Preface As readers of the dialogues, we are supposed to see the answers for ourselves to questions such as “What is piety?” Answers are indeed presented in the dialogues. I am able to comment on the Euthyphro at all for publication because we translated the dialogue, with Dr. Sweet back at the University of Dallas. Irving Wasserman introduced us to the study and love of Plato, in his 1981 course called the Introduction to philosophy, back at Grand Valley, here in Mich

[In progress: notes] The departments in the universities cultivate certain kinds of characters and studies to the exclusion of others. This became apparent when, studying at Grand Valley, we became acquainted with a study of Wittgenstein that had become a part of academic philosophy. Wittgenstein has to do with the narrowing of philosophy to the purpose of developing a clear and precise language for science, which is assumed to be the true pursuit of knowledge. Here philos

Texts, Luke 8: 22-; Matthew 8: 23-34 Benjamin Rush is said to be the first to turn American psychiatry from the understanding of madness as caused by the possession by demons and the attempt at a scientific account in terms of natural causes. [note 1]. It had barely been a century and a half since the trial of witches in Salem. Our joke on this, as a reader of the New Testament, is that Jesus had, though a better cure rate than Rush, or anyone else in modern psychiatry. But t

An essay, The Eight Reasons for the Fourth Amendment, is available for free. Go back up to the menu, let the sub headings appear, then click on one of these. An 18 page essay, Jefferson and the Meaning of the Declaration: That Continental Congress intended to Include all Men is free here exclusively on WordPress: Thomas Jefferson and the Meaning of the Declaration: That the Continental Congress Intended to Include All Men. Mark A. McDonald, Oakland Community College, Dece

I am trying to distinguish the pre-Mosaic Egyptian teaching from the post-Mosaic, as in the Papyrus of Hunifer and the Papyrus of Ani. Akhenaton and this montheism seems to have occurred before Moses, but after Joseph went into Egypt with the teaching of Abraham of the name "God Most High," given by Melchizadek. The Pyramid texts, with the earliest copy of the Book of Life, contain spells and negative commandments, but lack anything like the transcendent theology attributed t

On Easter morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb before sunrise, and saw that the stone had been rolled away. She must also have seen that the tomb was empty, since she went to John and Peter and told them that they had taken the Lord out of the tomb, and “we do not know where they have laid him.” So John and Peter ran to the tomb, and though John outran Peter, he paused, and Peter went in first, and saw what may be the shroud of Turin, and the napkin that was on his head.

I'v been occasionally translating John, and listening to the classes of Chuck Missler, and have some things to add. I should take up the work of a commentary on this, easily one of the ten best of all books. Here I have the beginning and the end: The word gignomai is mistranslated as "made," it is "have come to be," and this is more general than the making of the creation. " Gignomai " includes beings that are not made but begotten. Made would be poiesis . This mistranslati

In progress- Anyone want to do a class reading Macbeth? I will try to work up a Macbeth essay as good as that of Lowenthal, as though I were in the class of de Alvarez again, trying to demonstrate the virtue of the approach. I have just a couple notes to Macbeth in my Lear book, and have very much rushed past this, his shortest play and one of the 4 or 5 great tragedies. Tyranny is first an order of soul. This leads to the difficulty of the first attempt to define tyranny as

Here is a genuine ghost story for the Halloween season. Our Michigan local history of the Dixboro Ghost is told quite well by Carol Willits Freeman in her book Of Dixboro, Lest We Forget , and by Russel Bidlock, in a 1962 paper, “The Dixboro Ghost,” presented to the Washtenaw County Historical Society. This Michigan pioneer ghost story, too, is especially astonishing in a number of ways that invite our musing and commentary in the harvest season. A complete drama is posted un

Act IV, Scene ii i Miss Clark’s school, Ann Arbor Miss Clark: One purpose then of Halloween is of course to test and overcome our fears, often irrational, as ladies and even men have of the darkness, some long after the fancies of childhood are to be left behind. This occurs from lack of practice and reflection- Do not fear to enter late, but quietly- [Enter Jane and sister] Our ox has eaten flowers from my hair, and from this become ill, we fear, so we, have with lots of fre

Act V Scene i SD: [The home of John Geddes] John Geddes, Fanny Geddes, Jackson and Isaac. arriving: William, Joseph, John Whitney, Joseph and Jane. Neighbors, come in! Kids, little Johnny has been excited, waiting for someone to play on the sled- he has tired me out! Fanny will have hot coco for you when you tire of the cold. The sled is in the shed by the door. Come in and be seated, Fanny has coffee and cakes as well. Already the chill of winter is about to break, and parl

Act IV [ IV, Scene i ] SD: [Jackson and Isaac setting off from Hawkins with Betsy and Hawkins’ wagon, East on Plymouth-Ann Arbor road] Isaac : She seems to proceed about her work happily. Jackson : Even the beast enjoys to do its proper work. We cannot break this cart as well, we will have no wheels between us for her to pull. So I have asked her if I should inform the public. She gave but a cryptic answer, looking off into the future, saying that their time would come. I hav

Act III Scene i Rachael : The sun rises through the eastern window, and soon the boys will be awake, larking about.- You must be gone, my love! Isaac: One kiss and I’ll descend, l or rather ascend, into my workday. Set my tables away, as I was up late again considering the appearances. Advertisement Rachael : Hurry along, as you know Hawkins awaits, even at Clements store. Isaac : And Betsy, fed and harnessed as today we go for boards and shingles to the Geddes mill. [As Is

Act II Scene I [Hawkins’ House. Jackson and Isaac are building. Enter Abigail] Stop now, and come for lunch: fresh bread with eggs- and pears and thimbleberries for desert. Jackson : It is well that house building gets lighter the higher the work proceeds. Soon we will have walls and a chimney. A handsome fireplace is in progress Isaac : Of size to fit a Franklin stove. We have this oak for the mantle, when the finishing comes. Jackson : If there is iron enough, we may even

[Editing copy] A Historical Drama, By Mark A. McDonald Cover photo: The window of the house of Martha, looking in from outside, empty. Persons of the Drama Martha Mulholland, the Ghost Isaac Van Woert Rachael Van Woert Isaac Jr and Thomas, sons of the Van Woerts Joseph Crawford William Mulholland James Mullholland The Peddler John Geddes Advertisement William Percy, Esquire Dr. Samuel Denton Dr. Pitcher Charles Woodruff Jackson Hawkins Abigail Hawkins James Clements Jane Whit

In the Twentieth Century, a new kind of tyranny emerged which does not necessarily fit into the Aristotelian understanding of a city ruled by one who aims at his own self-interest. The two prominent forms of tyranny that began in the last, and may continue into the next century are fascism and communism. Fascism is an extreme “right” wing phenomenon, while communism is the “left” wing extreme. Surprisingly, these extreme opposites, in their most developed forms, have a number

In progress: Having done a bit of the history of Salem and Plymouth, I have begun to look into the things of Northville, in a way between these two towns where I have spent time inquiring. Before there even was a Salem, a village called Summit was there at Currie road and 8 mile, settled as we learn from Hoffman by Robert Purdy. A road older than the present Eight Mile went from Summit to Northville just south of the base line, and must have been an old trail. An old Salem Me

There is a teaching of Jesus that is on the same topic as that considered in the writing of Carl Jung on the shadow. Regardless of what one thinks about the Jesus question, this is the best teaching in all of psychology regarding the first or lowest level of the soul, and this ought be accessible to those on the internet. If it is not accessible, one is inclined to say, nothing of psychology can be discussed in any way in so public a forum without doing more harm than good.