Conversation of Our Generation

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So sorry to miss the episode yesterday! Here's an update on what's going on with me, and an apology for not keeping my schedule.

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I've noticed a revival of pagan ideas and rituals that have caught on in numerous movements. The climate movement, racial movements (on both the right and the left), and other ostensibly secular movements have neo-pagan elements. In order to discuss this, I want to offer a definition for neo-paganism.

I'd define neo-paganism is an explicit or implicit belief that misattributes spiritual significance. These beliefs, coupled with a set of rituals, are what I call neo-pagan movements, even if the practitioners may think they're merely secular.

Merits of Neo-paganism

While I do not find these new pagan ideas convincing, I do understand where they're coming from. So, I want to be fair and offer my thoughts about what they get right.

Neo-pagans recognize the spiritual and moral
Often, they speak and frame the world in moral terms
They incorporate metaphysical realism into their worldview, even if implicitly
And, they often include rituals

Errors of Neo-paganism Although I understand the motivations and think they're a step in the right direction, I think many have missed the truth that they seek. With that in mind, here are some of the errors I find the neo-pagans of today falling into.

Neo-pagans misattribute spiritual significance
Often, they reject theism, or at least have mistaken understandings of God
Like pagans of the past, they have different moralities for their group and outsiders

Correcting Neo-paganism Now that I've discussed where neo-pagans go wrong, and where they get things right, I want to discuss how to fix their ideas to comport with reality. If we want to channel this neo-paganism and move it toward the truth, here are a few things we could do.

First, we should acknowledge the religious impulse in those who partake in these things
Theism should be the end goal, but we have to approach that differently with different groups. In order to reach those who think they're secular, we should point out their religiosity

For those who acknowledge the spiritual, we should understand what they believe and direct them toward truth * We should channel their passion for a cause by opening up the beauty and incredible truth of theism

Previous Episodes:

What is Objective Reality?
What is Subjective Reality?
Unity of Subject and Object
The Golden Mean for Understanding Objective and Subjective Reality
Naturalism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Materialism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Scientism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Postmodernism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

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The postmodernist movement is a reaction to the ideas of the enlightenment, often referred to as modernity. Basically, it developed in the mid 20th century, largely due to the developments of the 19th and early 20th century. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Postmodernism.

Merits of Postmodernism While postmodernist thought is far from perfect, it does raise good points. Here are a few valid claims postmodernists make:

There is social conditioning
And, there are cultural customs that different societies hold to
Art leads to different interpretations

Errors of Postmodernism Even though they raise valid concerns, postmodernist thinkers make mistakes. These are a few places postmodernism goes wrong:

It confuses tastes and preferences with claims and opinions on facts
Social conditions aren't the only influence on our lives or means of improving them
It over-emphasizes power

Corrections In order to correct Postmodernism, we have to look at the core of it. The main issue I find is that it is concerned with things that exist, but they over-emphasize them or lend too much credence to those facets of their philosophy. For instance, there are power structures that influence our world. However, the way postmodernists look for these structures in every nook and cranny of human culture is disordered.

It also holds contradicting ideas like the universal truths of power structures and hierarchies alongside ideas of radical self-referentiality. Lastly, I judge a philosophy by it's fruits, and the fields that have been influenced by postmodernism have been corrupted. Many are hardly intelligible at this point.

Related Episodes in this Series * What is Objective Reality? * What is Subjective Reality? * Unity of Subject and Object * The Golden Mean for Understanding Objective and Subjective Reality * Naturalism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly * Materialism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly * Scientism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

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Why Science is Good Science is a tremendous gift, and has led to incredible human flourishing. The advancements we've seen due to science allow us to live radically more comfortable lives than our ancestors. Because of scientific inquiry, very few people experience the tremendous hardships our ancestors did. Furthermore, that number is decreasing more and more each year.

Additionally, science is a reliable method for learning the truth about the natural world. Through the scientific method, we can come to know more about the world around us, and we can do that with a common framework. One thing to remember, however, is that science is always tentative and prone to change due to new evidence.

Errors of Scientism The problem with scientism is that it lifts science up, and in the process, ignores other fields of inquiry. The word "science" originates in the word for knowledge, but now only applies to a narrow field of knowledge. I would argue that a philosopher who completely disregards science, and only accepts ontological proofs, is misguided. But in our culture, ontological proofs are discounted, and we act as though anything that can't be proven by the natural sciences is unfounded.

Scientism is wrong because it tries to use a tool for the wrong purposes. Instead of using science to inquire about the natural world, we try to apply it to other fields of study. Additionally, scientism poses a criteria for knowledge that is impossible to meet. We can never learn new things if we need hard, repeatable evidence for every claim we accept as true.

Lastly, scientism forces us to have an ever-shifting understanding of truths. In logic and mathematics, we know the truths are true in all times and places. But, in science, truth is gradually uncovered, and theories are regularly revised. In science, that is ok, but we should not apply that to all fields of study. Scientism applies that understanding of truth to all forms of inquiry, which is wrong.

