CIAO DATE: 02/2013
Volume: 7, Issue: 4
Winter 2012/2013
The New Abolitionism: Why Education Emancipation is the Moral Imperative of Our Time
C. Bradley Thompson
Tackles the problem that is the so-called public schools, showing that they are fundamentally corrupt and unfixable, and must be abolished.
Interviews with Innovators in Private Education
Interviews with five rising innovators in the field of private education, discussing their organizations, missions, philosophies, and offerings.
Great Islamic Thinkers Versus Islam
Andrew Bernstein
Examines the Golden Age of Islam and considers the ideas of some of its leading thinkers, telling “a story of great achievements—and their rejection; of great heroes—and their defeat; of great minds—and their suppression; ultimately, of great danger—and its cancerous growth.”
Sam Harris's Failure to Formulate a Scientific Morality
Ari Armstrong
Examines Harris's claims to have grounded his brand of utilitarianism in reality, and finds them wanting.
Independent Thinking, Morality, and Liberty
Craig Biddle
Examines the crucial need for advocates of liberty to uphold the same cognitive standard in considering moral matters as they do in considering political matters.
Apple's App Revolution: Capitalism in Action
Karl G. Kowalski
Surveys Apple's staggering creation of great products, new markets, and massive wealth-for itself, its customers, and its competitors.
The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined, by Salman Khan
Daniel Wahl
In 2009, Salman Khan quit his job as a hedge fund analyst in order to devote time to Khan Academy—a grand name, explains Khan, for an entity with meager resources.
Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders, by Jason L. Riley
Kevin Douglas
Jason Riley’s Let Them In is a treasure trove of facts and analysis. The book covers many facets of the immigration debate, including economic protectionism, cultural assimilation, and national security. Riley identifies his two major themes early in the book: “The first is that, contrary to received wisdom, today’s Latino immigrants aren’t ‘different,’ just newer. The second is that an open immigration policy is compatible with free-market conservatism and homeland security” (p. 12).
The Dictator's Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy, by William J. Dobson
Daniel Wahl
At the beginning of The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy, William Dobson states a fact that is all too clear for anyone who studies history or reads the news: Authoritarian governments rarely fret over United Nations sanctions or interference from a foreign rights group that can be easily expelled. Indeed, the mere threat of foreign intervention, whether from the United States, the United Nations, or a body like the International Criminal Court, can be a useful foil for stirring up nationalist passions and encouraging people to rally around the regime. (p. 9)
Craig Biddle
Merry Christmas, readers! Welcome to the Winter 2012 issue of The Objective Standard.
Letters and Replies Regarding "Political 'Left' and 'Right' Properly Defined"
I somehow missed Craig Biddle's essay "Political ‘Left' and ‘Right' Properly Defined" when it was posted on TOS Blog, but I enjoyed reading it in the Fall [2012] issue of the journal.