Why Melania Trump’s Plagiarism Matters

Two paragraphs from Melania Trump’s speech last night before the Republican National Convention were almost word for word the same as two paragraphs from Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech. This is a fact. Such verbatim quoting without attribution is called plagiarism. Plagiarism is widely recognized as a kind of cheating, indeed ...
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Why Melania Trump’s Plagiarism Matters

A Report from Turkey

The following comes to us on Friday, July 15 from a colleague in Turkey who wishes to remain anonymous.

For the past three hours my friends and I have been listening to a continuous ezan or Islamic call to prayer from the local mosques. The imam, however, is not just summoning ...

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A Report from Turkey

Remembering Jerome Bruner

Jerome Bruner, the George Herbert Meade Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research from 1981 until 1991, died June 5th at the age of 100. Jerry spent his century engaged in life fully. Not only was he one of the most influential figures in psychology, ...

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Remembering Jerome Bruner

Democracy Then and Now

Elzbieta Matynia's reflections on one of the great projects of The New School for Social Research, marking the twentieth five years of the Democracy and Diversity Institute in Poland. We worked together on this even before the Institute was established, working with independent intellectuals, academics and activists in the Democracy ...
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Democracy Then and Now

Gianni Vattimo Interview

Gianni Vattimo is considered to be among the most important living European philosophers, alongside Charles Taylor, and Jürgen Habermas.  Known for his interpretation of Nietzsche's and Heidegger's philosophies, he also developed a postmodern theory he calls "weak thought," meant to question the hard objectivity of claims in religion, politics, and ...

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Gianni Vattimo Interview

On Diamond Reynolds after Dallas

Dallas has happened. But I want us to think carefully about Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile. Castile was recently killed in Minnesota by a police officer during what should have otherwise been a routine stop. Reynolds live streamed the event on Facebook. I have repeatedly watched that video of ...
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On Diamond Reynolds after Dallas

The Recovery And Its Discontents

The current situation in the United States presents a seeming paradox. On the one hand, the US economy is about to enter its eighth consecutive year of recovery, and in the first months of 2016, the unemployment rate fell below 5%, its lowest level since the beginning of the economic ...

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The Recovery And Its Discontents

Pat Summitt, Hellerstedt, and the Democratic Sit-In

Past Present Episode 41

On this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the legacy of basketball coach Pat Summitt, the place of Women's Whole Health v. Hellerstedt in America's abortion debate, and the House Democrats' sit-in over gun control. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The winningest college basketball ...
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Pat Summitt, Hellerstedt, and the Democratic Sit-In