Corrections What we can do to fix this is to keep in mind that science is a tool. Science is a method for learning about the world, and it isn't the supreme arbiter of truth. People who fall into this way of thinking over-emphasize the objective world. Often, they are materialists or naturalists, and they fail to take into account the spiritual part of the human condition. Instead, they act like we are merely chemistry sets or lab rats.

Next, we must not think that an epistemology that works for science will work elsewhere. Philosophy and math come to find truth in very different ways than science. So, we shouldn't make the mistake of needing experiments to come to mathematical truths. In other words, you cannot find all truth in a lab.

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According to Wikepedia, "Materialism is a form of philosophical monism that holds that matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materialism, mind and consciousness are by-products or epiphenomena of material processes (such as the biochemistry of the human brain and nervous system), without which they cannot exist. This concept directly contrasts with idealism, where mind and consciousness are first-order realities to which matter is subject and material interactions are secondary."

Valid Concerns and Good Points At first, it seems to make sense. Much of what we encounter is material. Our food, light, furniture, etc. is all material. It would be easy at first glance to think everything boils down to what is material. But, does that really comport with what we experience and know?

Errors of Materialism Materialism leaves out a large chunk of the human experience. First, it fails, like naturalism, to fully account for the supernatural and the spiritual. And, in doing so, it denies free will and many other parts of our experience that are products of the spirit.

Also, materialism doesn't allow for the abstract truths we know to be. Moral truths, natural laws, beauty, and even some mathematical truths can't exist if everything is material. So, materialism fails to explain all that we know about the world.

Corrections There is more to the world than just the material. It doesn't fit with our understanding of the world. We experience more than just the material in art and music, as well as abstract concepts. We also experience the phenomenon of free will, which is impossible in a materialist world.

In order to fully comport with reality, we need to take into account more than material things. In order to fully experience the world, we have to take account for the non-material parts of our lives.

Related Episodes in this Series * What is Objective Reality? * What is Subjective Reality? * Unity of Subject and Object * The Golden Mean for Understanding Objective and Subjective Reality * Naturalism & The Human Person | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

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According to Wikipedia, Naturalism is "the idea or belief that only natural laws and forces (as opposed to supernatural or spiritual ones) operate in the universe. Adherents of naturalism assert that natural laws are the only rules that govern the structure and behavior of the natural world, and that the changing universe is at every stage a product of these laws."

In this episode, I'll take a look at some of the good points and valid concerns of Naturalism. Then, I'll discuss how it falls short, and what corrections it needs.

Valid Concerns and Good Points One of the good points of naturalists is that we can attribute most things to natural laws and forces. Every little thing that happens doesn't have to be a supernatural intervention. And, we know it isn't random due to the consistency of events.

There is a time in pagan cultures when everything was attributed to the supernatural. Even in the Judeo-Christian world much of the natural order was attributed to angel's intervention. I don't begin to say that I know how Heaven governs this world and it's laws. But it appears to me that there are natural laws and that God created the world with a discoverable order. When looking into that order, it is good to work within it's bounds, which is why we have science.

Errors of Naturalism The cause of why I burn my tongue on hot coffee or the sun rises everyday can be naturally accounted for. But, the fact that all these beings exist as well as the laws that govern them, none of which fully account for the existence of the universe, has to have some other explanation. Naturalism cannot account for that. Instead, it seeks for a self-explaining cause that's within the natural order.

Furthermore, there are well-attested events that do not fit into the natural world. Inexplicable miracles are one. But, there are phenomena like love and beauty that we do experience. However, the naturalist cannot explain these fully by neurons and brain chemistry. We need a deeper, spiritual explanation if we want to cohere with our universal experience.

Corrections There is one major correction a naturalist needs to incorporate all truth into his worldview. That is a recognition of the spiritual. Miracles, religious experiences, emotions, and beauty aren't simply natural phenomena. Rather, they are true experiences of something outside of the natural order. To see this in art, read The Soul of the World, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, or Tolkien's Lord of the Rings to see how this plays out. They demonstrate that there is more to this world than the naturalist can explain. And, they do it both with philosophy and story-telling.

Related Episodes in this Series * What is Objective Reality? * What is Subjective Reality? * Unity of Subject and Object * The Golden Mean for Understanding Objective and Subjective Reality

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I've discussed the Golden Mean a number of times on the podcast and in various ways. Today, I want to reiterate what the Mean is and how we use practical wisdom to seek it. But, I'll be discussing that in reference to objective and subjective reality. Where are the excesses and defects in our understandings of these two ideas? That's what I'll dive into today.

Here are some of the excesses and defects I think take us away from the mean. You can listen to the episode above to dive deeper into the why and how.

