Category Archives: History

Philosophy, Science, and Politics

First of all, I refined and polished my discussion of the Thomas Nagel book, posted here, and identified my key takeaway. (Sometimes you have to mull things for a few days before your thoughts gel.) Currently revisiting E.O. Wilson’s CONSILIENCE, … Continue reading

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Philosophy, Science, and Politics

The History of the Isolationist GOP, and other topics

David Brooks on the history of GOP isolationism; Why Trump loves Putin; Biden is aging but Trump is dementing; accelerating dementia; “languages coming into our country”; a sample rant; How critical thinking might have been applied to the IVF ruling, … Continue reading

Posted in History, Politics | Comments Off on The History of the Isolationist GOP, and other topics

Looking Up Instead of Down

Two pieces today about how humanity is progressing, in its understanding of the world and in its social progress, rather than regressing, as conservative movements around the world are striving to do. Richard Dawkins on science as a jewel in … Continue reading

Posted in History, Philosophy, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Looking Up Instead of Down

A Big Picture vs. Daily Trivia

An overview of 75 years of American history, by Robert Reich; Fringe items about Republican racism, who’s the traitor, the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory, assertions without evidence, the nanny state, moral certitude, and Fox News. I think many of us … Continue reading

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, History, Politics | Comments Off on A Big Picture vs. Daily Trivia

Will Durant, THE GREATEST MINDS AND IDEAS OF ALL TIME

I’ve read three short books about philosophy recently; this is the second. Each is quite different from the others. If the first book (review here) was an overview focusing on the big questions that philosophy asks – What should we … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, History, Philosophy | Comments Off on Will Durant, THE GREATEST MINDS AND IDEAS OF ALL TIME

Humans Live By Telling Stories That Privilege Themselves

About Holocaust deniers; About measles deniers; About denial of sociology; About the appeal of extinction panic. Salon, Gary M. Kramer, 25 Jan 2024: “There will always be Holocaust deniers”: How “Zone of Interest” reveals unsettling truths about us, subtitled “The … Continue reading

Posted in History, Narrative | Leave a comment

Just ’cause you feel it / Doesn’t mean it’s there

Comments about that article that distinguished between “liberals” and “progressives”; Yet another piece about how “voters feel one way about the economy but act differently”; An historical overview about how the US economy is no longer the greatest in history; … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, History, Music, Politics | Leave a comment

More About Fake History

Let’s follow up on yesterday’s post here, with a couple more items on the same general topic. Mike Lofgren at Salon about the history of right-wing fake history; Texas Tribune about David Barton; And closing comments about theme parks and … Continue reading

Posted in Conservative Resistance, History | Leave a comment

How “Meaning” is just another example of the Narrative Bias

Three pieces from Big Think. How history is told by story-tellers, and cannot be taken literally; How philosophy advances science by asking forbidden questions; How questions about the “meaning of life” reveal the narrative bias. —— Three sciency links, all … Continue reading

Posted in History, Meaning, Narrative, Philosophy, Science | Leave a comment

Heather Cox Richardson, Book Bans, and Libraries

Profile of Heather Cox Richardson, and a review of her new book; Several items on book bans in the US; And an item about all the threats to US libraries, not just book bans. – – – Profile of Heather … Continue reading

Posted in Conservative Resistance, History | Leave a comment