Combined TPM Blogging Feed

Charter Schools IV: Profit

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 01:13:49

While being a charter school is distinct from being a for-profit school, one argument in favor of charter schools is because they, unlike public schools, can operate as for-profit businesses. While some might be tempted to assume a for-profit charter …

Charter Schools III: Ideology & Choice

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 13:00:19

Embed from Getty Images In my prior essay on charter schools, I considered the quality argument. The idea is that charter schools provide a higher quality alternative to public schools and should receive public money so that poorer families can …

Charter Schools II: Choice & Quality

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 13:00:52

Embed from Getty Images In the previous essay on charter schools I considered the monopoly argument in their favor. On this view, charter schools break the state’s harmful monopoly on education and this is a good thing. It is worth …

Charter Schools I: Preliminaries & Monopolies

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 13:00:22

Embed from Getty Images In November of 2016, president elect Trump selected Betsy DeVos as his Secretary of Education. While this appointment seems to have changed her mind about Common Core, DeVos has remained committed to expanding charter schools. Charter …

The Return of Sophism

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 13:00:32

Embed from Getty Images Scottie Nell Hughes, a Trump surrogate, presented her view of truth on The Diane Rehm Show. As she sees it: Well, I think it’s also an idea of an opinion. And that’s—on one hand, I hear …

Post Truth

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 13:00:05

Embed from Getty Images It has been declared, rather dramatically, that this is a post-truth era. In making a case for this, people point to Trump lifting himself into the presidency on an unrelenting spew of untruths as well as …

A Philosopher’s Blog 2016 free on Amazon (12/31/2016-1/4/2017)

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 13:41:42

This book contains essays from the 2016 postings of A Philosopher’s Blog. Subjects range from the metaphysics of guardian angels to the complicated ethics of guns. There are numerous journeys into the realm of political philosophy and some forays into …

Consent of the Governed

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 13:00:39

Plato, through the character of Socrates, advances a now classic argument against democracy. When it comes to a matter that requires knowledge and skill, such as a medical issue, it would be foolish to decide by having the ignorant vote …

Out of Body

Wed, 28 Dec 2016 13:00:23

When I was young, I had my first out of body experience (OBE for short). While I did not know about them at the time, I later learned that my experience matched the usual description: I felt as if the …

The War on Christmas

Mon, 26 Dec 2016 13:00:35

Embed from Getty Images One long standing Christmas tradition at Fox news is perpetuating the mythological war on Christmas. While it is not a self-evident truth that Christmas is safe in the United States, the idea that there is such …