Find out more: The Golden Mean for Understanding Objective and Subjective Reality

Excesses in Understandings of Objective Reality * Belief that only the physical world exists * Believing only in what the senses observe * Denial of abstract truths or moral truths

Defects in Understandings of Objective Reality * Doubting the external world * Disbelief in natural law * Lack of belief in truth

Excesses in Understandings of Subjective Experience * Radical relativism * Critical theory * Attacks on beauty and art

Defects in Understandings of Subjective Experience * Denial of free will * Attributing human consciousness to natural phenomenon * Not allowing for tastes, preferences, or opinions

Other episodes in this series: * What is Objective Reality? * What is Subjective Reality? * Unity of Subject and Object

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Today, I'd like to take a break from the series I've been rolling out to discuss patriotism in honor of Independence Day. We should always be grateful for our country and what it affords us, but I think the 4th of July is a great time to stop and reflect on that more deeply. So, I want to look at this topic generally, but also specifically in regards to my love of my country and my heritage.

What is Patriotism? It can be hard to offer a patriotism definition, largely because it encompasses so much. Basically, I look at it as a love for one's own country and a recognition of and gratitude for what his country offers. That is not normally how I find people describing it. We often misconstrue American patriotism, for instance, by limiting it to assenting to the values our founders described. While I think a patriot is one who does love the founding of his country, I think there can be room for criticism or dissent. Also, it encompasses more than just that - especially since many nations have been founded on different grounds.

Patriotism vs. Nationalism I do think there's a difference between patriotism and nationalism, but it's nuanced. To understand that, I'd like to point to the American founding. A nation is "a relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country." (via The American Heritage Dictionary)

Justice demands us to love our country and be grateful to it. But, as we saw in early America, a unified people can fall apart. By the time of our founding, we were in many ways a separate nation, which is how our founders justified their separation.

Related posts * 132. Is America Worth Defending? * 134. How to Defend America * Political Division in America – What’s Causing it, and How Do We Fix It? * 184. Crazy Elections in America’s Past * 37. Restoring Civility In America * 165. Book Review | Shocking Secrets of American History by Bill Coate * 20. 4th of July Special, a look at Our Founding Documents

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In today's episode, I want to talk more about the marriage of object and subject in the human person, and what that means.

Find out more here: Unity of Subject and Object We are Body & Soul Composites We experience the objective world and we have a subjective lens. In order to understand that, we must remember what I discussed in the last two episodes on objective reality and our subjective experience. We have bodies that are objects in the world, but we also have a mind and soul that allows us to relate to one another, think abstractly, communicate ideas, and create art.

We can influence the world around us It is possible to influence the world around us. Here are some of the ways we do that. We can:

create, destroy, move, and manipulate objects
persuade people logically
influence people’s emotions
have relationships with a whole person

But we can't dictate reality This doesn't mean we can dictate everything around us. The laws of nature are beyond our control, although we can use them to our advantage. There are many things we cannot change or influence, and there are some that we have some sway over, but many are out of our control. That is something many subjectivists cannot admit: that our feelings about the world don't necessarily change it.

Related episodes:

Book Review | Fools, Frauds, and Firebrands by Roger Scruton
Our Pornographic Culture

What is Objective Reality?

What is Subjective Reality?

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Last week, I discussed objective reality and why we can trust our intuitions that the world around us is there. And, we can come to know things about the world, even if limited. Today, I want to discuss subjective reality, or personal experience. This will help us see why just looking at the world outside doesn't work for us as people. Before I get into subjective vs objective, I want to also define what I mean by subjective.

This is part of my series diving into the issue our society has reconciling truth and experience. I recommend you go back and check out the first one if you're interested.

Full show notes here:

What is Subjective Reality?

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Grab your copy of the Symposium, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo>>

More info: The Death of Socrates And What It Teaches Us Of Courage and Nobility

In his description of the imprisonment and death of Socrates, Plato gives us a look at who he was. In many of Plato's other works, Socrates is more of a character in the dialogue. However, in Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito, we see him for the man he was - his commitment to being virtuous in the most dire of circumstances

Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito These three works detail the conversations of Socrates while he was imprisoned and awaiting his trial. The Apology details the trial of Socrates and the defense he put forward. Ultimately, his defense fell short and Socrates was sentenced to death by poison. However, it shows his incredible ability to get to truth and to make a defense for himself. Plus, it shows the injustice of his trial and his willingness to suffer in service of the truth.

The other two works detail conversations of Socrates while in jail. In Euthyphro, he discusses whether the holy are loved by the gods because they are holy, or if they are holy because they are loved by the gods.

The better of the two dialogues from prison is Crito, where Socrates explains why he's not going to flee and instead await trial. This dialogue shows his courage and nobility. He knew his fate was sealed if he went to trial, but he did so anyways. However, he didn't do it out of some suicidal mission, but out of love for truth and earnestness to do what is right.

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Symposium and The Death of Socrates (Classics of World Literature)

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Shownotes: What is Objective Reality?

A major problem I see in our society is that we've divorced objective reality and subjective experience. Instead of recognizing the world around us as it is and trying to relate to it, we do one of two things. We either fall into a Newtonian idea that we're determined and only science is real, or we rebel against this idea and recognize only our subjective experience.

