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 Email address: tfarrell@d.umn.edu SHARE 
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Thomas James Farrell is professor emeritus of writing studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). He started teaching at UMD in Fall 1987, and he retired from UMD at the end of May 2009. He was born in 1944. He holds three degrees from Saint Louis University (SLU): B.A. in English, 1966; M.A.(T) in English 1968; Ph.D.in higher education, 1974. On May 16, 1969, the editors of the SLU student newspaper named him Man of the Year, an honor customarily conferred on an administrator or a faculty member, not on a graduate student -- nor on a woman up to that time. He is the proud author of the book WALTER ONG'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO CULTURAL STUDIES: THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE WORD AND I-THOU COMMUNICATION (Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2000; 2nd ed. 2009, forthcoming). The first edition won the 2001 Marshall McLuhan Award for Outstanding Book in the Field of Media Ecology conferred by the Media Ecology Association. For further information about his education and his publications, see his UMD homepage: Click here to visit Dr. Farrell's homepage.
On September 10 and 22, 2009, he discussed Walter Ong's work on the blog radio talk show "Ethics Talk" that is hosted by Hope May in philosophy at Central Michigan University. Each hour-long show has been archived and is available for people who missed the live broadcast to listen to. Here are the website addresses for the two archived shows:
Click here to listen the Technologizing of the Word Interview
Click here to listen the Ramus, Method & The Decay of Dialogue Interview
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Hold on There, Robert Samuelson! Let's Think This Through! In his NEWSWEEK column, Robert J. Samuelson has denigrated what he styles "the politics of self-esteem." But the rhetorical tendency involved in what he describes is a tendency associated with what Aristotle refers to as epideictic rhetoric, civic rhetoric about values -- not self-esteem. Proposed legislation usually involves competing goods. As a result, debates about the various values involved are inevitable.
Monday, April 12, 2010Hold on There, Robert Samuelson! Let's Think This Through! In his NEWSWEEK column, Robert J. Samuelson has denigrated what he styles "the politics of self-esteem." But the rhetorical tendency involved in what he describes is a tendency associated with what Aristotle refers to as epideictic rhetoric, civic rhetoric about values -- not self-esteem. Proposed legislation usually involves competing goods. As a result, debates about the various values involved are inevitable.
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Sunday, April 11, 2010
Let Us Never Forget the Confederacy and Slavery! Governor Robert McDonnell of Virginia has proclaimed April as Confederacy History Month. Indeed, all Americans should remember the Confederacy and the sophistical arguments advanced to defend slavery.
Sunday, April 11, 2010Let Us Never Forget the Confederacy and Slavery! Governor Robert McDonnell of Virginia has proclaimed April as Confederacy History Month. Indeed, all Americans should remember the Confederacy and the sophistical arguments advanced to defend slavery.
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Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Whereforth Are Thou, Harvard? To turn the terrible tide of political and cultural conservatism that has plagued the United States during the last four decades, we need to renew not only political liberalism, but also liberal arts college education against the inroads of professional education, including specialist graduate education in liberal arts fields. Therefore, I call of the faculty of arts and sciences at Harvard to lead us in the needed renewal.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010Whereforth Are Thou, Harvard? To turn the terrible tide of political and cultural conservatism that has plagued the United States during the last four decades, we need to renew not only political liberalism, but also liberal arts college education against the inroads of professional education, including specialist graduate education in liberal arts fields. Therefore, I call of the faculty of arts and sciences at Harvard to lead us in the needed renewal.
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
Not For Profit, Eh? Hold on There, Martha Nussbaum! Martha Nussbaum's forthcoming new book NOT FOR PROFIT: WHY DEMOCRACY NEEDS THE HUMANITIES has a terrible title. According to her title, I studied philosophy and English not for profit, even though I thought I was profiting from them. I hope that readers disregard the title of her book but profit from reading it.
Saturday, April 3, 2010Not For Profit, Eh? Hold on There, Martha Nussbaum! Martha Nussbaum's forthcoming new book NOT FOR PROFIT: WHY DEMOCRACY NEEDS THE HUMANITIES has a terrible title. According to her title, I studied philosophy and English not for profit, even though I thought I was profiting from them. I hope that readers disregard the title of her book but profit from reading it.
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Thursday, April 1, 2010
Whitmire's Book WHY BOYS FAIL Delineates the Problem, but Not the Solution Richard Whitmire's new book WHY BOYS FAIL delineates the problem, but not the solution. No Child Left Behind is not the solution. But the basic solution has been set forth by David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson is their textbook for teachers entitled CREATIVE CONTROVERSY: INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE IN THE CLASSROOM.
Thursday, April 1, 2010Whitmire's Book WHY BOYS FAIL Delineates the Problem, but Not the Solution Richard Whitmire's new book WHY BOYS FAIL delineates the problem, but not the solution. No Child Left Behind is not the solution. But the basic solution has been set forth by David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson is their textbook for teachers entitled CREATIVE CONTROVERSY: INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE IN THE CLASSROOM.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
Who Was Walter Ong, and Why Is His Thought Important Today? I want to sing the Song of Walter Jackson Ong, S.J. (1912-2003). His thought is important for people today to understand, so that we can get our bearings about Western culture in the world today. Had Samuel Huntington understood Ong's thought about Western cultural development, he could have used Ong's thought to deepen and strengthen his clash-of-civilizations thesis. The clash of cultures is inevitable, but violence is not.
