Brute Reason

LATEST ARTICLES ( 570 )

• Faith is Not a Mental Illness

  I’ve been seeing a disturbing tendency among atheists to compare religious belief to mental illness. Sometimes this comparison is made explicit, as in this... Read more

  Posted on 10 October 2012 DEBATE, RELIGION

• [guest Post] The Dharma of Depression

  My friend Seth, who has guest-posted here before (read it, it’s awesome), returns to talk about depression and Buddhism.Note: The following is a transcript of... Read more

  Posted on 08 October 2012 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, SPIRITUALITY

• Evangelical Apathy

  You might think that the people who annoy me the most are those who hold views I strongly disagree with. Actually, though, it’s the people who don’t really... Read more

  Posted on 08 October 2012 DEBATE

• What We Talk About When We Talk About College

  It’s been rather quiet around here lately.I’ve just started my senior year, and with that came a lot of reflection–what I want this last year to mean, how I... Read more

  Posted on 04 October 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• Occasional Link Roundup

  Oh look, one of these!1. Reasons why victim-blaming via “safety patrol” is silly and wrong. My favorite is the first one: “Real life is not a horror movie... Read more

  Posted on 24 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• On Taking People’s Word For It (Or, When Not to Argue)

  “You’re not really depressed, you just get sad sometimes.”“You’re not really a lesbian, you’ve just had some bad experiences with men.”“You’re not really an... Read more

  Posted on 24 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• [In Brief] Do Feminists Care About Men’s Issues? (A Handy List!)

  Men’s rights activists (MRAs) would have you believe that feminism is sexist against men because feminists don’t care about issues that affect men, such as... Read more

  Posted on 20 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• I Won’t Write About the Conflict; Or, What I Think Of When I Think Of Israel

  

  I won’t write about the conflict. Yes, I know I’m from there. I know I must have Such Interesting Perspectives on that whole…situation. I know I have friends... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• How to Have Sex Like They Do in the Movies

  My recent post on consent got me thinking about how open communication about sex isn’t just important because it establishes consent, but also because it’s... Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• [In Brief] On “Smug” Liberals

  Sometimes I see conservatives derisively claiming that liberals/feminists/progressives are just “smug” and self-satisfied, that we hold the opinions that we hol... Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• Update! Social Justice Resources

  Because apparently I am not busy/obsessive enough already, I’ve decided to develop a massive document of resources about social justice and other... Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• 1 + 1 = 2: Why I’m Not Looking for My “Other Half”

  I was listening to music today when I noticed something odd about the lyrics to many of the songs:Give me a reason to fall in love Take my hand and let’s dance... Read more

  Posted on 17 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• [storytime] At The Edge Of The Known World: What It’s Like To Consider Suicide

  

  Somebody, somewhere in the world, kills themselves every 40 seconds.Set a timer on your phone or watch for 40 seconds. When it beeps, another precious, beloved... Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2012 WOMEN'S ISSUES

• [Guest Post] The Chicago Teachers Union: A New Hope for Public Education

  

  CTU Labor Day Rally. Credit: CTU Facebook PageAfter months of deadlocked negotiations with the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education, the 26,000 members of... Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• Consent Does Not “Ruin the Moment”

  People who oppose sensible things like anti-harassment policies at conferences keep bringing up the same tired myths about dating, sex, and romance: that it’s... Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• The Circular Logic of Internet Misogynists

  Yesterday–the same day, incidentally, that I discovered that I’ve inspired my first pathetic little hate club–a blogger I respect announced that she’s taking a... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• You’re a Racist

  And a sexist, and probably a homophobe, too.But it’s okay, so am I.In fact, research shows that almost everyone shows signs of prejudiced attitudes. Read more

  Posted on 04 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• “Traditional” Morality and Anti-Porn Arguments That Fail

  So the Republicans have added a section to their official party platform that calls for a crackdown on pornography.Whereas previously, the GOP platform had... Read more

  Posted on 02 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• [storytime] An Abridged List of Lies I Was Taught as a Child

  Money and success will make you happy. Being beautiful is an obligation. Being fat is the worst thing that could happen to you. College will be a magical la-la... Read more

  Posted on 02 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES

• [In Brief] How to Talk About Mental Illness Recovery Without Shaming

  

  Lucy Hale covers this month’s Cosmo.Remember that post about celebrity gossip I just wrote? Well, here’s an example of how reading that stuff can be useful and... Read more

  Posted on 01 September 2012 SOCIETY, WOMEN'S ISSUES