I want to tackle this problem, so I'm going to walk through how I understand reality, as well as how I think we ought to relate to it. In today's episode, I start with what objective reality is.

Does objective reality exist?

My theory of truth holds that truth is based on objective reality. There is a world around us that actually exists. Our experience of the world is also real, and can be trusted, although it's not infallible. In this episode, I intend to demonstrate that we can trust our notions about the world. We see a world around us that is real - with which we can interact.Where do we see this most obviously?

Here are a few areas of our lives that we can look to in order to understand objective reality:

Simple things like setting a glass on a table
Mathematics
Courts of law
Philosophy & logic

What about when it’s hard to know the truth? Does the fact that knowing the truth can be hard actually mean truth is changing or that it's relative?

Not knowing it doesn’t mean it isn’t there
Too much to know
Truth is an asymptote
Disagreements on moral law

Objective reality vs subjective reality As I mentioned above, we often hold two opposing ideas. One is that science is real truth, and objectively true. But at the same time, we reject any notion of objective truth when it comes to questions of morality. How can objective reality exists sometimes, but not others? I think what happens is that we confuse our experience of the world with the world as it is.

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I wanted to start reading the Summa Theologiae by Thomas Aquinas - until I realized it was a multi-volume set. So, I despaired and looked for another option. And, I ran across A Shorter Summa, Peter Kreeft's work that helps introduce people to Aquinas.

Buy your copy of A Shorter Summa by Peter Kreeft here>>

Full episode: Peter Kreeft's Intro to the Summa Theologiae by St. Thomas Aquinas

Who Was St. Thomas Aquinas? Thomas Aquinas is a Dominican friar, Catholic Saint, and a Doctor of the Church. He was philosopher who helped the Medieval Church incorporate Aristotle and the Greek philosophers into the Catholic tradition. He was a spectacular thinker and writer whose impact on the Church is still tremendous. While he's best known for the Summa Theologiae, he also wrote numerous commentaries, the Summa Contra Gentiles, and much more.

What is the Summa Theologiae? Buy your copy of A Shorter Summa by Peter Kreeft here>>

Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae is his largest work. Aquinas wrote the Summa to be a beginner's guide to the faith. Today, we would think it is rather comprehensive and hard to grapple with. It argues in favor of belief in God and the teachings of the Catholic Church as well as speculate on moral and theological questions.

How Peter Kreeft helps read the Summa Theologiae What I found helpful about Kreeft's summary of the Summa Theologiae is how he broke down the questions. Kreeft's offered insight and background to questions, but didn't talk down to the reader. I found his notes helpful in understanding the context as well as the methods and jargon used in philosophy. His glossary of terms helped me grasp the concepts because Thomas didn't write in a way we'd be familiar with. Unless you've read and studied Aristotle (which I barely had at the time), much of what Aquinas wants to say is muddled. By leveraging Aristotle's system, he took on his terms and methods. Kreeft translates that in the notes, helping the layman like myself make better sense of it.

Buy your copy of A Shorter Summa by Peter Kreeft here>>

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A Shorter Summa: The Essential Philosophical Passages of Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica

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"You're not a monk." That was the reaction I got from a priest as I confessed that I'd slipped in my prayer life. And it struck me. He pointed out that my duty is not to spend X amount of time in prayer, but to be a good husband. That comes first, and my prayer life should aid me in that endeavor. This happened within a day or two of listening to Catholic Stuff You Should Know's episode titled GOD IS "BEING WITH". What I want to do with this episode is explore how we live a life of love and service in our world of distractions, without compromising on our faith.

For the full show notes with verses, go here: You're Not A Monk | Unexpected Advice From a Priest

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Because I'm not feeling great today, I'm posting class 2 from my course on the Nichomachean Ethics. I wanted to still have something for you today. So, tune in to hear more from the class.

Class 1 of the Nichomachean Ethics>>

Subscribe here for access to the full course and more>>

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The importance of integrity cannot be overstated. If we want to be good, honest people, we have to act out of integrity. We must find a way to uphold our beliefs and act in accord with what we claim to be true. That's what I discuss below in today's episode, so listen here to learn more:

Get your copy of Thoreau's Civil Disobedience here >>

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/05/28/suffering-for-the-truth-the-importance-of-integrity/

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Civil disobedience is a popular way of changing laws without violence. This is an option when we can no longer use the normal channels like legislation or petitions to update our laws. If an unjust law persists on the books after all the usual means have been tried, this is a great option for changing the law. Today, I'll discuss why that's the case, and how we go about doing it properly.

Find out more:

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/05/25/when-civil-disobedience-is-justified/

Civil Disobedience by Thoreau:

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2020/04/17/109-book-review-walden-civil-disobedience/

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What can we really know about human nature? I think one of the best ways to understand it is through stories. Sure, biology can tell us how our body works. But, only narrative, philosophy, and theology can help us understand our souls.

