The Humanitas Forum

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?  Responding to this question, one 24-year-old shopper on Long Island said she was thankful that “stores are open on Thanksgiving Day.”  A not-at-all-surprising response, given the commercialization of Thanksgiving—beginning with Early …

Of all arguments against love none makes so strong an appeal to my nature as “Careful! This might lead you to suffering”.

To my nature, my temperament, yes. Not to my conscience. When I respond to that appeal I …

“In the moral life the enemy is the fat relentless ego.”  By this, Iris Murdock means that self-absorption is a high risk condition—its all-consuming nature makes it the enemy of virtue.

Self-absorption taints our perception of goodness so …