In Book VIII of The Republic, Plato describes various types of political man, such as oligarchs and aristocrats, through a fictitious conversation between Socrates and Adeimantus. Given the age of democracy we’re in, Plato’s descriptions of democratic man seem especially prescient. From Plato’s perspective, democratic man is dominated by two ideas: freedom and equality. As
READ MOREAccording to the New York Times, communist China is terrified of an 800 year-old copy of the Magna Carta. The touring document arrived in China this week, but was abruptly moved from its high profile exhibition spot at a university to a secluded and limited viewing area. Although no explanation was given for the switch,
READ MOREA new phenomenon is happening in prominent American divinity schools: the student body increasingly includes secular, non-religious individuals. According to the New York Times, this shift is not driven by atheist students seeking to invade and overtake the realms of religiosity, but is rather by students seeking “a language of moral discourse and training in
READ MOREChances are you have heard “O Fortuna.” It’s one of the most played classical songs of all-time, and is frequently heard on the radio and in movie trailers. But do you know where it comes from? “O Fortuna” is part of a collection of Latin and German poems from the 11th-13th
READ MOREYesterday we discussed the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s project to update the language of Shakespeare’s plays for modern audiences. Today I thought I would point to another example of a piece of Elizabethan literature that was updated into modern idiom: the Bible. (And yes, Christians, I’m aware that the Bible is regarded as more than “literature.”)
READ MOREOn Sunday, October 11, during the annual “March for Women” feminists – many topless – attempted to sack the Cathedral of Mar del Plata. They broke through the outer gates and attacked the unarmed men who were defending their church, eventually the police had to respond and push them back. The video is sheer madness
READ MORESchools that use a classical curriculum have a reputation as being more rigorous than their peers. To see if this reputation is deserved, we conducted a survey of over 100 classical schools (both secular and religious) across the country to see what students were reading at each grade level. We were hoping our audiences
READ MORETarget’s taking some heat for the second time in several months over its choice of store music. According to reports coming out of one of its California stores, Target played pornographic audio over its loudspeakers on the morning of October 14th. The Star Tribune reported that “The string of moans and groans [were] laced with
READ MOREThe free market economy has been a boon for America in many ways. It has promoted innovation and upward social mobility, and provided many men and women with a high quality of life. But as with all human systems, it’s not perfect, and has been susceptible to certain ills such as unjust wages, cronyism, and
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