When I show my students the following passage, some of them are unable to take it in. They think the author must merely mean that pregnancy increases the risk of certain illnesses. No, that is not what he is saying. Read it again carefully. I’ve added boldface for emphasis.
Mondays are for student letters. This student writes from the University of Chicago.
Question:
“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all.”
Why do we assume that business firms are engaged in the “pursuit of self-interest,” but that government bureaucracies are engaged in “public service”?
Far be it from me to suggest that businessmen don’t pursue their interests. Of course they do. They want greater profits, a larger market share, and higher stature.
This isn’t a current politics blog, and it’s not going to become one. Every now and then, though, I can’t resist.
This letter comes from a doctoral student and professor in a seminary in Spain.
Question:
All other things being equal, we ought to accept the hypothesis which best explains what we observe.
