What explains the appealing transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge? My annual reposting, in text and audio (at end). The many interpretations of Scrooge // Robin Hood analogy // Scrooge as villain of Socialism // as anti-Christian // as Savvy Investor // as Environmentalist // as Malthusian // as anti-Commercialization // Scrooge’s Aristotelian hero’s journey By Stephen […]
Scrooge’s Hero Journey and the Meaning of Life Read More »
According to some, Cambridge University professor James Orr is the intellectual architect of U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance’s political philosophy. Dr. Orr is also Chairman of the National Conservatism movement and author. I debated Professor Orr in London, England, hosted by Konstantin Kisin of Triggernometry. That led to the publication of our formal, written three-round debate
J.D. Vance’s “philosopher-king” Read More »
Objectivism is a set of scientific claims about reality. Scientists study reality—the same reality that is open to everyone—and discover facts about reality that, in principle, every thinking person can verify independently. Sometimes defenders of the Closed position say things like “because Rand owns Objectivism” or “This is a matter of respecting intellectual property rights”
Open Objectivism or Closed? Elements: “Intellectual Property” and “Ownership” Read More »
Objectivist philosophy is a set of propositions identifying facts of reality. To the extent those identifications are new to philosophy, they are discoveries. They are very much not inventions or creations. For example: That human concept-formation involves measurement omission. Ayn Rand did not “invent” that. Another example: That integrity is a virtue. Rand did not
Lecture Eight: What are the lessons of 20th-century philosophy? Has the Enlightenment been a success or a failure? Do we need to build on the Modern world’s successes — or return to a better, Pre-modern intellectual and cultural world — or, rejecting both, accept a disquieting Postmodern future? Themes: History as “philosophy teaching by example.”
PREMODERN, MODERN, and POSTMODERN. Lecture 8 of Postmodern Philosophy course Read More »
His brief review of Explaining Postmodernism, at Amazon: 5.0 out of 5 stars. I wanted to understand this in order to be able to intelligently refute itBy Duane Hershberger on December 12, 2017 I came to this book as a result of an interview Dr. Jordan Peterson conducted with Dr. Hicks. I was already trying
Un-edited transcription of this previously released podcast. Audio links: iTunes. Stitcher. YouTube. Transcription: The Initial Debate It’s a faux pas in some intellectual circles — mostly conservative ones — to say that there was a Dark Ages in European history. But the mainstream view, by contrast, has been that the Middle Ages were a dark
Conservatives: Get Over the Dark Ages [Open College transcript] Read More »
Lecture Four: Have women and minorities made progress — or is that an illusion? Catharine MacKinnon argues that “Protecting pornography means protecting sexual abuse as speech” in order to maintain the subordination of women. Derrick Bell says “Racial equality is, in fact, not a realistic goal” and so blacks need a new strategy. Themes: Feminism’s