Mass Society
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The Friendship Recession: Part 1 – Learned Loneliness
We have learned ourselves out of covenant relationships, and this is the core of learned loneliness. Covenants seem archaic because so many are not willing to say: I will do my part, even if, for a time, you aren’t doing your part. Continue reading
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Arendt and the Public World Under Threat
We are now at the beginning of the end of the modern university. The same disease that polarizes us makes the University less and less relevant. This is not an economic argument; it is an existential one. (With updated links) Continue reading
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2022 in Review: Part 2 – The Year in Climate
The year in climate is thus filled with lots of room for optimism, provided we can take home these three points: 1) that we are stewards of creation and not dominators of it; 2) that we are constituted for thriving by a sacred relationship to an environment that sustains our wellbeing; and 3) that we… Continue reading
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Thankful for Presence, Part 1: All and in All
What we need to emphasize then is that our universal claims to spiritual reality are better housed within our aspirations and moral ideals than as housed by any so-called objective descriptions which we have come to doubt as neither objective nor descriptive. Continue reading
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Windshield Reflections #2
Little did she know that reading would be her competitor, my new mistress. Continue reading
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Divorce and the Pursuit of Happiness
Rather than leading us to a deeper, more meaningful life, this so-called happiness may be one more thing we don’t really need. Continue reading
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EDI, ESG and Nurturing Leadership Without Judgment
ESG and EDI initiatives remind me of the various English tests we used as a representation of one’s English skills: I could get any student to pass the test, but it was really hard to give them the skills to get out of the airport. Continue reading
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Educated Agency in the University: from Mastery to Authenticity
“…to be educated is not to be in control or to master chance, it is to become more authentically who you are.” Continue reading
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The Politics of Sexuality, Part 3: Homosexual Weddings, and Marriage
A marriage, on the other hand, is made by a daily effort to live out the vows until death. In the words of my father, the vows I make to my spouse are not so much like laws that I keep or break; they are commitments that keep or break me. The vows may be… Continue reading
About me: I am a career educator and traveler at heart. My written work includes academic writing in philosophy and linguistics, English acquisition, and most intently in the areas of spiritual engagement with reality and what that means for our public lives.
My education is a mixture of formal study in philosophy, political theory, Biblical studies, and history, along with professional teaching certification in TESOL and in cognitive testing, and international teaching.
My travel experiences include a range of countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. I have lived in Canada, the United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Thailand. From those places I have traveled to many others besides.
I am a child of the 70’s and a “family man.” That means I have two wonderful kids who have been round the world with me.
Lastly, I am married to a wonderful woman since 2004. She is my partner, my friend, and my muse.
Thanks again for stopping by,
Raymond Klassen - Ideals and Identities 