Orvieto, Italy
A medieval clifftop town about an hour north of Rome. Well worth visiting. (Click on image to enlarge.)
Philosophy
Farm country, Illinois
Taken on the road, a picture worth 2,300 words in these days of inflation. Click for full size. (Note to self: you’re not in Europe anymore.)
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A thought about real wealth
Today I walked past a well-groomed old man driving an awesome Jaguar convertible. Jaguars are my favorite sports car, and I felt a twinge of envy. Later at a fast food restaurant, an energetic teenager before me in line was counting out his coins, unsure if he had enough to pay for a cold drink.
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The best art form — architecture version
In the Renaissance, there was a lively debate among artists and critics over which art form was the best. Cases were made for and against painting, sculpture, poetry, and music. To my mind, the debate is philosophically silly, but it is a fun and instructive exercise to compare the strengths and limitations of each art
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Shawn Klein on Harry Potter
My Rockford College philosophy colleague has a new article out in Reason Papers, “Harry Potter and Humanity: Choices, Love, and Death” [pdf]. Here is the entire Volume 34 Reason Papers issue. Professor Klein is also co-editor of the anthology Harry Potter and Philosophy, part of Open Court’s popular culture and philosophy series.
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My TAS talk on “Public Policy, Objectivism, and Entrepreneurship”
I’ll be speaking at The Atlas Society’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s conference theme is “Either-Or: Atlas Shrugged and the Future of Individualism.” The abstract for my talk: Objectivism’s ethical philosophy is highly entrepreneurial, emphasizing initiative, self-responsibility, and self-creation. Consequently, Objectivism’s political philosophy is entrepreneurship-friendly, emphasizing the protection of individual rights necessary for
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Geniuses and their followers, Montessori version
Every original thinker attracts those who are eager to learn and build upon the new discoveries — and “true believers” who want to follow mechanically and turn the new system into a museum piece. Maria Montessori’s outstanding educational philosophy is designed for independence, creativity, and freedom. Many Montessorians are applying and developing her system in
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Leibnizians in Harvard, Illinois
I spotted this in a storefront window yesterday. Gottfried Leibniz’s argument is still packing a punch, three centuries later.
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