“Thought is an invisible and almost intangible power that makes sport of all tyrannies” [1]. Thus, Tocqueville, in Democracy in America, describes the Achilles heel of the traditional tyrant. No matter the physical constraints or social constructions that a tyrant might try to impose on his citizens, he cannot fully suppress thoughts hostile to the … Continue reading A Subtle Regime: Tocqueville on the Tyranny of the Majority.
Musings on Futility
I've been job hunting lately. My time at this job (which I consider more missionary work than a traditional job) has been very fruitful and fulfilling, but I believe it's time to move on. The question is: move on to what? My "indeed.com" searches first gained a kind of existential tinge, then became entirely symbolic … Continue reading Musings on Futility
Kicked out of the Alehouse: What Kristin Lavransdatter Has to Say About Love
A colleague of mine, known to our eight (give or take) faithful readers as Alasdair Slackintyre, recently remarked on the tonal quality of our [his and my] blog posts. "We aren't trying to be properly academic," intuit, "[We're] not properly planning out essays, not putting in good conclusions, not putting in good thesis statements." Well, … Continue reading Kicked out of the Alehouse: What Kristin Lavransdatter Has to Say About Love
Celebrating… Women?
Upon walking into a local bookstore I learned that March is “Women’s History Month.” I had never given much thought to the notion that there needed to be a month dedicated just to the awesome things women had done throughout the history of the world. Honestly, in today’s day and age, my first thought was … Continue reading Celebrating… Women?
A Man For Our Season
In the preface to his play, A Man for All Seasons, Robert Bolt explains his motivation for choosing Thomas More as his hero. He describes an inability in the people of his time to answer the question of what and who they are. The individual is dissatisfied with defining himself as a Man because he … Continue reading A Man For Our Season
The Role of a Doctor as Explored by Solzhenitsyn in The Cancer Ward
Dr. Anthony Fauci has become a household name in the past year. Currently Chief Medical Advisor to the president, he's served as the president of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He has been among the leaders of governmental responses to several crises such as the ebola epidemic, SARS, HIV/AIDS, swine … Continue reading The Role of a Doctor as Explored by Solzhenitsyn in The Cancer Ward
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
A Tolerant Library
In today’s day and age we hear a lot about tolerance, how not to be offensive, the evils of racism and sexism. But it wasn’t until I began working at the local public library that I realized just how bad it has gotten. In the past I have worked on crews that in Orwell’s world … Continue reading A Tolerant Library
Edgar Allan Poe
A poem written for my student right before they read "The Cask of Amontillado"
Nature Is Incomplete.
I recently found myself standing in the midst of a forest full of redwoods and feeling oddly uncomfortable. Surrounded by rare giants, some of whom had fallen and some whom were still proudly displaying their two-thousand-year-old glory, I didn't feel quite as I ought to have. At another time of life not so long ago, … Continue reading Nature Is Incomplete.
