This has been an especially interesting political week, chock-full of moments worthy of comment. I will concentrate on one, Joe Biden’s announcement on Wednesday that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for president. Several commentators offered reasons to mourn his departure; but judging from his speech itself, I can’t help feeling that his withdrawal was a distinctly good thing both for the Democrats and for the country. Continue reading
You have probably heard about Berkeley’s current sex scandal: Geoffrey Marcy, prominent astronomer, has been forced to resign his tenured position after acknowledging repeated acts of sexual harassment against female students, staff, and colleagues. The harassments consisted of “groping, touching, and massaging” his victims under their clothing. Such behavior violates the University’s code of conduct, and the University claims to have a “zero tolerance” policy toward it. Continue reading
People worry about language. The people who worry the most seem to be our public intellectuals, smart people who have better things to worry about. They worry mostly that language, or some aspect of it, is going to hell, and that the completion of this process (very soon) will mean the end of our species as we know it. Continue reading
New York Times Op-Ed columnist David Brooks has another nifty idea. This time it’s about how to save the University. America’s Moralist is concerned that universities have lost their way as a cultural force, and he may well be right. But his solution would only make matters worse. Continue reading
