Month: May 2010

How to Frame the National Debt for Public Deliberation

Some alarming facts: As of 5/12/10, the national debt held by the public is $8.4 trillion; intragovermental debt is $4.5 trillion, making the total outstanding national debt $12.9 trillion. Public debt is now 53% of GDP. By 2020, even though the GDP will have nearly doubled, the public debt will be 90% of GDP. If… Continue reading How to Frame the National Debt for Public Deliberation

NYT’s New Blog on Philosophy and the Philosopher’s Leisure of Time

Great news for philosophy and public life: the New York Times has a new online blog on philosophy, moderated by Simon Critchley of the New School for Social Research. The first edition just appeared, and in it Critchley looks to Plato’s Theaetetus to ask, “What is a philosopher?”  The interesting answer is that a philosopher… Continue reading NYT’s New Blog on Philosophy and the Philosopher’s Leisure of Time