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
Philosophy
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
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.
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
Let’s Get Dozenal
The Decimal System is not the best.
Are you secretly Libertarian… AND Catholic? (Part 3)
Thick vs. Thin Libertarianism The difference between thick and thin libertarianism hinges on answering the question - is libertarianism only a political philosophy, or can it be, for instance, a moral philosophy as well? Does it only answer political questions, or moral questions as well? I advocate for thin libertarianism, a libertarianism that answers the … Continue reading Are you secretly Libertarian… AND Catholic? (Part 3)
Lander's Forge 