COMMENTARY

Clapham Institute Blog

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The Other Founding Fathers

There’s no American Revolution, Constitution, or Great Experiment without the founding fathers. Now two editors at the Economist are forecasting a revolution similar to the Victorian Age. But they overlook the Victorian Age’s founding fathers.

Right Side of History (Pt. 2)

C. S. Lewis and Iain McGilchrist both see metaphor as how we make sense of life. It’s primary. They also agree the Enlightenment overthrew metaphor. These are two of the four ways they parallel one another. Here’s two more ways Lewis and McGilchrist are on the right side of history.

Right Side of History (Pt. 1)

C. S. Lewis would likely have appreciated Iain McGilchrist. A psychiatrist with extensive research in neuroimaging, McGilchrist believes metaphor is how we make sense of life. Lewis would have agreed. In fact, there at least four ways they are on the right side of history.

Amputated Hand?

There’s precious little remembrance on Memorial Day. For most Americans, it’s a vacation day – barbecue, boating, and beaches. These aren’t bad, but if they’re all there is, Americans are testimony to what Emily Dickinson called the amputated hand.

Those Who Can't

Those who can’t, teach. It’s an old joke, but judging the outcomes of most college courses and programs on “entrepreneurship,” there’s little to laugh about.

Wagons Without Springs

As the story goes, the Emperor Augustus one day spotted a man from the provinces who looked much like himself. He asked if the man’s mother had ever worked in the palace. ‘No.’ came the reply, ‘but my father did.’ Augustus laughed – a reminder that a sense of humor makes rulers wise, court jesters…

The 40 Percent

Up is considered one of Pixar’s most emotionally rich films. Yet the final version is quite different than the first. It’s the result of Pixar’s culture that recognizes a weakness in human nature.

Playing Our Game

The Dayton Flyers were the fan favorite in this year’s March Madness. Unranked, they upset three highly regarded teams by dictating the tempo of the game. That’s a strategy the faith community might want to consider.

Three Degrees of Separation

There are supposedly only six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. Whether this is so is open to debate, but there’s little debate that scripture describes only three degrees of separation. And they’re not from Kevin Bacon.

Outsourcing Innovation

When Southwest Airlines sought to improve turnaround time, it did not look inside the industry. It went outside – to NASCAR. Now Southwest faces new challenges. Will the current CEO look to outsiders to sustain its innovative culture?