This past week has been rough for my family's Lenten moderation. Since we were on spring "break" (adulthood imparts more than a little irony to that term), we decided to travel and visit family. This naturally induced us to forget or soften our Lenten resolutions; it is not easy to turn down gifts, food or … Continue reading The Immoderate Irish
Author: Alasdair SlackIntyre
On the Reading of Leo Strauss
When a Christian picks up Leo Strauss' work, two things strike the educated reader: 1) That this man knows his subject matter, and 2) He does not want to be read. Thus the experience of continuing to read Strauss, rather than tossing the book away with irritation and disgust, will not happen if the reader … Continue reading On the Reading of Leo Strauss
Emotions as Self-Justifying
This week, I have been contemplating an emotional phenomenon that I have seen in people of my generation: the justification of one's actions based upon an idea of positive emotion as self-justifying. The principle would be something like this: Positive Emotions are a) indicators of happiness i.e. they arise from contact with people/places/things that will … Continue reading Emotions as Self-Justifying
A Student’s Frustration and Confusion
In my recent studies, I have been dogged by a concern that I have had from the start of my undergraduate years: why is it that those who have presumably learned the most—those with PhDs or other intellectually high positions—seem incapable of writing or speaking in a manner comprehensible to plain persons? Rather than continue … Continue reading A Student’s Frustration and Confusion
MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
During my recent reading of the prologue to the third edition of Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue, I realized that I had never, either for others' education or my own, written down my own understanding of MacIntyre's process of arbitration between rival traditions of rational inquiry. Since that process is central to MacIntyre's project and I … Continue reading MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
The Vicious Fantasy of Amazon’s “The Boys”
This past summer, I attempted to watch a show now streaming on Amazon's video streaming service, Prime Video, called The Boys. Many of the journalists I follow online dubbed it a "subversive" and "brilliant" take on the superhero genre. Since I am of a melancholic and cynical disposition, such a show seemed suited to me. … Continue reading The Vicious Fantasy of Amazon’s “The Boys”
Just a Video Game
One of my bad habits is gaming. That habit is intimately connected to the holidays, as it is for many men of my generation. Those born anywhere from the late 70's to the present likely grew up in a household with a game console or pc (usually given at Christmas) which could run games. That … Continue reading Just a Video Game
Against the Hourly Wage
This past summer, I worked a job of a type that I had not tried before: I worked on a ranch for long weeks of 50-60 hours for a salary of $900 twice a month, my lunches provided on the job, plus a place to stay for no charge and a supply of beef for … Continue reading Against the Hourly Wage
Evil and the Intellectual
Evil has always accompanied the intellectual. To be the latter is to philosophize, to pry beneath the shell or rind of visible, tangible reality to seek the strata or heart or seed hiding beneath. It is an unfortunate side effect that such dissection can often kill the appreciation of the Intellectual for the object of … Continue reading Evil and the Intellectual
Lander's Forge 