Tag Archives: Jonathan Swift

Internet, Meet Cultural Illiteracy

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Dr. J

I think I can identify with Jonathan Swift to some extent now. More than two years ago, my blog post titled “The Cult of Childlessness in America” defended people who choose to have more than two children and criticized the … Continue reading →

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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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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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The Honor of Lilliputians

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Dr. J

Amazingly, we’re coming to the end of Month 25 of readings in this Great Books Project. Last week we read our 3,000th page of Philosophy and Theology. This week we’ll come within a whisker of passing the 3,500-page mark in … Continue reading →

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French-Speaking Philistines and Good Demons

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Dr. J

We are knocking down major works left, right, and center in this Great Books reading project. Last week we dispensed with John Dewey, and this week we’ll take on “the Scottish play.” Here are the readings for the upcoming week: … Continue reading →

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Is Rationality a Feeling?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday once again, and we are on pace to pass the 4,000-page mark this week. We’re also about to make John Locke’s acquaintance, as well as Voltaire’s. Here are the readings for the upcoming week: The Iliad … Continue reading →

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Of Philosopher-Kings and Megalomaniacs

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday once again, and our train keeps on rolling. It’s quite healthy to read something from several different time periods on a regular basis; the practice helps to keep you from unconsciously adopting the biases of a … Continue reading →

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When Henry Jekyll Says He’s of Two Minds About Something, Look Out

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Dr. J

3,000+ pages of the Great Books down; only 35,000 or so more to go! I’m wondering whether to insert some of Adler’s recommended novels and poetry not in the Great Books series as bonus reading. If you have any thoughts, … Continue reading →

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Give the New “Gulliver’s Travels” a Pass

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Dr. J

That’s what this Guardian reviewer says, anyway. We saw an extended trailer for this film when we went to the new Narnia movie a couple of weeks ago, and it looks completely ridiculous. The reviewer puts it this way: “Nothing … Continue reading →

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