Despite the advance of secularism in Western societies since the renaissance, the appeal of religion has retained its status among many who are otherwise immersed in the glories of reason’s advance over faith, i.e., political freedom, material prosperity, scientific and technological advancement. The most disturbing trend, of course, is the apparent rise in the prevalence of religious radicalism—in particular, Islamic radicalism. Read the rest of this entry »
Islamic Conversion: From Worship of Feelings to Worship of Allah
July 7th, 2006 by drewbranMark Steyn vs. Chris Hitchens
June 7th, 2006 by drewbranTwo of my favorite columnists and political pundits are Mark Steyn and Christopher Hitchens. Their witty humour, incisive commmentary, and irreverant style is unmatched in journalistic circles–especially compared to the tepid commentary that normally passes as the editorial analysis of the day. Read the rest of this entry »
The Case For Private Health Care
May 8th, 2006 by drewbranPresident of the Canadian Labour Congress, Ken Georgetti, recently had an article in the Financial Post criticizing a movement towards a greater role of the private sector in health care. Since neither an editorial nor letter to the editor has been published to refute the article, I shall take on the task myself. Read the rest of this entry »
Benevolence as a Corollary of Individualism
April 26th, 2006 by drewbranThe fundamental philosophic alternative in the realms of ethics and politics is individualism or collectivism. Western society, to varying degrees depending on specific culture and country, is rooted in the tradition of individualism. Emanating from the philosophic traditions of ancient Greece through the rise of Christian Aristotelianism in medieval Europe, culminating in the Enlightenment era and carrying on to this day: individualism is the hallmark of Western society. Read the rest of this entry »
The Dead End of Public Education
April 25th, 2006 by drewbranRecently, I was reminded of Dr. Peikoff’s essay “The American School: Why Johnny Can’t Think.” (This essay can be found in The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist thought). Read the rest of this entry »
Politicians Cause Economic Failure, Not Vice Versa
April 19th, 2006 by drewbranBob Rae, former Ontario premiere and leader of the socialist-leaning provincial NDP party, is currently pursuing leadership of the Federal Liberal party. For many people, this seems like an inane move on Rae’s part and on part of the Liberal party. Read the rest of this entry »
Individual Rights in Canada
April 11th, 2006 by drewbranDisclaimer: This post was started during the Canadian Federal election time which passed a couple months ago. I chose not to alter the opening paragraph which makes reference to the election in the present tense.
As citizens of a free and prosperous country here in Canada, we are reminded of our democratic rights at election time. Read the rest of this entry »
Faith in Reason?
December 4th, 2005 by drewbranIn the November 28 issue of the National Post, an article about Ayn Rand by Algis Valiunas was published. Read the rest of this entry »
Tim Hortons and the Benevolence of Capitalism
November 18th, 2005 by drewbranFor anyone living in Southern Ontario, there are few landmarks more ubiquitous than our famous Tim Hortons donut shops. Read the rest of this entry »
Empathy: A Philosophical Investigation
November 18th, 2005 by drewbranOf the many concepts associated with professional practice in the realm of health care, few are more uniquely attributed to nursing than “empathy”. Read the rest of this entry »