Grab your copy of Lord of the Flies here >>

Was Rousseau right about human nature? Rousseau said that people were inherently good. I don't think that's the case. In The Lord of the Flies, we get a glimpse of what might happen if we were thrust back into nature. And, it doesn't look good. However, I think it is much more accurate than the naive hope Rousseau seemed to have.

Are people inherently bad? However, I don't think people are inherently bad either. I think being itself is good, so in that respect we're all good. With regards to whether or not we're all morally good, I'd say we have a mixed bag. And, it depends on the day for each of us. I've had good and bad days (sometimes back to back).

Does society dictate human nature? Society influences people, but society doesn't dictate our nature. Instead, I think a mixture of our temperament, societal influences, chance, and our choices influence it. We are in control of who we are and how we handle what's thrown our way. That, I think, is the only way to look at human nature honestly, pragmatically, and truthfully.

Find out more - https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/05/21/human-nature-in-stories-lessons-from-the-lord-of-the-flies/

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The Supreme Court is taking up a case that could seriously limit abortion. Mississippi banned abortion after 15 weeks, and now the Supreme Court is considering the case. While I have fears this may not turn out how I'd like it to, I want to make the case for why America should ban abortion. So, I am going to take a look at the reasons why it should be banned as well as how to go about it. Hopefully, by looking at some other examples, we can see how this can be accomplished.

What is abortion? This is the first question we must address if we want to decide whether or not it should be illegal. Until we know what an act is, we cannot judge whether it should be illegal or not. Abortion is the purposeful killing of a human being in the womb. If that is the case, then I would argue it ought to be illegal - just like murder. Basically, the difference between a procured abortion and murder is the location of the victim. This is the central issue for having a discussion about abortion

Reasons to ban abortion There are many reasons why we should to ban abortion. But, as I discussed above, it is important that we don't allow people to murder others. If abortion was simply taking out a parasite or a part of the woman's body, we'd think differently. However, because it is the direct killing of a human being it should not be allowed. I see no reason why this should be allowed and murder be illegal

States that have restricted abortion: What you'll find is that more conservative states have stricter abortion laws and more liberal states are more lax or even encourage it. Ballotpedia has a resource where you can dive in further. The problem is that the Supreme Court has shot down many restrictions on abortion over the decades since Roe vs. Wade.

Because we are a republic and a union of sovereign states, America has many different abortion policies. And, I think our laboratories of liberty are generally good. However, when lives are at stake (in the hundreds of thousands per year) I don't want a diversity of policy. Instead, I want a unified front against this heinous crime.

How we ban abortion While I'd like to see us ban abortion all at once, I doubt it'll happen that way. So, I think the best course of action is to take any step toward restricting abortion possible. Furthermore, we should find ways to restrict abortion completely. But, we have to change people's minds on the issue. In order to do that effectively, we have to find a way to make the reality of abortion plain.

In addition, we have to do it within the law as it is. We should seek to overturn Roe v. Wade, but that can't be the only thing. We should fight in states where we can get laws passed to restrict abortion as hard as we can. By doing that, we could try many different policies to see what is effective as well as what is palatable to the public. In a nation like America, we have to convince people that our policies are right. It can't be forced on anyone, but has to be chosen by the voting public.

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/05/18/why-america-should-ban-abortion/

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Libertarianism is a fractured and somewhat incoherent political camp if you look at libertarians as a whole. But, there are many sharp libertarians who know what they believe and why. Today's book review looks at some of the arguments in favor of liberty from a libertarian perspective, while exposing some of the problems with libertarianism.

In this book, you get 9 different arguments for liberty from libertarian philosophers.

Utilitarianism
Natural Rights
Kantianism
Contractarianism
Rawlsianism
Virtue Ethics
Objectivism
Ethical Intuitionism
Moral Pluralism

Find out more here >> Related Articles: 166. Election Thoughts, Libertarianism, ACB and More with Sean Boston

Is Libertarianism An Ideology?

The Most Beautiful Place I’ve Ever Been & More Mailbag Questions

Conservative Libertarianism: An Answer To Today’s Political Problems

Political Action and the Call to “Do Something”

Politics – All About It

Yoast SEO

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Today's episode will be a mailbag episode with 4 really good questions from people in the Conversation of Our Generation community. I really appreciate the feedback I've been getting and wanted to hear what's on people's minds, so I put a call out on Twitter for questions. If you want your question answered, you can submit your question here.

Questions for Today's Mailbag: * Which book would you advise for young men/women read that you wish you would have read? - @glass_zealot * Which is the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited and why? - @glass_zealot * If everything you said for the rest of your life had to come out of 1 book, which book would that be (cannot be the Bible)? - @FRANKCUNHAIII * Is Libertarianism compatible with traditional Christianity? - @ManlyVirtue

Find out more about what I had to say here: https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/05/11/the-most-beautiful-place-ive-ever-been--more-mailbag-questions/(opens in a new tab)

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Our society has a problem discussing politics and political ideas, and I think I know the issue. Our country has divided itself on many issues, but that's nothing new. However, nowadays few people have a political philosophy underpinning their beliefs. I think that is at the root of the issue. If we had firm foundations, it would be easier to hear opposing viewpoints. But, when we build our ideas on foundations of sand, we have to stop them from washing away.

