At a time when radical changes in human nature are being enthusiastically proposed and even demanded in many quarters, envisioning designs to reconfigure humanity in often aberrant ways that are unprecedented in any society, it is wise to listen to an earlier voice. This essay is an abridged edition of a lecture presented by C. S. Lewis on February 26, 1943 at the University of … [Read more...] about The Abolition of Man
Political Philosophy
Chesterton and the Noble Value of Declaring Enemies
For the ancient philosopher Heraclitus, πóλεμος (polemos or strife) is “the father of all things,” an aphorism that seeks not to encourage actual warfare, but rather to acknowledge that conflict and struggle in one form or another bring to light what is finer and higher. Lest this be shocking, we should remember that Christ Himself reminds us that He came not … [Read more...] about Chesterton and the Noble Value of Declaring Enemies
Pastoral Ponderings: The Analogy of Freedom
Originally published on July 31, 2016. Father Pat’s Pastoral Ponderings Human freedom is an experience before it is a concept. Indeed, even as concept, freedom is extremely elusive. It is hardly surprising that modern science, concerned with precision and objectivity, is distinctly uncomfortable with it. The “scientific method,” with its emphasis on … [Read more...] about Pastoral Ponderings: The Analogy of Freedom
Beauty and Desecration: We must rescue art from the modern intoxication with ugliness
Source: City Journal By Roger Scruton At any time between 1750 and 1930, if you had asked an educated person to describe the goal of poetry, art, or music, “beauty” would have been the answer. And if you had asked what the point of that was, you would have learned that beauty is a value, as important in its way as truth and goodness, and indeed hardly … [Read more...] about Beauty and Desecration: We must rescue art from the modern intoxication with ugliness
The Poverty of European Civilization
The poverty of European civilization1 has been revealed by this war.2 The ugly nakedness of Europe has brought to shame all those who used to bow before Europe's mask. It was a silken shining mask hiding the inner ugliness and poverty of Europe. The mask was called: culture, civilization, progress, modernism. All was only vanitas vanitatum and povertas povertatum. When the soul … [Read more...] about The Poverty of European Civilization