Last week, one of my male friends told me that one of my female friends was “too intense for a boyfriend.” He clarified, “it’s not that she’s not pretty, I think many people find her attractive … I just don’t think there are boys that she’s attracted to.” As a woman at Harvard, I was … Read more
“Why Tolerance is Not Enough: Myths about Pluralism” seemed a promising enough discussion, and in theory the topic and speakers were perfect choices. The Veritas Forum event on March 4 was described as an exploration of “the myths and challenges behind our new religious reality,” and with Dr. Diana Eck, a Harvard Professor of Comparative … Read more
In Irving Kristol’s posthumous new book, The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009, the godfather of neoconservatism writes that philosopher Leo Strauss “turned one’s intellectual universe upside down.” In this interview, Harvard University’s Harvey Mansfield, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government, talks about Strauss’ philosophy, as well as its impact on both Kristol and … Read more
Today the Crimson editors recommend that more concentrations allow non-traditional theses. They say, “a creative or experience-based thesis could, for many, serve as an even more beneficial experience” than the traditional research-based, analytical thesis. But the editors don’t say what non-traditional theses would look like in particular fields, though they assume such theses could be … Read more
David Gregory hosted White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley this morning on Meet the Press, and the two spoke at length about Daley’s efforts to avoid a government shutdown. Those efforts involve substantial negotiation with Speaker John Boehner (Surprisingly, Paul Ryan’s name didn’t come up in the clip). Gregory asked Daley a great question … Read more
Paul Schied played Socrates last week in his post and asked a number of important questions that we all need to be asking. And much as Socrates, he asked those questions without committing himself to any of their answers. I got the sense that he was torn in two directions by what seem to be opposite ethical … Read more
As a devout Radiohead fan, I waited with bated breath for the long-anticipated, much-hyped, and partially leaked sequel to In Rainbows, the band’s 2007 installment that some critics lauded as the best album of the year. Of course, I mistakenly assumed that The King of Limbs in fact was a sequel to In Rainbows; I sensed … Read more
Mark Thornton is an Austrian economist and senior fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a libertarian academic organization dedicated to scholarship of the Austrian School as inspired by Ludwig von Mises. In the past, he has taught in the Economics Department of Auburn University and served as an economic adviser to former Alabama Governor … Read more
Much has been written about Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony in the past 48 hours: The King’s Speech’s big win, Melissa Leo’s f-bomb, and of course, James Franco’s inability to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face. I’d love to add my voice to the discussion, except there’s one tiny issue: I didn’t watch the telecast. … Read more
The New York Times recently published a story documenting the increasing anti-immigrant sentiment brewing in Sweden. Symptomatic of this trend was Sweden’s far-right party winning seats in Parliament last fall – an unprecedented outcome in a country hitherto renowned for its tolerance. The fiscal strain immigrants generally place on welfare systems is well known; however, what … Read more