Read more here: https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/05/07/why-a-political-philosophy-is-important--natural-law-by-lysander-spooner/

What is Political Philosophy? Political philosophy is a grounding in how you view the world. Basically, it acts as a framework to which you can attach your ideas. From there, you can build an understanding of the world by attaching new information to the framework. It also gives you a set of first principles for discussing politics.

Buy your copy of Natural Law by Lysander Spooner here>>

What is Natural Law? Natural law is Aristotle's political philosophy, Locke's political philosophy, and the basis for many other great thinkers. Lysander Spooner's work, Natural Law, is a great way to learn more about how Natural Law operates in a political context. It's a short book, and I think anyone would benefit from reading it. People who do not understand Natural Law, would learn a lot about it, even if they don't believe it from this work.

What is My Political Philosophy? I adhere to an understanding of Natural Law that the moral truths and political truths are discoverable like science. I also believe in a broad basis of liberty for all men, and think it should be a top priority in political discussions. Also, I have faith in the common people in many ways, as long as they aren't led to believe falsities by the powerful elites. I fall in line with thinkers like Aristotle, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Roger Scruton, and others.

Whose political philosophy is reflected in the Declaration of Independence? The ideas reflected in the Declaration of Independence are the ideas I discussed above. The Declaration of Independence includes ideas from Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, Thomas Paine, and others. It is a call to liberty and justice for all, and laid the groundwork for American self-governance.

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Political division has become a serious problem in America. But what is causing this divide between right and left? I discuss that with Ross Benes, author of Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold. In his book, Ross discusses what is causing the political division in the US, and what that means for real people. We'll discuss his views of what's dividing Americans and how we can address it.

Full episode notes here: Political Division in America

What is Political Division? A definition for political division that I use is "a situation in a country when people are incapable of coming together to discuss how the country should be run due to excessive partisanship or ideology." We can see this in America today with our inability to have a political discussion.

Partisanship in America These partisan divides are nothing new, though. In fact, the first partisan political division in the united states occurred between the federalists and anti-federalists. Or, if you want to include our time as colonies, we had deep divides between the Loyalists and Patriots. Our fervent and lively political dialogue has been a good thing, helping us move forward as a nation. Sadly, in the last few years, we've lost our ability to discuss ideas and do so in a productive way. Ever since the first partisan political division, we've been fighting these battles, but the tactics recently have been a bit out of bounds.

Why is Political Division so Bad? The issue with division is that we ought to have some semblance of unity as a nation. We should be able to see our neighbor as a fellow countryman, even if we disagree. The fever pitch in American politics today is largely due to a mistrust of our neighbor combined with economic and political trends that hurt some while helping others. We are not supposed to agree on everything, but we should be able to agree to respect each other and live in civil society together.

Diving into the Problems and Solutions Benes' book looks at the data and the stories to understand why this is happening. And, I think that is the approach we need. Looking at the data helps us learn about the trends in society at large, but the anecdotes and stories give us a glimpse at the people that underly the statistics. To solve a big problem, we'll need both.

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Fight With Words, Not Fists

Book Review | Don’t Burn This Book by Dave Rubin

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Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold

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Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors is a great example of how slapstick comedy in literature can bring life to a story and make it more enjoyable.

"Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious."

-Peter Ustinov

Listen to or watch The Use of Comedy in Literature | Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors here: https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/04/29/comedy-in-literature--shakespeares-comedy-of-errors/

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I sat down with Julie Mastrine to discuss feminism, media bias, culture, and traditional values. She's a writer at @evie_magazine and director of marketing at @allsidesnow, as well as sister of Amy Mastrine, who I interviewed last year. Listen below to hear a great discussion about our culture today. You can find out more about Julie here.

Feminism in our culture Feminist movements today are often very anti-woman. Many of the basic ideas of feminism try to make women into men, rather than celebrating women for being women. The history of feminism is very different than the examples of feminism today. However, they do have a lot in common as well. Julie writes a lot about relationships and issues confronting women today. So, we discussed her views on feminism and and why feminism doesn't work.

Living by Traditional Values What are traditional American values? Well, there isn't a list of traditional values I can point to in order to explain what they are, but there are examples of traditional values that can help point you in the right direction. American values are not very traditional, but there are a lot of Americans pushing for a more old school morality. A return to tradition is what young people want, and Julie does a great job at presenting the argument for traditional values in relation to religion and the relationships between men and women.

Addressing Media Bias There are many issues with our media and the biases they hold. If you looked at a media bias chart, you'd see the type of media bias that's most common is left-leaning. Allsides works to promote a fair and unbiased media. There's right-wing bias and left-wing bias, but the problem with media bias is huge in our culture.

