Personal Growth — May 19, 2010

Wax Wings

Moral dogmatism is the true enemy of free thought, says Jonah Goldberg, not ideology; attention to the facts must supersede commitment to a scripted morality.

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Moral dogmatism is the true enemy of free thought, says Jonah Goldberg, not ideology; attention to the facts must supersede commitment to a scripted morality. “We are taught to believe that ideology is the enemy of free thought. But that’s not right. Ideology is a mere checklist of principles and priorities. The real enemy of clear thinking is the script.”

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A blurred black-and-white image of an American flag, with the stars and stripes visibly distorted, subtly reflecting political polarization.

The Present

Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity

“We’re acting more like fans of a football team going to a game than a banker carefully choosing investments.”

Einstein with his class of students in 1896

Starts With A Bang

The scientist’s 10 commandments

There are many things that separate science from ideology, politics, philosophy, or religion. Follow these 10 commandments to get it right.

Starts With A Bang

The good reasons scientists are so hostile to new ideas

Many people out there, including scientists, claim to have discovered a series of game-changing revolutions. Here’s why we don’t buy it.

Thinking

Speech is violence? Not if we want a liberal, intellectual society

The most unpleasant aspect of intellectual liberalism is that when speech causes emotional or mental pain, the offended parties are morally entitled to nothing.

Starts With A Bang

Why Are Scientists So Cruel To New Ideas?

Demanding appropriate levels of skepticism and scrutiny isn’t cruelty, but rather demonstrates scientific integrity and intellectual honesty. Every few months, a novel headline will fly across the world, claiming to […]

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