Sunday, March 14, 2010Who Was Walter Ong, and Why Is His Thought Important Today? I want to sing the Song of Walter Jackson Ong, S.J. (1912-2003). His thought is important for people today to understand, so that we can get our bearings about Western culture in the world today. Had Samuel Huntington understood Ong's thought about Western cultural development, he could have used Ong's thought to deepen and strengthen his clash-of-civilizations thesis. The clash of cultures is inevitable, but violence is not.
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Clash of Cultures Is Inevitable, but Violence May Not Be With economic globalization, modern Western capitalism and the culture of capitalism are making inroads in pre-modern parts of the world today. In addition, U.S. foreign policy is promoting modern Western democracy and the culture of democracy in pre-modern parts of the world today. As a result, the clash of cultures is inevitable, but violence may not be.
Thursday, March 11, 2010The Clash of Cultures Is Inevitable, but Violence May Not Be With economic globalization, modern Western capitalism and the culture of capitalism are making inroads in pre-modern parts of the world today. In addition, U.S. foreign policy is promoting modern Western democracy and the culture of democracy in pre-modern parts of the world today. As a result, the clash of cultures is inevitable, but violence may not be.
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
With Pluck American Liberals Should Fight Today's Conservatives American liberals today should strengthen their inner-directedness and idealism and optimism and adaptability, so that they can effectively fight the conservative challenges of our time. With pluck and a little luck, liberals should be able to prevail against today's conservatives.
Thursday, March 11, 2010With Pluck American Liberals Should Fight Today's Conservatives American liberals today should strengthen their inner-directedness and idealism and optimism and adaptability, so that they can effectively fight the conservative challenges of our time. With pluck and a little luck, liberals should be able to prevail against today's conservatives.
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Sunday, March 7, 2010
Garry Wills Wants Liberals to Fight the Good Fight Against the National Security State I hope that American liberals will heed Garry Wills' call to fight the good fight against the National Security State that conservatives have instituted. The National Security State overthrows our American way of life. So liberals should get their act together and muster the political courage to stand up and defend our American way of life against the conservative onslaught of the National Security State.
Sunday, March 7, 2010Garry Wills Wants Liberals to Fight the Good Fight Against the National Security State I hope that American liberals will heed Garry Wills' call to fight the good fight against the National Security State that conservatives have instituted. The National Security State overthrows our American way of life. So liberals should get their act together and muster the political courage to stand up and defend our American way of life against the conservative onslaught of the National Security State.
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Saturday, February 27, 2010
A Reply to the New Vatican Document about "New Age" Spirituality The male chauvinists in the Vatican are once again up to no good in the new Vatican document about "New Age" spirituality. The male chauvinists in the Vatican try to rally conservative Roman Catholics to continue to believe the myths of orthodox Christianity because the male chauvinists in the Vatican want conservative Catholics to continue to support them in the lifestyle they've grown accustomed to.
Saturday, February 27, 2010A Reply to the New Vatican Document about "New Age" Spirituality The male chauvinists in the Vatican are once again up to no good in the new Vatican document about "New Age" spirituality. The male chauvinists in the Vatican try to rally conservative Roman Catholics to continue to believe the myths of orthodox Christianity because the male chauvinists in the Vatican want conservative Catholics to continue to support them in the lifestyle they've grown accustomed to.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
David Brooks, James Cameron's "Avatar," and the Evil American Empire Abroad The New York "Times" columnist David Brooks finds James Cameron's movie about a white messiah figure offensive. In the movie "Avatar" a turncoat Marine leads the highly romanticized natives against the evil empire of the whites. But we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by Brooks' quibbles about political correctness. The American-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to have to be stopped by Americans.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010David Brooks, James Cameron's "Avatar," and the Evil American Empire Abroad The New York "Times" columnist David Brooks finds James Cameron's movie about a white messiah figure offensive. In the movie "Avatar" a turncoat Marine leads the highly romanticized natives against the evil empire of the whites. But we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by Brooks' quibbles about political correctness. The American-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to have to be stopped by Americans.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
Stop American Evil, President Obama! For humanitarian reasons, President Obama should stop American involvement in the supposedly humanitarian wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Too many people have already been killed in these two unjust wars. But the two top al Qaeda criminals still have not been captured and brought to justice.
