Existential Choice in the Time of Trump: Conscience and Human Judgment

One might think that a reasonable knowledge of the history of human barbarity would leave little room for further disillusionment. A similar knowledge of human experience also tells us that such a statement as that holds no place either at the dinner tables of young families, the town halls of electoral politics, or the congregational […]

Objectivity and Neutrality

From Thomas L. Haskell, “Objectivity Is Not Neutrality: Rhetoric Vs. Practice In Peter Novick’s That Noble Dream“ I regard Nietzsche‘s attack on asceticism as a cultural calamity, all the more regrettable because of his high seriousness and the brilliance of the assault. Had he directed his wrath merely against Victorian passionlessness there would be no room […]

The Rhetorical Element: Not only where you’re coming from, but where you’re going.

From Thomas L. Haskell, “Objectivity Is Not Neutrality: Rhetoric vs. Practice in Peter Novick’s That Noble Dream” That two people sharing the same position should say different things about it need not be surprising. One obvious reason is the difficulty of forecasting audience response. We all occasionally polemicize on behalf of our own version of the […]