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Author: Joshua R. H. Parsons

Ron Chernow Ulysses S Grant
Essays Society 

A Progressive’s Take on Ron Chernow’s ‘Grant’

July 24, 2019April 30, 2021 15 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons Character, History, Progress

Individuals don’t make history but there are the “best of us” people, like Grant, who withstand the crushing pressures of their times.

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Populism Trumps Policy Veering Politics of Bernie Sanders Erraticus Image by Vidar Nordli Mathisen
(Vidar Nordli-Mathisen)
Essays Society 

Populism Trumps Policy: The Veering Politics of Bernie Sanders

April 19, 2019June 1, 2020 16 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons Politics, Tax Policy

Bernie Sanders traffics in populist rhetoric, making muddled thinking about good intentions more important than sound policy.

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Erraticus Poetry Logo
Poetry 

Sonnet #1: Our Own Élan Vital

April 27, 2018January 26, 2020 0 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons Love

“Her kiss leaves blood for me to fore’er taste; / (Drowning within one’s insecurities.)”

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How the Toothbrush Mirrors Societal Progress: An Oral History
(Wikimedia Commons)
Essays Science & Tech 

How the Toothbrush Mirrors Societal Progress: An Oral History

May 31, 2017June 3, 2020 8 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons History, Progress

Just as simple technologies have been abandoned for more beneficial advancements, so should we jettison institutions, laws, philosophies, and cultures which no longer incubate human flourishing.

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Overcoming Childhood Trauma and Other Heroic Lessons from The Dark Knight
(Warner Brothers/DC)
Essays Psychology 

Overcoming Childhood Trauma and Other Heroic Lessons from ‘The Dark Knight’

May 1, 2017May 9, 2020 15 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons Empathy, Family, Film, Neuroscience, Relationships

A cinematic masterpiece, ‘The Dark Knight’ is filled with insights into empathy and building emotional resiliency after childhood trauma.

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What the Covered Bridge Reveals About Our Struggle Against Nature
(Ruhrfisch)
Essays Science & Tech 

What the Covered Bridge Reveals About Our Struggle Against Nature

December 28, 2016June 3, 2020 5 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons History, Nature, Progress

All important technologies must be granted the option of becoming passé. In fact, the goal behind any technology should be for it to serve well and to die young.

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A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas

An online publication focused on human flourishing, taking a pragmatic approach to ideas. We care about ideas that help us to live well together, focusing on their practical consequences.

 

“Pragmatism, on the other hand, asks its usual question. ‘Grant an idea or belief to be true,’ it says, ‘what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone’s actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth’s cash-value in experiential terms?'” — William James

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