by Mark English 1: The dangers of relativism 1.1 Some recent discussions about the French far right got me thinking about narratives, morality, rhetoric and reputations. 1.2 It was suggested that moral relativism was an insidious force that opened the way for collaborationism in the past and threatens today to return us to a depraved moral condition. These notes constitute […]
by Mark English How do we come to have the political views we have? Genetics (and, more broadly, biology) plays a part, but only, I think, to the extent that genetics/biology contributes to determining broad psychological characteristics, relating to personality type for example. The main contributing factors are no doubt socio-cultural and relate to one’s upbringing, etc., bearing in mind […]
by Mark English I’m probably more contrarian than conservative, though I freely admit that my views on some issues might be seen as conservative. Whatever that means. Many views which would now be classed as conservative would have been seen as liberal not too long ago. Moreover there is a big divide between those who see recent societal changes as […]
By Daniel Tippens Early in his presidency, Donald Trump passed his first executive order pertaining to immigration, preventing travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United State for 90 days. At the same time, Trump has been laying on some heavy rhetoric about deporting illegal aliens from the United States. Many were quick to […]
by E. John Winner Now, the whole business of Irish nationalism can get very serious if you’re not careful. – Liam Clancy [1] My father, Joseph Connelly, abandoned his family when I was two years of age. I probably should have hated him and be done with it; but that’s not how children respond to their abandonment. There’s a lot […]
by Mark English P.D.Q. Bach was the youngest and oddest of J.S. Bach’s many children. His best known work is probably the dramatic oratorio, Oedipus Tex, featuring the “O.K. Chorale.” Another of his works is the Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and Balloons. Peter Schickele, Professor of Musicology and Musical Pathology at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, who […]
by Daniel A. Kaufman Orwell’s influential essay, published in 1946, when considered alongside his “The Prevention of Literature” (1946) and the Appendix to 1984, “The Principles of Newspeak” (1949), offers a powerful picture of language and its abuse, especially in the arena of politics. It is one of those essays that seems more prescient with each year that passes, which […]
by Daniel A. Kaufman My discussion with Robert Wright on the moral and cultural dimensions of the election. Originally aired on MeaningofLife.TV, November 14, 2016.
by David Ottlinger I am writing on November 9th. Yesterday, I woke up genuinely happy. Early in the morning, I posted the Doors’ song “The End” on Facebook as a little joke. Come what may, we had reached it. This was the end, and I was happy to be there. My choice was more appropriate than I knew. The song […]
by Daniel A. Kaufman Wetson’s was a Long Island hamburger chain that was established in 1959 to be a McDonald’s clone, in a market that McDonald’s and Burger King had yet to enter. Once they did, in the early 1970’s, it wouldn’t be long before Wetson’s would go out of business, but at its peak, the chain’s 70 restaurants stretched […]
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