Strange anti-anti-‘postmodernism’ is cropping up everywhere today. (Okay three places that I’ve seen. That’s postmodernist for ‘everywhere.’) The scare-quotes on postmodernism are because the postmodernism in question seems in every case to be some kind of weird ragbag or catch-all term that is so elastic it means pretty much nothing, or anything, or just ‘whatever I feel like making it mean for the purposes of this particular sentence or this particular non-argument.’ But the fact that the word is being used as a ragbag doesn’t mean it doesn’t function as a sower of suspicion of dastardly enemies of (unspecified and very very blurry) postmodernism. (The word is also being used, confusingly, to mean ‘various forms of skepticism and critical scrutiny … Read the rest
How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think
Jun 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBy combining synthesis with clear writing.… Read the rest
Stephen Law on What Reason Can Do
Jun 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonQuite a lot, actually.… Read the rest
Head of MCB Influential via Self-fulfilling Prophecy
Jun 11th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Every five minutes he takes calls: from the media, Downing Street, the police, mosques.’… Read the rest
How Green Was My Yurt
Jun 10th, 2006 9:30 pm | By Ophelia BensonExcuse me a moment.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
gasp
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa.
Oh, christ. That’s a good one. Dylan Evans – remember him? – has ever such a good idea. He’s going oop north with his cat to live in the mud, no I mean he’s going oop north with his cat to set up Utopia. And a very nice Utopia it does sound.
… Read the restHe has banned TV and mobile phones, but sanctioned the internet (because he believes that the web could re-knit itself after a disaster). Medicines are fine (“this is play-acting, not religious cult”), and if the community collectively decides to import other conveniences, that’s OK too…Evans will be converting a barn (on farmland belonging to a friend) for communal living, erecting
Dylan Evans is off to Cold Comfort Farm
Jun 10th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘He is convinced that a return to “primitivism” is the route to human happiness.’… Read the rest
China Shuts Down ‘Da Vinci Code’
Jun 10th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Removing it is the right decision for the sake of social stability,’ said VP of Patriotic Catholic Association.… Read the rest
Ted Cantle on ‘Cohesion’
Jun 10th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWhich is different from identity or community.… Read the rest
Faisal Bodi on the Siren Call of ‘Community’
Jun 10th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘An iron law of history is that birds of a feather will flock together.’ Ick.… Read the rest
Freeman Dyson on Breaking the Spell
Jun 9th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonReligion gives us ‘hints of a mental or spiritual universe that transcends the material universe.’… Read the rest
Robert McHenry on Wikipedia
Jun 9th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOne fact must be accepted as the basis for any intellectual work: truth is not democratically determined. … Read the rest
Why Are Reporters Reluctant to Call a Lie a Lie?
Jun 9th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAttention to the issue of what’s true and what’s false in Bush’s statements is seen as ideological.… Read the rest
Jeb Bush Makes Historical Revisionism Illegal
Jun 9th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThus making history as a form of inquiry illegal. Interesting move.… Read the rest
Words Matter
Jun 9th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNASCAR, Wal-Mart, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, Red State, Values, Family, Faith…… Read the rest
Staring at the Rod in Wonder
Jun 8th, 2006 9:12 pm | By Ophelia BensonI’ve been known to disagree with Giles Fraser (when he tries to tell us Christianity is naturally opposed to slavery, for instance), but he’s right this time.
“We are told that in England it is a crime to spank children,” writes Debbi Pearl from No Greater Joy Ministries, following a row that has erupted over the distribution of their literature in the UK. “Therefore Christians are not able to openly obey God in regard to biblical chastisement. They are in danger of having the state steal their children.”
See, that’s why people like me get so hostile to religion. One reason anyway – but probably the biggest one. Because it is (of its nature, and cannot help being) so … Read the rest
Casus irae
Jun 8th, 2006 9:11 pm | By Ophelia BensonThis seems like a bizarre reason for being angry:
Washington was angered by Mr Malloch Brown’s references to middle America, and the influence upon it of conservative commentators such as Mr Limbaugh. Mr Bolton said the speech demonstrated a “condescending, patronising tone about the American people. Fundamentally and very sadly, this was a criticism of the American people, not the American government, by an international civil servant. It’s just illegitimate.”
Did it? Was it?
… Read the rest“Much of the public discourse that reaches the US heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News,” Mr Malloch Brown said in a speech in New York on Tuesday. Depending on the UN while tolerating “too much
Why Did Yale Decide not to Hire Juan Cole?
Jun 8th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWas it political?… Read the rest
Guide to Irritating Christian Bumper Stickers
Jun 8th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Try Jesus! If you don’t like him, Satan will always take you back.’… Read the rest
Why Are Evangelicals so Fond of Punishment?
Jun 8th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘After a short explanation about bad attitudes and the need to love, patiently and calmly apply the rod to his backside.’… Read the rest
UK Law on Forced Marriage Put on Hold
Jun 8th, 2006 | Filed by Ophelia BensonEvery year hundreds of women and girls are married against their will.… Read the rest