When I have taught medieval philosophy in the past, I’ve had to describe the debate between the realists and the nominalists. It’s central to understanding the European Middle Ages. Basically, the dispute is over universals,… Continue reading…
My university is getting a new president, after 26 years of the previous one being in that position. The new president was our provost (there was a national search, but it’s pretty clear that he… Continue reading…
From Nov. 9, 2017
http://induecourse.ca/affirmative-action-for-conservative-academics/
Problems with Haidt, and against affirmative action for conservatives in higher education. The categories of “left” and “right” are often not all that helpful, and especially in university settings…. Continue reading…
From Oct. 10, 2017
This article gives a decent description of how Thaler’s work pushed back against economic orthodoxy of the time. What’s interesting to me is that it also uncovers a fault… Continue reading…
From Oct. 6, 2017
The terrorist that perpetrated the killings last weekend in Las Vegas seems to me to represent a kind of turning point in the American experience of mass murder. To this point,… Continue reading…
From April 19, 2017
https://today.ucf.edu/key-discovery-pose-right-questions/
Good teachers like to tell themselves and others that there are no dumb questions. Whether they actually believe that is another question, but even if it is true, it… Continue reading…
From March 1, 2017
http://today.ucf.edu/troubled-times-public-discourse-still-place-dialogue/
Carl von Clausewitz, the great theorist of war, said: “War is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, carried on… Continue reading…
From Jan. 14, 2017
What’s wrong with hypocrisy? We usually think that it’s a violation of integrity, or that it’s a form of lying. These researchers argue that it’s about virtue signalling. We’re offended… Continue reading…
From Dec. 28, 2016
http://today.ucf.edu/like-think-main-job-help-people-ask-better-questions/
I find myself at the end of 2016 thinking about how differently we all make sense out of our shared experiences this year. “Common wisdom” seems to have it… Continue reading…
From Nov. 21, 2016
This Socrates fellow might have been on to something. Some of the charges at his trial included that “Socrates is a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth; and who does… Continue reading…
From Nov. 17, 2016
http://today.ucf.edu/find-way-make-dialogue-work/
There is a breaking point for many people around the neighborhood and around the country, as has been seen this month.
These are lines in the sand, points past… Continue reading…
From Nov. 12, 2016
Recently, I posted a FaceBook post (https://www.facebook.com/bbjanz/posts/10105762058979462?notif_t=like¬if_id=1478877406715622) which argued that those who elected Trump into office were saddled with his entire platform, including the racist, sexist, and xenophobic aspects of… Continue reading…
From Aug. 24, 2016
http://today.ucf.edu/must-learn-tell-narratives-make-us-better-not-diminish-us/
Every four years we turn to our TVs and online sites to cheer on competitors vying for supremacy in an arena where the rules are often unclear and scandal… Continue reading…