Anyone who studies the history of ideas quickly discovers, as is so often noted here at the blog, that they are promiscuous critters. Ideas pop up or skip over where you don’t expect them, and can get adopted by people and movements seemingly far removed from their original origins. Consequently, they are also very difficult to control. People employ ideas trusting that they will serve as a means to their desired end; but often, they can transform into weapons working against them. Consider, for example, the history of American racism. For as long as there have been anti-racists, there have Read more