online archive

From Ovi, there are two dangerous extremes in modern Western philosophy: that of mythos without logos leading to a false transcendence and ushering in the Nietzschean charismatic Man; and that of logos without mythos leading to pure rationalism and ushering in technocratic Man. In between those dangerous extremes there is Vico’s poetic philosophy, humanistic, holistic and able to harmonize the two extremes (and part 2). A review of Kant and the Historical Turn: Philosophy as Critical Interpretation by Karl Ameriks. A review of A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society by Margaret Gilbert.

A review of Utopian Dreams: A Search for a Better Life by Tobias Jones. A review of The Meaning of Life by Terry Eagleton. An interview with Stephen Tonsor, author of Equality, Decadence, and Modernity and Tradition and Reform in Education. A review of A Young People's History of the United States, Volume One: Columbus to the Spanish-American War and Volume Two: Class Struggle to the War on Terror by Howard Zinn.

Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar Alfred D. Chandler Jr., whom many credited with founding the discipline of business history, is dead. Here are reflections on Chandler's legacy and personal memories. From FT, John Kay on why Rorty's search for what works has lessons for business. Edward Rothstein on Richard Rorty and postmodern thoughts, illuminated by the practices of a premodern tribe. Todd Gitlin on patriot Richard Rorty, a philosopher who hated philosophy, and a lefty who loved his country. A review of Patriotism and Other Mistakes by George Kateb. The perks and pitfalls of pride: Research lends insight into nature and function of this complex emotion.

From The Situationist, an article on some of the directions and bending questions facing laugh researchers. This is your brain on Ecstasy: MDMA really is like love in a pill. The secret ingredient behind doting dads: A natural shot of female estrogen appears to jump-start nurturing spirits in new fathers (a series of articles). A study has confirmed what parents have long suspected: dating, sexual activity and substance use seem to make teens feel older than they really are. Both genders dream about the subject in equal measure once the lights are out, but male and female sex fantasies, even in the land of nod, tend to conform to gender stereotypes.

Toothless is Beautiful: A new generation of psychologists is exploring the way people change what they think and believe in order to achieve peace of mind. Happy birthday, "cognitive dissonance". Some economists have argued that there is no such thing as “pure altruism,” but a new study has spotted it in the brains of students. Economics is often defined as the study of the allocation of scarce resources among competing ends. But adaptation is more important than allocation.