On the priority of character: “Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the State” (Apology, 30b). On the dangers of democracy: “No man on earth who conscientiously opposes you or any other organized democracy, and flatly prevents a great many wrongs and illegalities
In class: Socrates in Plato’s *Apology* Read More »
My Liberalism: Pro and Con has been translated into Spanish by Fermin Elizalde. We will be serially publishing here each part prior to the publication of the book as a whole. Find the English version here: Amazon. From the blurb for the English edition: In this primer, we take up the best arguments for and
Liberalism: Pro & Con* en Español coming soon Read More »
Related: My contrasting episodes on Karl Marx and Ayn Rand. In the *Philosophers, Explained* series. Marx on abolishing private property: Rand on individual rights:
Is socialism closer to monarchy than capitalism is? Read More »
From seven years ago. Households vary in size, so take that into account when interpreting. Also: Median income for Jamaican-American households was about $58K. For Nigerian-American households, it was about $65K. Here’s another data-aggregating page.
US income by ethnicity and race: bar-chart data Read More »
Background: Here’s a good summary of the Magness/Makovi paper on the influence of politics on Marx’s reputation. Aside from the cheap-shot responses by many of those outraged by the paper, there’s an intriguing philosophical inversion at work among the Outraged. Marx himself argued that the world develops with “iron necessity” in a strict causal priority:
The Outraged versus Magness and Makovi: Un-Marxist Marxists Read More »
A friend sent this t-shirt today. A man is listening to a television advertisement: How much would you pay for the secrets of the Universe? Do not answer yet, you also get this stainless steel pot!! Now how much would you pay? Such a tough pair of questions. I love it.
T-shirt: How much would you pay for the secrets of the universe? Read More »
In my Introduction to Philosophy course we read Sigmund Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents. In Chapter 5, Freud makes the following strong claim about human nature: “Men are not gentle creatures who want to be loved, and who at the most can defend themselves if they are attacked; they are, on the contrary, creatures among
Freud and original sin Read More »
John Stuart Mill: “To do as one would be done by, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.” Stephen Hicks: “Unless one is a masochist.” (Image by Roland Topor, 1960.) Related: John Stuart Mill’s great work on liberty of thought and expression:
On masochists and the Golden Rule Read More »