“The Better Angels of Our Nature” the book

The Cause of Declining Violence—Enlightenment? Or Incarceration?

Today, you are 2.5 times more likely to be the victim of violence than in 1960. Are we really more enlightened, Dr. Pinker?

“If You Can Keep It,” by Eric Metaxas, Part 1

I am happy to announce that the New Walden Book Club (NWBC) is under way. Here is the first installment of our discussion of the new book by Eric Metaxas, If You Can Keep It. The video discusses the introduction to the book. There, Metaxas lays the groundwork for what I anticipate will be his argument, namely, […]

Best Version, part 2: The Problem with Steven “Pollyanna” Pinker and the Emersonians

In my previous post, I discussed the idea of being “the best version of yourself.” My main point was that we all believe in this idea in some form; that’s why the ritual of making New Year’s resolutions is so popular. And if we take the idea seriously that there is a best version of […]