Why the Competition of Ideas Matters
By Arthur C. Brooks | It is a uniquely American belief that competition is the fuel for human flourishing. European commentators in early America were amazed at the popular love for what Alexis de Tocqueville called, “self-interest rightly understood.” This competitive ideal, Tocqueville noted…
The Truth About Political Correctness
By Stratford Caldecott | Political correctness identifies a syndrome we all recognize, but is hard to define. It can be best described as a set of attitudes rather than an ideology, since viewed philosophically it is completely incoherent. It can perhaps be traced back to the French Revolution, in the aftermath of which various slogans became fashionable—mostly involving “Liberty” and “Equality”, sometimes joined with “Fraternity” or “Reason” to make up a memorable threesome. In each case the “value” in question is distorted by extraction from traditional philosophical frameworks in which such ideas had been discussed for many centuries—or perhaps more tellingly, from a concern…
Is “Free College” Really Free?
By Elise Grafe | ‘Free’ college in Oregon comes with 20-year price tag. College payment plan asks nothing of students up-front, collects dues later. As the cost of education balloons and student loan interest rates rise, lawmakers and students are considering creative school financing options.
Political Correctness Is Cultural Marxism
By W.A. Beatty | The excellent AT article “Conservatives Pushing Back” by Bruce Walker explored what we conservative thinkers (We are, after all, American Thinkers) have known for quite some time: political correctness (PC) is to culture what Marxism is to economics. To recognize that fact arms us with what we need in order to push back. As Walker says (emphasis added), “[t]hese marketplace ballots are the key not only to the survival of a non-totalitarian America, but also to the final defeat of…
Politically Incorrect?
By Lee Habeeb | The kind of TV show millions of Americans have been praying for…The show has been funny from day one, but it took time to find an audience. When it debuted in 2010, it drew only 1.81 million viewers. When it began its second season in October 2011, it drew 3.94 million. The third season averaged 8.4 million viewers, more than double the number in season two. Not only is the show old-fashioned, but it
Be Employable; Study Philosophy
By Shannon Rupp | The discipline teaches you how to think clearly, a gift that can be applied to just about any line of work. It must be summer. In anticipation of fall course schedules, several people have asked what I think someone who wants to be a journalist should study. A few years ago I realized my favorite answer — not journalism…
Listening to Young Atheists
By Larry Alex Taunton | The Atlantic | “Church became all about ceremony, handholding, and kumbaya,” Phil said with a look of disgust. “I missed my old youth pastor. He actually knew the Bible.” I have known a lot of atheists. The late Christopher Hitchens was a friend with whom I debated, road tripped, and even had a lengthy private Bible study. I have moderated Richard Dawkins and…
Hooking Up in Shakespeare’s World
By Gina Dalfonzo | The Atlantic | Drunken One-Night Stands Don’t Fit in Shakespeare’s World, Yet Joss Whedon put one in his new adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Here’s why it doesn’t work. In Joss Whedon’s otherwise delightful new update of Much Ado about Nothing, there’s one moment that jars. It’s unfortunate that it should be the opening moment of the film….
Mitch Daniels’s Gift to Academic Freedom
By Benno Schmidt | His skepticism about the merits of a sacrosanct liberal history textbook has sparked an overdue debate. Most Americans would agree that academic freedom is a sacred right of the academy and crucial to the American experiment in democracy. But what is it really? That’s the question raised by…