Political Philosophy

I read the Melian Dialogue, a central episode in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, and offer some commentary on the most significant parts. Thucydides' realism is not identical to the Athenians' realism, which is more deterministic and extreme. … More “The Strong Do What They Can and the Weak Suffer What They Must:” The Melian Dialogue (Thucydides 6)

Returning to my ongoing series on Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, I discuss the events and meaning of the Corcyrean Revolution, including proxy war, ideological conflict, irreligion and fanaticism. The Maurin Academy's next short series, on Agricultural biotechnology and information technology will start in late August. Sign up on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agriculture-...

In this selection from the final session of Summer Seminar 2022 on Christian Anarchism, I discuss Dorothy Day's background and motivation for co-founding the Catholic Worker movement with Peter Maurin. Dorothy Day is currently being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church, and there is a growing interest in her philosophy and work. The Maurin Academy's next short series, on Agricultural bi...

In this segment from the fourth session of the Christian Anarchism Summer Seminar, I discuss the pros and cons of communities like the Amish and Bruderhof. The inherently exclusive nature of such communities is both heir strength and weakness. Is there any way to learn from them while doing something that includes more people and thus has more promise for solving social and environmental problems?...

Abortion in the US is a part of the torn social fabric that pro-life Christians, along with everyone else, have created. Without taking real responsibility for that reality, the changes in state law will probably just make things worse. What would Christians have to do next to be truly pro-life and to abandon what Pope John Paul II called the culture of death? … More Why Overturning Roe is N...

In this segment from the third session in the ongoing Summer Seminar, I discuss the Just War reasoning that argues against the pacifism held by most Christian Anarchists. … More Just War Theory: The Argument for a Middle Path (Christian Anarchism Clip 3)

The second session of the Summer 2022 Christian Anarchism seminar went deeper into major themes in Christian Anarchism, including the importance of the Sermon on the Mount. The Jesus that emerges in that sermon is a revolutionary, but not the typical type. The ideas in the sermon and elsewhere in Jesus’ teaching reveal a God … More Why Religion and Politics Don’t Go Together (Chr...

This is a section of my ongoing seminar on Christian Anarchism, Summer 2022. Why is it so hard for people to break free of the liberal world view and actually see and take up the challenge, and the life and action-altering depth of a religious commitment? With their insistence that Christianity and government are not friends but foes, Christian anarchists may help us recognize our own blockages an...

A lot of pain and dehumanizing damage in the world takes place due to "technical rationality," which Hannah Arendt referred to as the "banality of evil." Here I discuss the baby formula shortage as an example of how "wicked problems" are caused by layers and layers of failures that can be traced back to a lack of fundamental responsibility. In our world, no one is responsible except for the discre...

In the wake of the most recent pandemic, it's important to realize that the political effects of plague have been known and discussed for a long time. Thucydides has something to say about the political effects of the fear and suffering that come from disease. This episode in the history of the Peloponnesian War gives us plenty to think about regarding the destabilizing effects of pandemics, the p...

At the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, Athenian leader Pericles took the helm as first general and leader. His first two speeches exhort the Athenians to stay strong in war and praise Athens in the context of a funeral for the first to die. In his funeral speech, Pericles almost forgets the dead soldiers in his love panegyric to Athenian glory. The implications are discussed from the point of...

This is always a hotly contested question, no matter the war. Thucydides teaches that the real cause was not the declaration of war by Sparta that officially started the Peloponnesian War, but the imbalance of power created by Athenian aggression over time relative to the Spartan reticence to act. Thucydides is teaching that wars are determined years in advance. It is the creation of the condition...

in a series on the Ancient Greek historian Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, with an emphasis on using Thucydidean realism to understand events in International relations. Thucydides begins his work with an "archeology," a history of ancient times. Through it, we begin to see his take on human nature and the dynamics of power. I begin with a brief discussion of Hans Morgenthau's "old f...

Contributor Spencer Hess ends his series on Kaitlin B. Curtice's Native, critiquing PMC smugness and inconsistency, concluding with a brief Marxian & Christian-Anarchist critique. Works Cited: Can the PMC Control Capitalism? (ft Catherine Liu (Diet Soap): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAQ1INh9MQw Klein Vs. Klein (The New Inquiry): https://thenewinquiry.com/klein-vs-klein/ Too Many Karens! (M...

How do we respond to the Russia-Ukraine war? Do we use it as yet another opportunity to signal our feelings and positions, but without any real commitment other than to our own narcissism? If we aren't in the conflict, we have a certain luxury (or we think we have) to do so. But the existence of nuclear weapons should be a sobering factor that guides us as we try to find a resolution. In the shado...

Contributor Spencer Hess showcases extensive excerpts from T.J. Jackson Lears' No Place of Grace, futher characterizing Therapeutic "culture." … More T.J. Jackson Lears on “Evasive Banality”

earlier series on John Maynard Keynes's view of the aftermath of WWI and the failure of the Treaty of Versailles to create a lasting peace, the remarks of political scientist John Mearsheimer give a perspective on the Russia/Ukraine conflict that you won't hear on the news. … More The Realist View of Ukraine/Russia: John Mearsheimer on the “Thucydides View”

Contributor Spencer Hess discusses excerpts from Christopher Lasch's The Culture of Narcissism characterizing Therapeutic "culture." … More Christopher Lasch’s Introduction to “The Therapeutic” (Audio)

I'm having trouble with posting the podcast to iTunes, so I'm trying again with our latest conversation to see what happens! … More Stop the Culture Wars: A Plea to the US Left (ft. Chris Cutrone, Matt Christman, Catherine Liu)

right march, tweet and put flags on their pickup trucks. Their main accomplishment is to blame the other side for their favorite problems, expiate their responsibility and guilt, and eliminate the possibility of positive change on any of their issues. Spencer and Laurie focus in on the US left, because their disappointment in that group is more profound. … More Stop the Culture Wars: A Plea...

Permaculture is one area where there is some promise for agreement even in our politically polarized environment. This is a discussion from Environmental Political Thought of the ideas of Dave Holmgren, co-founder of the Permaculture movement, and Jack Spirko who, although from the other end of the political spectrum (seemingly) also likes permaculture ideas. … More Permaculture: Left and Ri...

Spencer begins a discussion on the mercurial PMCs (professional managerial class). Ft. Matt Christman's wisdom. … More Boats ‘N Huevos Rancheros: Radical Liberalism Gone to Seed 4 (Contributor: Spencer, audio)

In this longer original cut, Spencer explores the distinction between wishes and results via the "Underpants Gnome" model of magical thinking made famous in the Southpark episode we all know and love. … More Rad-Lib’s Magical Thinking: Sterile Seeds–Longer Cut ft. South Park (Contributor: Spencer) 3

e summer seminar, fill out this brief form: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA … More Hatching Plans for a New Podcast, Seminar and Beyond

In this second part of his series on the decadence and detournement of the educated liberal professional managerial class, Spencer Hess gives us, among other things, a litany of evil systems (both Kaitlin Curtice's and his own). We also get a peak into the futility of thinking that the solution to all the problems humans create is to educate them. The cat also helps answer one of his questions. &#...