The Declaration of Independence states that our inalienable rights include “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Life and liberty are easy to understand, but that last phrase is less intuitive. How can people have a right to strive for happiness?
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Uniting to Fight Poverty: A TED Talk
How do we solve problems like poverty with so much political polarization?
Welcome to the Pursuit
To pursue our happiness, to achieve our liberty, and indeed to find fulfillment in our lives, we must start with a moral consensus, a fundamental truth around which we all revolve. Think of an atom. The outer field of electrons is full of chaotic activity. Electrons are rapidly orbiting and moving in a constant buzz. What contains that chaos and gives it structure? The fact that the whole chaotic cloud orbits one central nucleus.
Why Western Civilization Classes Are Not Passé
Can you answer the following questions? Who fought in the Peloponnesian War? Who taught Plato, and whom did Plato teach? Who was Saul of Tarsus? Why does the Magna Carta matter? What are one or two of the arguments made in Federalist 10? Hard questions, right? Maybe...
read moreOur Dangerous Reality: There Are All Sorts of Threats America Must Prepare For
With the terrorist attacks in Paris, France and San Bernardino, California, Americans are increasingly concerned about the safety of their communities. Daily media reports about the spread of the Islamic State group, its infiltration of the refugees streaming out of...
read moreThe decreasingly United States?
There’s this old joke about two comedians who find themselves in a rowboat. One falls overboard. Not able to swim, he starts waving his arms and frantically screaming, “Hey! I’m dyin’ over here!” His friend calls back to him with some advice:...
read moreBook Review: The Conservative Heart
By Robert M. Whaples, Wake Forest University Although Arthur Brooks’ book is titled The Conservative Heart, it might just as aptly have been titled The Libertarian Heart, and perhaps even The Liberal/Progressive Heart. Its goal is to share a compassionate world view,...
read moreWhy Ministers for Happiness, Tolerance, Youth and the Future?
Over the past two weeks, I have heard and read many questions, comments, and news stories regarding recent changes to the government of the United Arab Emirates. Why, everyone seems to want to know, did we establish a Ministry of Happiness, Tolerance, and the Future,...
read moreThings Science Says Will Make You Much Happier
It’s no secret that we’re obsessed with happiness. After all, the “pursuit of happiness” is even enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. But happiness is fleeting. How can we find it and keep it alive? Psychologists at the University of...
read moreAccounting for the Rise in College Tuition
If tuition and fees — net of aid — had risen only as fast as skyrocketing health care costs had from 1987 through 2010, they would have increased to $8,700 from $6,600. Instead, they hit $10,300, according to the new working paper “Accounting for the Rise in...
read moreScalia on Principled Conservatism: Combining Creativity and Curiosity
America lost a patriot and unswerving advocate for constitutional government. There is no need for me to recap the basics of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s amazing career. Instead, I’d like to focus on a few specific facets of his character. First and...
read moreNarcissism is Increasing. So You’re Not So Special
My teenage son recently informed me that there is an Internet quiz to test oneself for narcissism. His friend had just taken it. “How did it turn out?” I asked. “He says he did great!” my son responded. “He got the maximum score!” When I was a child, no one outside...
read moreWhat Is the Fate of Traditional Religion in America?
What is the future of traditional religion in this country? This question is discussed constantly across America, from dinner tables to graduate seminars to think-tank conference centers. You may remember a 2015 Pew reportthat was advertised as bad news for...
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