Best known for his attacks on Father Nature, Sam Harris is now warning us about Mother Nature: Might we be better off just leaving things to the wisdom of Nature? I once believed this. But we know that Nature has no concern for individuals or for species. Those that survive…
Yesterday, I saw the following quote on a t-shirt in a little souvineer shop in Hannibal, Missouri: A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read. This quote uses a formula that could work for many other verbs, too. Instead of "read," you can substitute "think,"…
As all the New Year's hoopla tries to direct folks to see a shiny New Year ripe with possibilities, the cynic in me can't help but note that each year produces more of the same. I am generally predisposed to see coming opportunities to be missed, crises to bemoan, difficulties…
Bhutto is dead. One tries to be understanding, patient, tries to embrace the tolerance so thoroughly rejected by those who condemn out of hand, with no chance for counterargument, the possibility of dialogue. Comes a point where one has to simply acknowledge that some people, in some places, just don't…
I've been long-intrigued by Hannah Arendt's concept of the banality of evil. Philip Zimbardo turns that concept on its head in an article from Edge, "The banality of evil is matched by the banality of heroism." (you'll need to scroll down to the z's). Zimbardo's article appears as one of…