Charles McNamara is a classicist at the University of Minnesota. Update your account password & emailSubscribe to Commonweal
Article What Is Equity? The Right treats ‘equity’ as an insidious modern invention, but the word and concept have circulated for thousands of years, since Aristotle. By Charles McNamara June 21, 2022 Politics Equity
Article Know-Nothing Know-It-Alls The unforgivable sin of QAnon is not only its inability to withstand scrutiny, but also its pretension of omniscience. By Charles McNamara June 21, 2021 Donald Trump Domestic Affairs
Article Cicero Will Outlive Your Tweets Why a “dead” language lives on By Charles McNamara January 18, 2021 Literature
Article Minds Stocked Only with Opinions Universities must work to build and maintain the intimate, thoughtful communities that make real learning possible, especially as they shift online. By Charles McNamara July 23, 2020 Nonfiction Higher Education Coronavirus Philosophy
Article Gone Viral Language, like biology, is always on the move. Here’s a look into the surprising lexical history of infectious disease. By Charles McNamara May 6, 2020 Coronavirus Philosophy
Article Not Tragic, Just Sad The Greek-military historian Victor Davis Hanson attempts to paint Donald Trump as a tragic hero, but his analysis neglects the real meaning of Aristotle’s term. By Charles McNamara May 15, 2019 Donald Trump Poetry Domestic Affairs