In which Scott Alexander and I continue a worthwhile discussion. (Part 1 and Part 2. (Scott is in quotes.)) Thanks once again for a really thoughtful response. And thanks for pointing me to the unintended pregnancy rate data – I was using teen pregnancies as a proxy, but this is much more interesting. So you’re right that unintended pregnancies stay pretty constant. On the other hand, this article claims that change in percent unintended pregnancies that end in abortion only explains two points... Read more

I’m in the habit of taking popular music at its word. That is, I take the thumping stuff as a general indicator of what our culture enjoys hearing, and as a direct result of this habit, I’m awash in an atlantic depression, considering moving off the grid to make moonshine in the company of two goats (as an isolated goat gets lonely and begins to yell for companionship). There is a trend in the basic pop lyric which, if actualized into daily life,... Read more

Scott Alexander’s critique of my attempts to show a potential connection between contraception and abortion is very good. Several of the countries I cite to show abortion rates rising alongside contraceptive use don’t actually establish causation. Some countries do, however, and for these Alexander quotes Guttmacher’s explanation of why increased contraception is often associated with a simultaneous increase in abortion: The advent of modern contraception is associated with a destabilization of high (or “fatalistic”) fertility preferences. Thus, as contraceptive prevalence... Read more

Scott Alexander recently published a critique of a post of mine. He argues against the idea that there is a positive correlation between contraceptive use and abortion. The man is far more educated in this field than I am — I can only venture into the soul-sucking scene of statistics if I mutter “you’re screwing this up, you’re screwing this up,” in a self-soothing fashion — and he certainly cuts my argument down to size. I think he misses a... Read more

Sam Rocha is a phenomenologist teaching at the University of North Dakota, and I have the pleasure of writing for Dear Patheos at his side. This Mexican guitar player is responsible for a revolution in my personal love-affair with philosophy, one that freed me to recognize the limits of argument and the necessity for, well, show-and-tell — to see art, poetry, music and story-telling as equally valid conduits for truth as essays and syllogisms. (Also, he kicked my ass for relying... Read more

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I only have a few more days of the “he’s a teenager” excuse. So. Let me know if you’re excited for the new season! Read more