Heidegger and National Socialism
Given Heidegger’s towering presence in the landscape of 20th-century philosophy and “deep ecology” environmentalism, How Green Were the Nazis? is an important book.
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Politics
Rand in the New York Times
The New York Times published a wide-ranging piece on John Allison and the controversies over Ayn Rand’s philosophy and influence: (“Give BB&T Liberty, but Not a Bailout”, August 1, 2009). It’s a mix of solid and straight-up reporting along with slightly off and completely wide-of-the-mark interpretations. Here’s a short letter I sent off to the
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The four healthcare debates
Like many of you, I am engaged with thinking through the healthcare proposals and debates and am occasionally frustrated with the scattered focus and the talking past the other guy’s position. So, as a start, I propose a clarification of the questions involved. As I see it, the overall healthcare discussion is a four-dimensional debate:
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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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The increasing(ly clear) relevance of Ayn Rand
“Read the news today? It’s like ‘Atlas Shrugged’ is happening in real life,” as this Facebook group points out. Many intelligent observers have noted the connection, which has led to sharply increased sales of Atlas and prominent coverage of Atlas‘s themes in Business Week, Forbes, the New York Times, the Economist, The Wall Street Journal,
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FreedomWorks, Virginia Murr, and me
Congratulations to Virginia Murr (Rockford College class of 2006) for her First-Prize-winning essay in the FreedomWorks entrepreneur essay contest. Virginia was in the college’s rigorous honors program and a philosophy major, and since graduating she is developing her own writing career. Even better, especially for me, is the theme of her winning essay: Dr. Stephen
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FIRE, David Ross, and Emily Brooker
I am a supporter of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the nation’s leading institution devoted to fighting for intellectual freedom on college campuses. My friend and intellectual colleague, David Ross, has written an excellent statement [pdf] explaining why he supports FIRE. Dr. Ross is a mathematics professor and so is very sharp as
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