About Rationally Speaking


Rationally Speaking is a blog maintained by Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, a philosopher at the City University of New York. The blog reflects the Enlightenment figure Marquis de Condorcet's idea of what a public intellectual (yes, we know, that's such a bad word) ought to be: someone who devotes himself to "the tracking down of prejudices in the hiding places where priests, the schools, the government, and all long-established institutions had gathered and protected them." You're welcome. Please notice that the contents of this blog can be reprinted under the standard Creative Commons license.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Michael's Picks

* I recently caused some heated discussion over on Ophelia Benson's blog regarding the ability of science to handle the question of the existence of God.


* If you're having a reproductive crisis, don't go to a Catholic hospital, says Angela Bonavoglia.


* Not news, but a nice reminder considering the rhetoric we often hear: none of the Ten Commandments are in the U.S. Constitution.


* Good reading on the issue of whether doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers should have the right to refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious beliefs.


* Why does Obama consult with experts? So he knows "whose ass to kick."


* Christopher Hitchens takes Prince Charles to town for attacking science and reason in a recent speech.


* "Is the meaning of the Constitution clear? And is the task of divining that meaning easy?" Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter discussed those two questions at his recent commencement address at Harvard. Slate's Dahlia Lithwick provides analysis.


* Tim James, a candidate for governor in Alabama, wants to stop offering the state driver's license test in 12 languages, and only offer it in English. In his words: "This is Alabama. We speak English. If you want to live here, learn it."


* And finally, a touching tribute to Jay Gallagher, an award-winning journalist and author who died in late May of pancreatic cancer (obit here). Gallagher was a fantastic bureau chief at Gannett News Service's New York Capitol Bureau in Albany for 20 years. I interned under him my senior year of undergrad, in 2005.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, what a weird comment you made over there. No wonder everyone jumped all over it and treated you with amusement.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Christopher Hitchens takes Prince Charles to town for attacking science and reason in a recent speech.

    Surely you meant that Hitchens takes Prince Charlse to task, or perhaps that he goes to town attacking Prince Charles, but not that he takes Charles to town.

    ReplyDelete

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