks. The barber then cropped and curled the hair, anointed the head with scented oil, and trimmed the beard to a neat point. (At Athens any man with a long unkempt bead ran the risk of being mistaken for a philosopher).”

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“Nietzsche and the Nazis” update

Since its 2006 publication, my 2:45-hour documentary on Nietzsche and the Nazis has been available from Amazon, Netflix, and other venues. Beginning this summer, Netflix has made the documentary available via video-stream, which has led to a healthy uptick in feedback — including gratifying praise, interesting new angles, thoughtful disagreement — and a smattering of

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Bibliography [EP]

[This is the Bibliography from Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault] Bibliography Abrams, M. H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Fifth edition, Volume II. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1986. Ayer, A. J. Language, Truth, and Logic [1936]. Dover, 1946. Ayer, A. J., editor. Logical Positivism. Free

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Two cautionary tales about cholera, the plague, and politics

Cautionary Tale #1 The plague hit London again in the hot summer of 1665. Panic struck and rumors abounded about its cause. The Lord Mayor of London was convinced of one theory: the plague was spread by cats and dogs. So he ordered all the city’s cats and dogs killed, and an estimated 40,000 dogs

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Late to the show, but excellent timing

John Adams the mini-series came out last year, but I just began watching it yesterday. The first two episodes are excellent. What a great way to spend part of July 4. Paul Giamatti’s performance hooked me: I have a renewed appreciation for John Adams’s brilliance, determination, and integrity. I also have an enlarged appreciation for

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