Monthly Archives: February 2013

Interview: Why Christians Should Read the Great Books

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Dr. J

A recent post here resulted in an invitation to appear on the Research on Religion podcast. Host Tony Gill was intrigued by my applying lessons from Plato to dining at Applebee’s in the 21st century. We recorded the interview last … Continue reading →

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All the World’s a Stage

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Dr. J

Three Great Books Monday posts in a row . . . what is the world coming to? If you have never read Henry James before, you’re in for a treat this week. Here are the readings for the coming week: … Continue reading →

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How One Modern Economist Is Like St. Thomas Aquinas

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Dr. J

No, it’s not by making dry and boring arguments, before anyone makes a smart-aleck comment. One of the most admirable things about St. Thomas Aquinas’s method of argumentation in the Summa Theologica is his insistence on giving his opponents their best … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Current Events, Economics, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Value, Utility, and Price

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Dr. J

I just checked my archives and found that my last post in the Reading Economics Project was more than six months ago! Let’s fix that, shall we? Week 6 of the Mises Institute’s Home Study Course in Austrian Economics includes … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Rationality Is Talking to a Horse

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Dr. J

I’m not ashamed to admit it: there are some weeks when I’d rather just not read anything at all. There has been at least one sick person in my house every day since last Tuesday, and I’ve had to spend … Continue reading →

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Knowledge of Latin Enables Reporter to Scoop the Whole World

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Dr. J

Those of us who advocate the study of Latin have an uphill battle. Too many people have no appreciation for what study of a “dead language” can do for them. This week one reporter’s knowledge of Latin enabled her to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Liberal Arts | Tagged , | 1 Comment

How the Great Books Can Help Christians Avoid Looking Uncharitable and Stupid

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Dr. J

I know this story is at least a week old and thus completely off everyone’s radar by now, but I’m up in the middle of the night with a sick child and feel like posting, so there. Recently a server … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Back to Great Books Monday!

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Dr. J

We hit 2,500 pages of Science and Mathematics this week in the Great Books Project. Just thinking of it makes me mentally tired. Here are the readings for the coming week: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, Part IV (GBWW Vol. … Continue reading →

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Substance is Essence

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Dr. J

Advocates of scientism, beware! Jonathan Swift is about to rock your world in this week’s Great Books readings. Here are the readings for the coming week: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, Part III (GBWW Vol. 34, pp. 89-131) The Metaphysics … Continue reading →

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Wall Street Journal: “Where Are the Babies?”

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Dr. J

It seems as though the Wall Street Journal has taken notice of the West’s demographic problem, an issue sometimes discussed here. The paper’s Saturday Essay for this week is titled “America’s Baby Bust,” and it draws many sound conclusions about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | 4 Comments