In a letter to Karl Löwith, Leo Strauss wrote: “Nietzsche so dominated and charmed me between my 22nd and 30th years that I literally believed everything I understood of him.” My question about Strauss is whether (a) he later really abandoned Nietzsche or (b) his professed rejection of Nietzsche is a Platonic noble lie. I […]
The young Leo Strauss on Nietzsche Read More »
Excerpt from Reflections on the Failure of Socialism (1955) By Max Forrester Eastman (1883-1969) People who read these reflections may wonder how I arrived at the understanding that socialism has failed. I am describing the whole experience in another book, but here a brief glance at the intellectual road I traveled may be helpful. It has
Max Eastman on abandoning socialism [text] Read More »
Pope Alexander VI knew how to throw a party. Rodrigo Borgia became Alexander VI in 1492 and livened things up at the Vatican. As reported in William Manchester’s A World Lit Only by Fire, p. 79: ‘Once he became Pope Alexander VI, Vatican parties, already wild, grew wilder. They were costly, but he could afford
The good/bad old days, Pope Alexander VI version Read More »
Tom Tropp, Vice-president for Ethics and Culture at the Arthur J. Gallagher Corporation is a guest speaker in my business ethics class today. Gallagher is a $5.6 billion company with almost 25,000 employees worldwide. Gallagher was named a most ethical company for the fifth time, in large part due to Mr. Tropp’s work. Mr. Tropp’s
Tom Tropp, CEE guest speaker Read More »
When Nazi Germany and fascist Italy were defeated, the great historical question was: Will liberalism or socialism prevail in the world? The ensuing mix of cold and hot wars and ideological battles reached their climax in our generation — with the fallout from the Soviet Union’s collapse, the enduring sadness of Cuba, the ongoing mess
Our generation’s question: Liberalism or Fascism or Socialism? Read More »
Matt Zwolinski and I have a friendly debate about several technical, foundational issues in Rand’s theory of rights: Can rights be based on egoism? What’s the connection between property rights and value creation? What counts as an improper initiation of force? Several other sub-issues about content and method arise along the way. In about 750 words each,
Zwolinski and Hicks on Rand and rights theory Read More »
[In 1967 (50 years ago this year), a commissioned sculpture by Pablo Picasso was unveiled in Chicago. Critic Alan G. Artner has a journalistic account of the unveiling and the piece’s subsequent legal-political saga. But the following excerpt from the great Mike Royko’s account of the crowd’s reaction captures the day’s significance best.] ON THE
Picasso comes to Chicago Read More »
Without comment, I offer this excerpt from the Gospel of Thomas (114): Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Make Mary leave us, for females don’t deserve life.” Jesus said, “Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself
Jesus and transgenderism Read More »