You can check out this news organization bias chart to learn more about how it's done. (Although, I don't wholly agree with it)

Read more: Confronting Feminism and Media Bias with Traditional Values

Read more about distributism here

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John Locke was an influential Enlightenment thinker whose work inspired many of the Founding Fathers. Locke was a philosopher and is commonly regarded as the Father of Liberalism. Since his work has come up in other discussions, like the one I had with Dr. Yenor. Plus, Locke was a focal point of my conversation with Brooke Medina from the John Locke Foundation. Because he's top of mind, and because we're ready to tear apart anything anyone tries to build in our society, I wanted to discuss Two Treatises on Government to learn how to criticize government.

"The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom."

-John Locke

First Treatise: Criticize Government As It Is

In the first treatise, Locke responds to Robert Filmer’s Patriarcha, a work in favor of the divine right of kings. During this time there was a lot of political turbulence in England, and a debate was bubbling up about the monarchy. Locke responded to Filmer because of his contention that all men are born slaves of the divinely ordained king. This idea repulsed Locke because he believed each person is capable of reason. Furthermore, each person is capable of understanding and following God's Law.

Second Treatise: Offer a Viable Alternative

The second treatise is a long description of what could replace the British system. He juxtaposes the state of nature and the state of war, saying that people enter into society to avoid a state of war. Then, Locke discusses property rights, explaining why they are a right and how to defend them. After laying out these main principles and observations, he goes on to discuss a suitable form of government.

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/03/18/how-to-criticize-government/

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In this episode, I talked to Brook Medina from the John Locke Foundation about defending property rights from government and big tech. But, we also discussed capitalism vs. distributism, John Locke, beauty, and much more. We were able to pack a lot of great insights into this hour-long interview. So, listen or watch below. And, if you want to learn more about the John Locke Foundation, check out their work here.

About Brooke and the John Locke Foundation Brooke Medina is Vice President of Communications for the John Locke Foundation. Brooke also co-hosts HeadLocke and handles all press relationships. She has been published in outlets such as The Hill, Entrepreneur, Washington Examiner, Daily Signal, FEE, and Intellectual Takeout.

"The reason why men enter into society is the preservation of their property."

-John Locke

Defending Property Rights In my book on this subject, I discuss how innovation can outpace government regulation if done right. But, the world of big tech censorship is another issue. Brooke and I discussed how political activism can help push back against government and the potential solutions for holding big tech accountable. As advocates of the free market, neither of us wants more government regulation. However, we both recognize the problem and see the need for some solution to hold these big tech companies accountable.

Power of Free Markets We also dove into the debate I've been seeing several places on capitalism vs. distributism. Again, while we don't want government getting into managing the economy, we both are intrigued by the distributists. Neither of us sees how the distributist model can be implemented. However, new trends on remote work and a dispersion of talent could lead to a similar outcome. Instead of government reassigning wealth or jobs, they may be able to stand aside and let the free market decentralize.

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I recent finished Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and it was a truly delightful book. Although it might have helped reading it with a scotch and cigar. All joking aside, it was an interesting look at new arguments for Christianity that really spoke to me. As someone who fell away from the faith and returned due to the good arguments faithful Christians and Jews put forward, as well as bad Atheist arguments, I know why I believe what I believe. In this exploration of why Christianity is true, and how Chesterton came to know that, I came across a set of arguments I hadn't heard. And, they only fortified my belief further.

Buy your copy of Orthodoxy here>

"Progress is a metaphor from merely walking along a road –– very likely the wrong road. But reform is a metaphor for reasonable and determined men: it means that we see a certain thing out of shape and we mean to put it into shape. And we know what shape."

-G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Why Christianity is True, According to Chesterton His arguments are not ontological proofs or extraordinary miracles he had in his life. Instead, it is is an argument from experience and evidence with a bit of wit mixed in. He demonstrates how many of the problems people raise with Christianity just aren't true. Really, he employs Occam's Razor, or the Sherlock Holmes method: whatever is left after all has been ruled out, must be true. In this discussion I found a new line of argumentation that lead me to see better why Christianity is true, and how the arguments and problems with Christianity fall short of disproving this.

Buy your copy of Orthodoxy here>

Chesterton's Path to Christian Belief I picked up Descartes Discourses after I finished Orthodoxy because there wasn't much left in the book and I had time to read. The two works could not be more different. Chesterton speaks from his experience of the world throughout this work, describing how he came to Christianity through these experiences. He does present the arguments for Christianity and arguments against Christianity that he encountered. However, he doesn't work through them systematically like most philosophers, but organically as a sage might.

The juxtaposition of this approach against Descartes' who seeks to do away with all his experiences and his common sense to find what's true. Instead of rejoicing in this world of oddities and wonders, he seems to turn away from it and shun it. And, both these men are Christian thinkers, which to me shows the beauty of the Catholic Church that allows a healthy diversity in approach to the faith.

