Category Philosophy
Devil’s Advocate Exercises
How good are you at playing Devil’s Advocate? I believe that the hardest part of being a good Devil’s Advocate is overcoming your own moral beliefs and prejudices. As such, I’ve created a list of positions you are very unlikely to accept, but which have all been accepted at one time or another. In other […]
An Open Letter to the World’s Missionaries
Dear Missionaries, I’d like to say that, generally, I like you guys. I invite you guys into my house because I like to talk to you, I like to talk about theology and I even like talking about the Bible. And honestly, every time you stop me on the street or corner me at a […]
Wine Tasting
I’ve been sitting on this story for almost a year. When I made my first draft, I envisioned it as an examination of fear. In other words, an adventure story wrapped in pretentious sweaters. I kept trying and trying to make this sort of article coherent and I failed. I’m pretty sure I failed because […]
Cruelty and Clemency
Concerning Cruelty And Clemency, And Whether It Is Better To Be Loved Than Feared Niccolo Machiavelli COMING now to the other qualities mentioned above, I say that every prince ought to desire to be considered clement and not cruel. Nevertheless he ought to take care not to misuse this clemency. Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; […]
Sun Tzu and the Concubine Army
The Grand Historian Ssu-ma Ch’ien gives the following biography of Sun Tzu: Sun Tzu was a native of the Ch’i State. His “Art of War” made him famous and earned the attention of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him “I have carefully read your 13 chapters. May I test your theory […]
Part One – Dr. McN, Professor CL and the Niceness Trap
Where does leadership come from? I’d like to start this series by telling you about the best and worst teachers I ever had. This is partly because I feel the story is interesting, partly because I want to recognize and thank the previously mentioned best teacher and partly because this will work better if we […]
Power and Persuation
Query: Of what importance is goodness in the weak? The righteously ineffectual fall like all the rest. in reply “Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.” – Nicollo Machiavelli Query: The most useless of our philosophers are fond of saying ‘great men are almost […]
How I Loved Justice and Hated Humanity and Why it Made Me Miserable
Growing up, I was kind of a golden boy. My teachers thought I was smart and respectful. Strangers complimented me for being honest and polite. Friends thought I would be a big success. I had a family I could – and did – brag about. Society liked me and I liked society back. We had […]
Murrietta the Moral Fights Corporate Greed, Part 1
Murrietta the Moral has a problem. Her boss, Maurine the Mercenary, wants to develop the idyllic Bullseyesian tribe’s land for Capitalism Berry farming. She thinks that by cozying up to corporations, she can increase the province’s tax revenues and help out under-funded schools. Oh, the naivete. The corporate exploitation of indigenous peoples’s resources has always […]
Murrietta the Moral Fights Corporate Greed, Part 2
Part 2 (click here for part one) As Fred Freedom and Murrietta the Moral celebrate, a furious Maurine the Mercenary gets on the phone with Danielle Demonic, CEO of Bastards Inc. “Danielle,” Maurine says. “I am going to develop that damned land. No way in hell I continue to under-fund our provinces’ schools because we’re […]
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