Dr. Helen has some thoughts. I’m with Mark Twain and Heinlein on this issue, myself. Every action we take is, ultimately, for ourselves, if for no other reason that it makes us feel good.

Michael Gerson somehow imagines that Second Life proves that libertarianism doesn’t work. Ramesh Ponnuru (no libertarian) points out the flaw in his “argument” (such as it is).

An interesting dust up between Leon Kass and Steven Pinker on the nature of the mind, and morality.

I think that, as is often the case in debates like this, that they are talking past each other, which is almost inevitable, given that they start with such profoundly different premises.

[Update early afternoon]

John Derbyshire (from whom I got the link) has further thoughts. I’m a little surprised that he’s surprised that Kass can have a nasty side, though.

[Update an hour or so later]

He also has some cogitations about consciousness.

An interesting dust up between Leon Kass and Steven Pinker on the nature of the mind, and morality.

I think that, as is often the case in debates like this, that they are talking past each other, which is almost inevitable, given that they start with such profoundly different premises.

[Update early afternoon]

John Derbyshire (from whom I got the link) has further thoughts. I’m a little surprised that he’s surprised that Kass can have a nasty side, though.

[Update an hour or so later]

He also has some cogitations about consciousness.

An interesting dust up between Leon Kass and Steven Pinker on the nature of the mind, and morality.

I think that, as is often the case in debates like this, that they are talking past each other, which is almost inevitable, given that they start with such profoundly different premises.

[Update early afternoon]

John Derbyshire (from whom I got the link) has further thoughts. I’m a little surprised that he’s surprised that Kass can have a nasty side, though.

[Update an hour or so later]

He also has some cogitations about consciousness.

But “liberals” always want to try. Imagine the mental and logical gymnastics one must go through in order to believe that it’s all right to abort a “normal” baby, but not one genetically deformed:

Mr. Imparato said he was disturbed to learn recently that in several states with legislative efforts to restrict abortion rights, groups like Planned Parenthood often lobby for an exemption for women who learn their child would have a disability.

But he said that the person who alerted him was a Planned Parenthood lobbyist who was herself troubled by the tactic because it seemed to run counter to the progressive political agenda that supports both choice and tolerance of human difference.

But “liberals” always want to try. Imagine the mental and logical gymnastics one must go through in order to believe that it’s all right to abort a “normal” baby, but not one genetically deformed:

Mr. Imparato said he was disturbed to learn recently that in several states with legislative efforts to restrict abortion rights, groups like Planned Parenthood often lobby for an exemption for women who learn their child would have a disability.

But he said that the person who alerted him was a Planned Parenthood lobbyist who was herself troubled by the tactic because it seemed to run counter to the progressive political agenda that supports both choice and tolerance of human difference.

But “liberals” always want to try. Imagine the mental and logical gymnastics one must go through in order to believe that it’s all right to abort a “normal” baby, but not one genetically deformed:

Mr. Imparato said he was disturbed to learn recently that in several states with legislative efforts to restrict abortion rights, groups like Planned Parenthood often lobby for an exemption for women who learn their child would have a disability.

But he said that the person who alerted him was a Planned Parenthood lobbyist who was herself troubled by the tactic because it seemed to run counter to the progressive political agenda that supports both choice and tolerance of human difference.

Alan Boyle has an interesting interview with Paul Davies, and his latest theories about the universe.

The Centennial Edition of Atlas Shrugged, courtesy of the Ayn Rand Institute (though just the paperback). I can’t imagine I’ll ever find the time to reread it, though.