Using the Absurd: How Erasmus Challenges His Students
Desiderius Erasmus leveraged absurd humor in his *Colloquies* to make Latin instruction more engaging and cognitively demanding. By embedding jokes that range from simple wordplay to complex non‑sequitur dialogues, he turned grammar drills into memorable narratives. The work evolved from basic conversational snippets for novices to sophisticated satirical pieces for advanced pupils, illustrating a tiered pedagogical design. Modern educators can trace today’s language‑learning games back to Erasmus’s blend of entertainment and rigorous linguistic analysis.
Gratitude, Belonging, and Philosophy
An essay recounts the author’s journey from a military‑oriented upbringing in Northern Virginia to graduate studies in philosophy, highlighting how unexpected exposure to a student‑led philosophy club sparked a lifelong passion. The narrative weaves personal challenges—including the COVID‑19 pandemic, a...
The Risks of AI Recording Devices and Note-Taking Assistants in the Classroom
U.S. universities are witnessing a surge in AI‑driven note‑taking apps and smart‑glass recorders, tools that capture audio, video, and biometric data without clear consent. Platforms such as Otter.ai operate with opaque data‑retention policies, while devices like Meta’s smart glasses embed...
Let Kids Be Kids? The Ethics of Maximizing Children’s Talents
The article examines the growing trend of pushing children into intensive talent‑maximization programs, especially in sports, where training often exceeds 16 hours per week and begins as early as age two. It contrasts this with the intrinsic value of childhood—unstructured...
Recently Published Book Spotlight: Aesthetics and Video Games
Christopher Bartel’s new book *Aesthetics and Video Games* (Bloomsbury, 2025) offers a fresh philosophical framework for understanding why games are aesthetically valuable. It introduces the concept of “dollhouse play,” where players treat digital worlds as toys, emphasizing customization and imaginative...
The Paradox of China’s Crypto Regulation and Capital Going Global (Part 1)
China’s November 2025 meeting officially classified stablecoins as virtual currency, ending any prospect of them serving as legal tender. The decision marks the culmination of a twelve‑year crackdown and creates a stark regulatory divergence from the United States, where stablecoins...
Iris Murdoch’s Psychology of Haunting: Fantasy, Ethical Attention, and the Spectral Past
Iris Murdoch’s novels embed a psychology of haunting that transcends gothic décor, using spectral elements to reveal unresolved trauma, ego‑centric fantasies, and moral obligations. Drawing on Derrida’s hauntology, she shows how past relationships persist as ethical pressures in the present....
Why Do I Advocate for the General Use of the Term “So-Called Artificial Intelligence”?
The author argues for consistently using the phrase “so‑called artificial intelligence” to remind readers that current AI systems are statistical simulators, not conscious agents. While large language models can generate plausible text, they lack beliefs, intent, and genuine understanding, merely...
Recently Published Book Spotlight: Anticolonialism, Ontology, and Semiotics: A Cinematic Exploration
Professor Patrick D. Anderson’s new book, *Anticolonialism, Ontology, and Semiotics: A Cinematic Exploration* (2026), builds an anticolonial framework for political philosophy by analyzing Hollywood movies through the lens of Africana thought. Drawing on Fanon, Cleaver, and Wynter, the work re‑introduces...