Does economic competition destroy ethical behavior? I ask because I came across in my reading today this insightful short paper by Harvard economic Andrei Shleifer in which he argues that, yes, in some cases, competition destroys ethical behavior, but, in the long run, competition promotes such . . . . Continue Reading »
What a tremendous thing: Doctors have replaced a cancer patient’s diseased trachea with one made in part using his own adult stem cells. From the Wall Street Journal story:Doctors have replaced the cancer-stricken windpipe of a patient with an organ made in a lab, a landmark achievement . . . . Continue Reading »
Maybe the final stage of our rebuilding—or, really, with our young and talented philosophical cultural critics—being built better than ever—is a long, windbag, off-the wall, semi-philosophical post by ME. It’s not true that our individualistic (or Lockean) . . . . Continue Reading »
1. Jason is off to a great start and has found a place in our postmodern—yet conservative—world. 2. I put some SUPER 8 stuff on BIG THINK . . . . . Continue Reading »
1. How to Beat a Roomful of Chess Champions [Language warning: Contains one British expletive] °°°°°° 2. How giving 110% is actually possible °°°°°° 3. Women drivers are more dangerous behind the wheel, scientists discover Women drivers . . . . Continue Reading »
Is Sex Just Like Race? , Public Discourse (Matthew J. Franck) Jackknife Theology and the Worship of Objects , Front Porch Republic (Jason Peters) Hoyas Whip the Irish , The Catholic Thing (Scott Walter) Harry Potter And Christian Theology , HuffPost Religion (Danielle Tumminio) Yes, I’m . . . . Continue Reading »
During the debate over passage of Obamacare, I was appalled at the mendacity and willingness of some supporters to say anything to get the big mess through. In fact, in my 40+ years of paying close attention to politics, I don’t think I have ever seen a more dishonest sales job for major . . . . Continue Reading »
Sociologist Peter Berger has a theory about why religious believers tend to have more kids than their secular peers: I will venture a hypothesis. Religion has always given its adherents a sense of living in a meaningful universe. This protects individuals from what sociologists call anomie—a . . . . Continue Reading »
Frankly, I don’t understand why this was ever an issue. President Obama has changed policies and will now send condolence letters to families of military service members who commit suicide while in a war zone. From the NYT story: As the number of military suicides has surged since . . . . Continue Reading »
The latest in the series, X-Men: First Class covers the same thematic material as its predecessors. The importance of TOLERANCE is stressed, but not in the classical sense of putting up with objectionable practices, nor Jerry Seinfield’s non-judgementalism (“Not that there is . . . . Continue Reading »
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