power – Gus diZerega

The troubling case of eugenics

Posted on June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 by Gus

In the late 1880s Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton advocated applying scientific insights to human reproduction. He label his proposed science “eugenics.” Galton argued that just as physical traits were obviously inherited, the same could be said for mental qualities. In … Read more

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The Roots of Religious Nihilism

Posted on June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 by Gus

Medieval theologians wondered about the nature of Divinity as much as anyone. Arguing in opposition to St. Thomas Aquinas’s views that God did what was good because God was good, and so acted reasonably, the scholastic Duns Scotus claimed that … Read more

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What is “Left Hayekianism”?

Posted on March 8, 2020March 8, 2020 by Gus

Words like “left” and “right” no longer have any clear meaning. But if there is a central theme, historically, people “on the left” have focused on issues of inequality of power. This has been interpreted in many ways, sometimes contradictorily, … Read more

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Language, Power, Care and Childhood

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Gus

Changes in what words are dropped from the Oxford Junior Dictionary point to troubling shifts in the words that dominate not just adult life, but also that of children I discuss this worrisome trend in The Language of Power and … Read more

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