Monthly Archives: February 2006

One does not have to be a brilliant observer of human behavior, on the order of, say, the great sociologist Erving goffman in order to see that there are many fundamental respects in which Western culture has changed for the … Continue reading →

If racism is the unwarranted belief in the inferiority of another, whether the inferiority be moral or intellectual, then there is nothing whatsoever that conceptually precludes blacks or Muslim Arabs from being racist.  Indeed, the belief that all whites are … Continue reading →

How we name things is hardly trivial.  I could be merely expressing my informed opinion about something.  Or, I could be launching a full-fledged verbal attack.  Now, what exactly am I doing when I express my disagreement with your views?  … Continue reading →

A very common expression in the English language is that one cannot have it both ways.  It is a way of saying that there are limits imposed by the framework of our endeavors.  The classical example of this has to … Continue reading →

In the early 90s, hope was in abundance.  The Berlin Wall fell and Nelson Mandela was freed.  And while these things are now just a part of our social backdrop, they are events that stunned the world, giving rise to … Continue reading →