Thursday, December 17, 2009Stop American Evil, President Obama! For humanitarian reasons, President Obama should stop American involvement in the supposedly humanitarian wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Too many people have already been killed in these two unjust wars. But the two top al Qaeda criminals still have not been captured and brought to justice.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What Kind of Man Are You, President Obama -- Another LBJ? President Obama is escalating American involvement in the war in Afghanistan, just as President Johnson escalated the war in Vietnam. But Obama should stop following LBJ's example and start following President Kennedy's example of resisting military ventures. Just as LBJ's war in Vietnam was a hopeless cause, so too Obama's war in Afghanistan is a hopeless cause.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009What Kind of Man Are You, President Obama -- Another LBJ? President Obama is escalating American involvement in the war in Afghanistan, just as President Johnson escalated the war in Vietnam. But Obama should stop following LBJ's example and start following President Kennedy's example of resisting military ventures. Just as LBJ's war in Vietnam was a hopeless cause, so too Obama's war in Afghanistan is a hopeless cause.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Dawkins' Atheism Is OK, But So Is Theism Richard Dawkins' militant atheism does not rebut attacks on evolutionary theory. Instead, his attacks of religious faith in God are tantamount to changing the subject. We Americans should allow not only freedom of religion but also freedom from religion for atheists such as Dawkins. But attacks on evolutionary theory should be vigorously rebutted, as James H. Fetzer has rebutted them in his book "Render Unto Darwin" (2007).
Tuesday, December 1, 2009Dawkins' Atheism Is OK, But So Is Theism Richard Dawkins' militant atheism does not rebut attacks on evolutionary theory. Instead, his attacks of religious faith in God are tantamount to changing the subject. We Americans should allow not only freedom of religion but also freedom from religion for atheists such as Dawkins. But attacks on evolutionary theory should be vigorously rebutted, as James H. Fetzer has rebutted them in his book "Render Unto Darwin" (2007).
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Catholic Bishops' Views About Contraception and Abortion in the First Trimester Are Ridiculous The Catholic bishops are wrong to ban artificial contraception and abortion in the first trimester. Therefore, American Catholics should disregard what the Catholic bishops say.
Sunday, November 22, 2009The Catholic Bishops' Views About Contraception and Abortion in the First Trimester Are Ridiculous The Catholic bishops are wrong to ban artificial contraception and abortion in the first trimester. Therefore, American Catholics should disregard what the Catholic bishops say.
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Friday, November 13, 2009
Archbishop Burke: No Communion or Church Funeral for Pro-Choice Catholics Archbishop Raymond Burke and his followers want to punish pro-choice Catholics by denying them communion and a church funeral. But the time has come for Catholics and others to think through the dubious moral premises of the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion, before the Senate limits legalized abortion on demand in the first trimester, as the House health care bill does.
Friday, November 13, 2009Archbishop Burke: No Communion or Church Funeral for Pro-Choice Catholics Archbishop Raymond Burke and his followers want to punish pro-choice Catholics by denying them communion and a church funeral. But the time has come for Catholics and others to think through the dubious moral premises of the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion, before the Senate limits legalized abortion on demand in the first trimester, as the House health care bill does.
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Friday, November 13, 2009
Bishop Tobin Is Un-American for Denouncing U.S. Rep. Kennedy In a public letter Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Rhode Island has denounced U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy for disagreeing with the Catholic Church's teaching against abortion. But this is not an infallible teaching, because it has not been promulgated as an infallible teaching. As a result, it can be questioned and challenged by American Catholics, including Re. Kennedy.
Friday, November 13, 2009Bishop Tobin Is Un-American for Denouncing U.S. Rep. Kennedy In a public letter Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Rhode Island has denounced U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy for disagreeing with the Catholic Church's teaching against abortion. But this is not an infallible teaching, because it has not been promulgated as an infallible teaching. As a result, it can be questioned and challenged by American Catholics, including Re. Kennedy.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Speak Up for the Health Care Bill, President Obama! President Obama should speak up more strongly for the health care bill. This bill is one way for the federal government to lend a helping hand to those among us who need a helping hand with health care coverage. Obama should speak up more strongly to rally voter support for the bill.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009Speak Up for the Health Care Bill, President Obama! President Obama should speak up more strongly for the health care bill. This bill is one way for the federal government to lend a helping hand to those among us who need a helping hand with health care coverage. Obama should speak up more strongly to rally voter support for the bill.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Congress Should Pass Public Funding for Abortion in the First Trimester Conception without the woman's consent is tantamount to rape. As a result, legalized abortion in the first trimester should stand as the law of the land, and it should be legally supported through public funding.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009Congress Should Pass Public Funding for Abortion in the First Trimester Conception without the woman's consent is tantamount to rape. As a result, legalized abortion in the first trimester should stand as the law of the land, and it should be legally supported through public funding.
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Friday, November 6, 2009
Is the New York Times Anti-Catholic for Publishing Maureen Dowd's Criticisms of the Catholic Church? Maureen Dowd published certain criticisms of the Catholic Church's "unassailable patriarchy" in her regular column in the New York Times under the title "The Nuns' Story." But the archbishop of New York has charged the Times with being anti-Catholic. But it is fair for the Times to publish criticisms of practices of the Catholic Church under certain circumstances.
Friday, November 6, 2009Is the New York Times Anti-Catholic for Publishing Maureen Dowd's Criticisms of the Catholic Church? Maureen Dowd published certain criticisms of the Catholic Church's "unassailable patriarchy" in her regular column in the New York Times under the title "The Nuns' Story." But the archbishop of New York has charged the Times with being anti-Catholic. But it is fair for the Times to publish criticisms of practices of the Catholic Church under certain circumstances.
