In my recent studies, I have been dogged by a concern that I have had from the start of my undergraduate years: why is it that those who have presumably learned the most—those with PhDs or other intellectually high positions—seem incapable of writing or speaking in a manner comprehensible to plain persons? Rather than continue … Continue reading A Student’s Frustration and Confusion
Author: Alasdair SlackIntyre
MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
During my recent reading of the prologue to the third edition of Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue, I realized that I had never, either for others' education or my own, written down my own understanding of MacIntyre's process of arbitration between rival traditions of rational inquiry. Since that process is central to MacIntyre's project and I … Continue reading MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
The Vicious Fantasy of Amazon’s “The Boys”
This past summer, I attempted to watch a show now streaming on Amazon's video streaming service, Prime Video, called The Boys. Many of the journalists I follow online dubbed it a "subversive" and "brilliant" take on the superhero genre. Since I am of a melancholic and cynical disposition, such a show seemed suited to me. … Continue reading The Vicious Fantasy of Amazon’s “The Boys”
Just a Video Game
One of my bad habits is gaming. That habit is intimately connected to the holidays, as it is for many men of my generation. Those born anywhere from the late 70's to the present likely grew up in a household with a game console or pc (usually given at Christmas) which could run games. That … Continue reading Just a Video Game
Against the Hourly Wage
This past summer, I worked a job of a type that I had not tried before: I worked on a ranch for long weeks of 50-60 hours for a salary of $900 twice a month, my lunches provided on the job, plus a place to stay for no charge and a supply of beef for … Continue reading Against the Hourly Wage
Evil and the Intellectual
Evil has always accompanied the intellectual. To be the latter is to philosophize, to pry beneath the shell or rind of visible, tangible reality to seek the strata or heart or seed hiding beneath. It is an unfortunate side effect that such dissection can often kill the appreciation of the Intellectual for the object of … Continue reading Evil and the Intellectual
