Monthly Archives: June 2005

There is a line of argument inspired by John Stuart Mill according to which consenting adults should be free to do as they please, provided that no one is being harmed.  After all, so the argument goes, what a person … Continue reading →

There are few things more elusive in the world than equality.  It is of course true from a biological standpoint that human beings are the same across phenotypical differences.  That is, the very idea of race is a myth, as … Continue reading →

The author of the Song of Songs wrote that “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave”.  In my youth I remember thinking that this was such a silly claim; for how can a mere sentiment be as bad as death … Continue reading →

On the basis of various lectures I have given over the years, I have had students reveal to me (often in person, but sometimes via an email message) that they have been sexually abused, that they have had an abortion, … Continue reading →

According to the latest statistics from the Center for Disease Control regarding AIDS, this disease is spreading at a rate that is nearly 3 times faster among blacks (58 per 100,000) than among Hispanics (20 per 100,000)—a rate that is … Continue reading →

I shall argue that there is a page from the history of the black experience from which women—feminists, in particular—could learn a very important lesson. When it comes to sex, women and men will never be completely equal.  Of course, in terms … Continue reading →

I shall argue that there is a page from the history of the black experience from which women—feminists, in particular—could learn a very important lesson. When it comes to sex, women and men will never be completely equal.  Of course, in terms … Continue reading →

To err is human; To forgive is divine There is a perfectly straightforward sense in which this saying is indisputably true.  Human beings make all sorts of mistakes.  We miscalculate; misread, and misunderstand.  We are often mistaken about having the … Continue reading →