Mark Misulia

Most advocates of a MacIntyrian or Aristotelian virtue-ethics might not immediately agree. But consider: Most of our behavior, according to the virtue-ethicist, is in fact predetermined by previous determinations of the will, which usually result in observable patterns of repeated action, . . . . Continue Reading »

The Chicago Tribune mourns the loss of what has made discourse, political or otherwise, possible for so long: Facts. The rhetoric of politicians, from Bill Clinton to Mitt Romney, seems to have been the primary cause of death. Allan West’s declaration that as many as eighty-one of his fellow . . . . Continue Reading »

Carson Holloway, writing for Public Discourse, urges libertarians and conservatives to work together against what he diagnoses as their common enemy, egalitarian liberalism. Where laws are legislated in favor of progressive interests, but framed in the language of repairing oppressive injustice, . . . . Continue Reading »

The late philosopher Antony Flew once offered a parable of what he saw as the trouble with most theological assertions: Two explorers came upon a clearing in the woods, in which they found flowers and weeds. “Some gardener must tend this plot,” said one explorer. But the other replied, “No, there is no gardener.” So they pitched camp and set a watch… . Continue Reading »

Ed Kilgore, writing for the New Republic , believes that Robert Jeffress’ recent endorsement of Romney ought to serve as a warning to Democrats who expect that “evangelical distaste for Mormonism will cost Mitt Romney a significant number of votes.” He is probably right. In any case, . . . . Continue Reading »

R. J. Snell, writing for Public Discourse , tries to answer the question of whether natural law is persuasive to anyone not already convinced:  First, natural lawyers needn’t convince or persuade anyone, for in an important way natural law cannot be proven—law is the  condition . . . . Continue Reading »

Alexander Pruss, a philosophy professor at Baylor, often posts wonderful things like this on his own blog and the more medieval-minded Prosblogion : The following argument is valid, and is sound if we take the conditional in (2) to be material. 1.    (Premise) In despairing, one . . . . Continue Reading »

Evangelical pastor Steve Cornell writes on the worrying dilemma that many Christian counselors and therapists find themselves in when faced with the increasingly reductionist findings of neuroscience: With this view of human responsibility, it should not be too surprising that evangelicals . . . . Continue Reading »

Not much needs to be said about the California Planned Parenthood that is planning on hosting 40 days of prayer for abortion , but one of their prayers is worth quoting: “Today we pray for a cloud of gentleness to surround every abortion facility. May everyone feel calm and loving.” Read . . . . Continue Reading »

Following up on reasons for and against having children , reasons that arose from the comparably new distinction between sex and procreation, Business Insider has published a variation on this theme entitled “The Perks of Being in a Relationship Without Kids.” Most of the benefits can . . . . Continue Reading »