Tag Archives: philosophy

Government “of the people” (Gary Krenz)

Posted on November 1, 2026 by gdkrenz

In previous posts we have discussed Lincoln’s “government for the people” (here), where the people are the beneficiaries of the government’s actions, and “government by the people” (here and here), where the people are the agents of the government’s actions. … Continue reading →

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Government “by the people”(I) (Gary Krenz)

Posted on September 24, 2026 by gdkrenz

I’d like to continue our meditation on Lincoln’s “formula for democracy” in the Gettysburg Address, “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” The prior posts in this series are here and here. We’re looking at the formula … Continue reading →

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Why democracy? (Gary Krenz)

Posted on September 5, 2026 by gdkrenz

A refrain that we often hear is along the lines of: most people are not motivated by appeals to save our democracy; the concept is too abstract; people are focused on bread-and-butter issues; maybe they can get exercised about the loss … Continue reading →

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A Follow-up on the Bloomsday Thought

Posted on June 20, 2026 by gdkrenz

I’ve been thinking more about Ulysses and Leopold Bloom’s comment about history. “History,” he says, “is no life for man and woman!” “History means violence and hatred — the opposite of love. Let’s see if we can unpack this a bit more. … Continue reading →

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Misunderstanding Postmodernity (Gary Krenz)

Posted on June 8, 2026 by gdkrenz

I hope that readers will allow a little leeway for me to vent about a pet peeve: pundits and sometimes even supposed scholars pointing the finger at “postmodernism” as an explanation of our woes: loss of respect in institutions; loss … Continue reading →

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The Right’s Demonization of Democracy (Gary Krenz)

Posted on May 10, 2026 by gdkrenz

An ongoing canard on the Right and among MAGA types is that the United States is “not a democracy but a republic.” This piece by Barbara Clark Smith of the Smithsonian Institution is a fine, concise historical review of the relationship of … Continue reading →

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Trump’s – not Adam Smith’s – “Invisible Hand” (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 1, 2026 by gdkrenz

Robert Reich in his substack recently reminded us that this year is the 250th anniversary not only of the US but also of Adam Smith’s monumental work, The Wealth of Nations. The one idea that most people know from this … Continue reading →

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Phil Klay’s moral analysis of the boat strikes (Gary Krenz)

Posted on December 6, 2025 by gdkrenz

There was an outstanding op-ed in the NYT yesterday by Phil Klay, “What Trump Is Really Doing With His Boat Strikes.” It is a thoughtful moral analysis of a sort that we too-seldom see in the press. Klay speaks of … Continue reading →

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Dan Little on inclusive multicultural democracy

Posted on September 8, 2025 by gdkrenz

Our friend and fellow blogger Dan Little has a wonderful academic blog, Understanding Society, that deals with issues “in philosophy of social science and the workings of the social world.” Dan is a very clear expositor of philosophical ideas, and … Continue reading →

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