There is much talk these days of leadership and the importance of cultivating it. Unfortunately, leadership like individualism seems to have changed in usage over time to a point where their original meanings have become lost or obscured within the new social context in which they are applied. For whereas individualism has become increasingly equated with selfishness, […]
For much of the latter part of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first social progress has been measured in terms of purportedly advancing human rights. Part of this movement has included the rights of children and implicit in that discussion has been a focus on their rights as being independent of the rights of parents. What […]
With the increasing focus on mental health issues as a response to the growing need for emotional support, taking things philosophically has taken on new meaning. The movement towards incorporating philosophy into formal therapeutic counselling could be said to have started with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT. The closer examination of behaviour versus outcome and the realignment […]
One of the first things that one learns taking introductory university courses is to master the jargon specific to each subject engineered to alienate the uninitiated through language. In philosophy I was first introduced to the word epistemology which at first glance one might have thought had to do with the study of the urinary tract […]
Ontario parents often ask if there are any tax considerations to offset private school fees or any subsidies offered by the government. Given that their taxes are directed towards supporting the public system whether their child attends or not, this is a legitimate question. The short answer is that there are none. Curiously, Ontario is the only province […]
It seems that we live in a society and in an age where wants are often not distinguished from needs. Once primarily referred to as citizens, then voters and now consumers, this change in terminology underscores the promoted obligation to consume to keep the economy going and to keep people employed. As such, consuming is good and […]
With Christmas and New Year’s now past us, that opportunity to reflect upon the last year, reconnect with the rapid passing of time and make resolutions and then break them has all gone by. But take heart, Chinese New Year is upon us. In my family given that my wife is Chinese, celebrations like these are always […]
It is interesting how many religious holidays match up with astronomical events and in many cases overlay pre-existing holidays of previous religions and cultures. The actual birth date of Christ is of course a matter of conjecture. However the pre-existing Roman celebration of the winter solstice provided a convenient location to park it. But personal associations that we […]
Human development from its earliest stages consists in an ongoing interaction with the environment. Infants quickly learn the lesson of cause and effect. Controlling the environment to secure desired results is a measure of successful adaptation. Indeed, this grounding in reality forms the basis of future sanity and mental health. For what is sanity other than the successful […]
Among the most unpopular subjects for boys in the Ontario curriculum are French and Mathematics. French, because many boys feel that there is little use putting effort into something that they feel they will never use. It isn’t an issue of difficulty but rather one of perceived relevance. Few boys have any fear of French, they just do not like […]