Facts, Arguments and Politics
In political debates, getting the facts right doesn't guarantee a valid argument.
View ArticleHaidt's Problem With Plato
In "The Righteous Mind," Jonathan Haidt argues that psychologists have overturned philosophers' view of reason. But there are ways for the two groups to work together.
View ArticleHow Not to Choose a President
It is easy to think of any competitive situation as a sporting event. But presidential debates are perhaps the best example of the sports analogy gone wrong.
View ArticleLearning History at the Movies
Films like "Lincoln" can contribute to our understanding of past events, but on their own, they are no substitute for the work of historians.
View ArticlePraising Andy Warhol
Perhaps anything, no matter how it looks, can be a work of art. But that does not mean that everything is.
View ArticleThe N.R.A.'s Blockade on Science
There is no scientific consensus on the best approach to limiting gun violence, and the N.R.A. is blocking work that might lead to one.
View ArticleThe Joy of Zadie Smith and Thomas Aquinas
Bringing together the writing of two very different thinkers to illuminate a fundamental question.
View ArticleDepression and the Limits of Psychiatry
The recent revisions to the DSM's definition of depression are based on a questionable conception of what is "normal." Why is that dangerous?
View ArticleA Great Debate
Is there a way to make genuine debates, in which politicians must do more than just repeat talking points, part of our political culture?
View ArticleMary and the Zombies: Can Science Explain Consciousness?
Is a purely physical, scientific account of subjective experience possible?
View ArticleMary and the Zombies: Consciousness Revisited
The author responds to readers' theories on whether consciousness can be explained by science.
View ArticleOn Being Catholic
Can reflective and honest intellectuals actually believe in the church's teachings?
View ArticleHappiness, Beyond the Data
Our first-person experience and reflection can catch crucial truths about happiness that escape the quantitative net.
View ArticleWhat Do Scientific Studies Show?
Stories claiming to report useful scientific breakthroughs appear in the news media every day. But what use are they if they are so frequently reversed?
View ArticleWhy Do I Teach?
We should judge teaching not by the amount of knowledge it passes on, but by the enduring excitement it generates.
View ArticleYou Say You Want a Revolution
Is the Obama administration really the sort of oppressive government that needs to be overthrown?
View ArticleDid Zeus Exist?
We are in no position to say that he did. But are we really in a position to say that he didn't?
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