“The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.” - Daniel Patrick Moynihan I was speaking today [caveat: I wrote this last year] with my French father-in-law about the recent … Continue reading Changing Culture
I recently engaged in the following conversation about the nature of stories and truth. Others' comments in quotes, mine unquoted. All have been edited for readability and style. "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story" I strongly dislike this idea. Reality is enchanting and amazing. Things happen in history and … Continue reading Stories and Truth – a Rivalry?
What are Deepfakes? Fake videos that are too good for most people to tell apart from the real thing. These have long been used for entertainment, but it is clear the dangers that these can pose to the political and informational system. Unfortunately, we have to start treating videos with as much skepticism as we … Continue reading The Challenge of Deepfakes and the Need for Institutions
Ask yourself this question: which survived longer, China, or Rome? The conventional answer is China, of course. By why is that the conventional answer? Is that not just a story we tell ourselves? Why do we say that China is 2000 years old, but that the Roman Empire fell 1500 years ago? China was conquered … Continue reading On the Relative Longevity of Chinese and Roman Civilization
Nevada is probably about to pass the National Popular Vote Compact, meaning that it will give its electoral votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote for president. This reform is a necessary one for the benefit of democracy. A snide retort that I saw to this news is "Tyranny of the Majority...". This … Continue reading Electoral College Reform
In the 2018 compendium "Encountering China", renowned philosopher Michael Sandel makes the following observation about learning from Chinese philosophy: Engaging with responses to my work by scholars of Chinese philosophy is for me a learning opportunity on several levels. It requires me to consider challenges to my views from unfamiliar directions, it brings to light … Continue reading Michael Sandel on East-West Philosophical Encounters
I. There is a concept in biology known as Heterozygote Advantage. If you're already familiar with this concept, feel free to skip to section II. As one may know, sexually reproducing organisms inherit two copies of each gene: one from the mother, one from the father. Sometimes having two identical copies doesn't mean much. Sometimes … Continue reading The Heterozygote Advantage and the Crisis of Western Authority
The Bible begins in the Garden of Eden, and from the story of the Fall issues the most influential sociophilosphical work in human history. Plato famously invented the continent of Atlantis to demonstrate his ideas. Thomas Moore had his Utopia. Philosophers throughout the ages have invented States of Nature, various Paradises, their fictional worlds in … Continue reading Vespertine Dreams
"The people in the world that considers culture the fourth branch of government weren’t confused. Bush forgot to nation-build an entire branch of government." - https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/12/19/refactoring-culture-as-branch-of-government/
A majority of EU citizens support restrictions on GMOs, despite assurances of the scientific community of the safety of these products. The European Commission under the leadership of Jean-Claude Juncker has been attempting to respond to these public desires; however, Juncker’s policy proposals contravene the European Court of Justice and the World Trade Organization and … Continue reading My Thesis: Technocracy, Democracy, and Legitimacy in EU GMO Regulation
Whither the West? 