From Democratiya, Claude Lefort on the concept of totalitarianism (and a response by Robert Fine); The Eichmann Polemics: Michael Ezra on Hannah Arendt and Her Critics; Keeping the Republic: Dick Howard on reading Arendt’s On Revolution after the Fall of the Wall; a review of What is Genocide? by Martin Shaw; Norman Geras on the limits of international law; a review of Emergent Conflict and Peaceful Change by Hugh Miall; and a review of Retribution and Reparation in the Transition to Democracy.
From Entelechy, Simon Baron-Cohen on The Biology of the Imagination; memory works in strange ways, scientists are still unsure how it is stored, and even more baffled by the fact that it seems to change over time; Not Just-So Stories: Reflections on an EP conference through an EP lens; and did you know that your academic productivity can be attributed to your subconscious desire to avoid thinking about your own possibly imminent death? The Clone Wars: A review of The Case Against Perfection by Michael Sandel.
When sources of "normal" news head out, science journalists get more ink, and there are four things readers should look out for. An interview with Benjamin Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer, on myths and monsters. A majority of Republicans have doubts about evolution, and more Americans believe in the creationism theory, according to a new Gallup poll.
From Sign and Sight, philosopher, poet and friend: Jürgen Habermas writes an obiturary for American philosopher Richard Rorty. From Kritika & Kontext, democracy and philosophy: Richard Rorty outlines the anti-foundationalist premise of his philosophy. Richard Rorty combined scepticism about the truth with a passion for social justice, while being ironically upbeat in dark times. Damon Linker on Rorty's blasé liberalism.
Searching for life’s meaning: Despite what sceptics say, philosophy can help us answer the big questions that always tease mankind. When academic Stephanie Trigg discovered she had breast cancer, she started a blog that became a meditative lifeline between her personal and professional lives. Dual careers worry academia: Scholarly couples are lured away. The Perpetuation of Privilege: When enormously wealthy individuals give millions to enormously wealthy universities, it’s time to stop calling it philanthropy. In Praise of Immigrant Students: The educational odysseys of foreign-born college graduates disprove the lies spread by anti-immigrant politicians. Three times perfect: They grew up dressing alike, but at Dartmouth these triplets forged their own successful paths; now they've made history. When College Ends, So Does Activism: Why selling out is a depressingly rational choice for many graduates.
