Relating as persons: psychology, society, politics
I don’t usually write about politics but America is at a unique political moment, one of supreme balance between opposing, well, either personalities or civilizations, you pick. On the one hand, we have a politician who speaks words only as a performative utterance, a speech act designed not for its veracity but its effect. This […]
Aristotle’s four explanatory factors (aka four causes) provide a template for a full explanation of anything. However in attempting to explain the natural world (and many other things) it is impossible for us to know all the final causes involved. We may have an idea about some purpose or function of some aspect of things,
The four explanatory factors (aka four causes) Aristotle described can be used to explain marriage in a time in which people have forgotten what marriage is. The ancient book of Genesis provides the explanation, so it’s not a recent attempt to promote an agenda. Societies through the ages have implicitly followed the explanation, which may
We interrupt this series of blog posts to address education in a democracy, especially in America where the public education system is deplorable — beyond reform and beyond revival — so it’s ready for replacement. Another reason for replacement is the right of the people to control their own education, rather than the state and
This week marks the 43rd anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing abortion on demand. The annual march supporting the right to life will take place in Washington, DC. No doubt some political gestures will be made by supporting politicians. I certainly support the right to life but I
Although specific sciences have their methodological differences, there is a general scientific method that applies to them all. While some aspects of it are well-known, others are not. Here’s a summary: Specify a chunk of reality to focus on. It must be remembered that each science cuts off an aspect of reality. Gather data about the chunk
In Mt 13:33 reports of Jesus: He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Christianity is the leaven of the world. Put it into the world and gradually the whole world is leavened. This is the
We in the United States like to consider our nation “free” and even the leader of the “free world”. Compared with totalitarian and authoritarian regimes of the past and present, yes, we are free. But that should not be the standard of comparison. The standard should be full political liberty, and there we are still
I am offended by judges who unilaterally decide that unborn children do not have a right to life. I am offended by politicians who defend abortion as “health care”. I am offended by politicians who ignore problems and by their inaction let them become worse. I am offended by politicians who take advantage of crises to promote
God created marriage, but civil marriage was invented by man. With the French Revolution, religious marriage ceremonies were made secondary to civil marriage. This spread to other countries in the 19th century. Today, outside of the Middle East, civil marriage is the only legal marriage; religiously recognized marriage has no legal status. With the rise of same-sex marriage,
