Author Archives: proftp

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About proftp

I teach political science and bioethics as an adjunct at a CUNY school.

Leh 355: Quiz guide

Leh 355-Bioethics F13 Quiz guide: 20 will appear on the quiz 1. What is a gene? 2. What is an allele? 3. How many chromosomes total are contained in a cell of a member of Homo sapiens? 4. What are … Continue reading

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Pol 266: A lil’ somethin’ extra

Here are a couple of articles to which I’ll be referring during lecture. You don’t HAVE to read them, but if you’re interested. . . . George Packer, Change the World, New Yorker, May 27 2013 Atul Gawande, Slow Change, New … Continue reading

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Pol 266: Crick link

To access  Bernard Crick’s In Defence of Politics (online version), CLICK HERE. Once you’re on the site, you can either read it there or download a pdf, e-pub, Kindle, or whatever other version of the book floats yer boat. Happy … Continue reading

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Pol 150: Global warming, fracking

About the global warming pieces. . . . James Inhofe argues that there is little evidence for human-caused global warming, but the overwhelming consensus of scientists (see this short piece) is that global warming is real, and a real problem. … Continue reading

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Pol 150: MTA income map

Here she be: New Yorker MTA Inequality Map Just click on a subway line, then roll over a stop to see the income level. Oh, and here’s a vid on primates irked by unfairness:  

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Pol 150/CN: Guns guns guns

Thursday’s question: Do guns make us safer? YES: Dave Kopel, written testimony on Congressional panel on gun violence, 1.30.13 [NOT the whole thing—just read pp. 24-27];  Gary Kleck, Guns and Self-Defense, Gun Defense Clock, 1997 NO: Steve Rendell, The Self-Defense … Continue reading

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Pol 150/CN: Video violence

For Tuesday’s class: Is video violence a cultural problem? (NOTE: I’m having you read two articles per side, largely because the pieces are short.) MAYBE: Mike Daniels, Do violent video games beget violence? Asbury Park Press, 4.7.13; Jason Schrier, From … Continue reading

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Pol 150/CN: Belief and society

Alllllrigghty: I have the readings for next Thursday (March 21)—and the question to which the two arguments respond: Does religious freedom require exemption from laws of general applicability? YES: Evangelicals & Catholics Together, In Defense of Religious Freedom, First Things, … Continue reading

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Pol 150/College Now sexual equality readings

I admit I had some difficulty coming up with good articles for you to read—not because they’re aren’t a lot of good articles, but because the quality of the articles tends to, mmm, rather one-sided. To put it bluntly, arguments … Continue reading

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Pol 150/College Now humanitarian readings

Whoops, almost forgot to post Thursday’s readings—I know y’all would have been so disappointed—but here they be: In favor of humanitarian intervention: Jon Western and Joshua S. Goldstein, Humanitarian Intervention Comes of Age, Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec 2011 Opposed to humanitarian … Continue reading

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