Reprising this post on Zeev Sternhell, an ally in the battle against the nihilism of the Anti-Enlightenment and its heirs. His book is written for scholars, but note this ringing conclusion: “To prevent the people of the twenty-first century from sinking into a new ice age of resignation, the Enlightenment vision of the individual as […]
Sternhell on the Enlightenment vision Read More »
In 1869, young Friedrich Nietzsche became a professor of classical philology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. The university’s professors of philosophy told their students not to take Nietzsche’s courses, arguing that he was not really a philosopher and a lightweight. As one scholar relates the tale: “For a time, Nietzsche, then professor of
Original thinkers’ contemporaries: Nietzsche edition Read More »
Related: Scrooge’s Hero Journey and the Meaning of Life (text). Audio version below:
Naughty Santa collection Read More »
What explains the appealing transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge? My annual reposting, in text and audio (at end). The many interpretations of Scrooge // Robin Hood analogy // Scrooge as villain of Socialism // as anti-Christian // as Savvy Investor // as Environmentalist // as Malthusian // as anti-Commercialization // Scrooge’s Aristotelian hero’s journey By Stephen
Scrooge’s Hero Journey and the Meaning of Life Read More »
According to some, Cambridge University professor James Orr is the intellectual architect of U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance’s political philosophy. Dr. Orr is also Chairman of the National Conservatism movement and author. I debated Professor Orr in London, England, hosted by Konstantin Kisin of Triggernometry. That led to the publication of our formal, written three-round debate
J.D. Vance’s “philosopher-king” Read More »
Objectivism is a set of scientific claims about reality. Scientists study reality—the same reality that is open to everyone—and discover facts about reality that, in principle, every thinking person can verify independently. Sometimes defenders of the Closed position say things like “because Rand owns Objectivism” or “This is a matter of respecting intellectual property rights”
Open Objectivism or Closed? Elements: “Intellectual Property” and “Ownership” Read More »
Objectivist philosophy is a set of propositions identifying facts of reality. To the extent those identifications are new to philosophy, they are discoveries. They are very much not inventions or creations. For example: That human concept-formation involves measurement omission. Ayn Rand did not “invent” that. Another example: That integrity is a virtue. Rand did not
Lecture Eight: What are the lessons of 20th-century philosophy? Has the Enlightenment been a success or a failure? Do we need to build on the Modern world’s successes — or return to a better, Pre-modern intellectual and cultural world — or, rejecting both, accept a disquieting Postmodern future? Themes: History as “philosophy teaching by example.”
PREMODERN, MODERN, and POSTMODERN. Lecture 8 of Postmodern Philosophy course Read More »