2017-18: Believe women about rape! Me Too! — Unless it’s Jewish or Christian women in Israel or Nigeria.2019-2020: Be anti-racist! BLM! — Unless it’s racism against Asians and whiteys.2020-2021: My Body My Choice. — But take the jab or we will destroy you.2022: No hate speech! — Unless you’re upset about US foreign policy then […]
Totally okay exceptions Read More »
Reprising “The Wolf and the Lamb“: A wolf came upon a lamb that had strayed from the flock, and he felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some excuse. So he cast about for a grievance and said at last, “Last year, you grossly insulted me.” “That is impossible,
Aesop on politicians and rationalizing tyranny Read More »
I’ll be doing an “Ask Me Anything about Philosophy” at X’s Spaces, today at 5:30 Central. Bring your best hard questions.
“Ask Me Anything about Philosophy” today at X Read More »
Compact rhetoric in the image, yet let me quibble: Any worked-out version of socialism involves at least 10 intentions about political goals and methods. Maybe one of those can be described as good. Yet one good intention out of ten does not a good person make, especially if it requires ignoring the other nine bad
Do socialists have good intentions? Read More »
The great Callas, according to biographer Richard Levine: Maria’s impressive willpower and focus enabled her to develop into the artist we think of when we think of Callas, but at the time her fellow students were hardly charmed by her chilly single-mindedness. One of them later said that ‘her earnestness was oppressive.’ Maria knew, however,
Creative geniuses as selfish — Maria Callas version Read More »
Also: As of 2019, twenty Canadians had won Nobel Prizes.
Nobel Prizes by Country, 1939, 1979, 2019 Read More »
In 2023, Ayn Rand Center Europe invited me and Craig Biddle to Serbia to debate whether Objectivism is an open or closed philosophy. I argued for open and Mr. Biddle argued for closed. A recording of the debate follows. Also following the video frame (or in this PDF) is a transcription of my remarks for
Open Objectivism or Closed? Video and transcript of Belgrade debate Read More »
This series letters written while in exile — on the sometimes-shocking English way of doing religion, politics, science, morals, and philosophy — were hugely influential upon a French audience still in the grip of l’ancien regime. Related: The full Philosophers, Explained series, including classics from Kant, Nietzsche, Rand, Camus, Aristotle, Plato, and other important thinkers.
Voltaire’s essential *Letters on England* brought the Enlightenment to France Read More »