When Jokes Become Crimes, Democracy Is in Peril

Free Speech Anyone? Let’s be clear. The Charlie Kirk assassination was horrific and no way to be condoned. And our government’s ridiculous and toxic response is clearly not helpful or to be condoned! An administration that pardoned violent January 6 rioters now claims that a late-night comedy monologue is a danger to the republic. PoliticalContinueContinue reading “When Jokes Become Crimes, Democracy Is in Peril”

Projection

Projection is a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously (or in politics, maybe consciously) attributes their own unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulses to someone else. For example, a person who feels hostile toward others might accuse others of being hostile toward them. This allows the individual to avoid acknowledging or dealing with those uncomfortable emotionsContinueContinue reading “Projection”

Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Third Earl of Shaftesbury

A pivotal figure in early 18th-century moral philosophy, aesthetics, and political thought. Though less well-known today than contemporaries like Locke or Hobbes, Shaftesbury’s ideas had a profound impact on British Enlightenment thought, particularly in shaping moral sentimentalism and the emerging discourse on aesthetic judgment and virtue ethics. Key Works His major work is Characteristics ofContinueContinue reading “Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Third Earl of Shaftesbury”