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Instead of truly educating people, we've used our school system to push out mindless drones. That is not to say that the average person today doesn't know many things that some of the smartest 500 years ago didn't. Rather, we no longer make people earn knowledge. While that's the case for traditional schooling, there are outlets offering true education. Children and young adults are looking to online courses, job trainings, and other alternative modes of education to make an impact.

"The foundation of every state is the education of its youth."

-Diogenes

Where Education Goes Wrong Knowledge used to be something that was discovered for oneself, rather than spoon-fed by educators. Sure, you may memorize your multiplication tables or dates of historic events. But, much of the knowledge you came to was due to exploration and real learning. This means that you didn't simply know facts, but had a worldview and an epistemology to work with to know what is true.

If we want to truly educate our children, we must find a way to fix this broken system or build a new one. Personally, I think building new would be far more effective. The education system is entrenched and pushing back against reform. The administrations, lawmakers, and teachers unions are not seeking to improve education, but to help teachers get as much as they can from the school system for as little as possible.

Teachers unions are holding the “education” of our country’s children as a hostage, and leveraging that against the taxpayer. And the thing is, they really don’t have any leverage. They aren’t actually providing an education. Rather, they’re instilling a prideful ignorance in our children, and sending them off to be drones of the state.

Alternative Solutions: Online Courses & More It has been nearly one year of “15 days to slow the spread,” and it seems like school is permanently, radically altered. And many people are seeing the weakness in our education system. Because COVID made schools worse, these options became much more tenable, and people seem to be happier than they were with “normal schooling” before COVID. Kids are failing more, ADHD diagnoses are up, and the teachers are making impossible demands. This has forced people to look elsewhere.

Homeschooling
Charter schools
Private schools
Alternative solutions & Online Courses

How I Continued My Education How do we move forward? What can we do now, in our own lives, to improve our education? Despite the bleak diagnosis, I see two easy changes each of us can make in our mindset and our actions to improve our education.

Use school for training
Seek your own liberal education

That’s what I’m providing here. I’m launching the first installment of my new course on the Nichomachean Ethics, which will be a greater part of my course on the Golden Mean. This is just a teaser of what’s to come.

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In my previous book reviews on the first two books, I discussed how to take responsibility and know when it's time to fight. Each of those is a great lesson, and I recommend you check those out if you haven't. For this episode, we'll discuss conquering evil and what the fallout is when it's defeated. Both of these are important to understand, and if we're to be successful at driving evil out of our culture, we'll need these lessons. So, either watch this discussion (above) or listen (below).

Buy your copy of the Lord of the Rings series here >> Conquering Evil If we plan on conquering evil, we'll have to be ready to learn from these books and be ready to fight when all seems lost. Despite being backed into a corner on all fronts, the good guys fight on. That's what it takes to win the war: courage, cunning and perseverance.

"Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West,

for your King shall come again,

and he shall dwell among you

all the days of your life.

And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed,

and he shall plant it in the high places,

and the City shall be blessed."

-J.R.R. Tolkien

Buy your copy of the Lord of the Rings series here >> After Evil is Defeated Once the main battle was one, many of the friends parted ways and went home. Some of the more ancient beings like the elves or Gandalf set sail for a different land. The rest were left behind to live the normal life, the peaceful life. They had rebuilding to do, and some lingering ruffians to clean up, but they knew the battle was won. Now, they had to ensure that this sort of evil wouldn't rise again, which is the hard part.

Buy your copy of the Lord of the Rings series here >>

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The Hobbit And The Lord Of The Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set

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I've talked to a couple of architects and discussed the charm of local neighborhoods. In my conversation with Bill Martin, we discussed restoring old homes. And, we talked about his philosophy on how to do that in a way that serves his client and is in keeping with the neighborhood. Furthermore, he does this with sustainability as a primary focus as well. If you're interested in learning more, listen below to understand his philosophy. You can also find more about Bill's work here.

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/03/01/restoring-old-homes-with-beauty-and-purpose/(opens in a new tab)

"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness."

-Frank Gehry

Restoring Old Homes After a while, homes need to be touched up. Even if they're in good shape, people may want to change them to fit a new style of living. So, restoring old homes is important if we don't want to tear down and rebuild. It is also a more efficient and sustainable way of updating a home than tearing down and rebuilding. The practicality of restoration, I think, is clear. But, there is something to maintaining the character and history of a home and not getting rid of it.

Doing it With Beauty And Purpose Bill does this with beauty. He focuses on creating an aesthetically impressive home that is in keeping with the neighborhood. Instead of trying to fuel his ego, he seeks to build something for the client and the community. Building with purpose is another part of this, ensuring that his building serves the client and the community. His approach that recognizes the need to balance these different uses and economic factors is unique. More architects should learn about his philosophy, which he calls E-FABism.

"Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic, products of the heart."

-Arthur Erickson

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There comes a time when you have to fight, even if it seems hopeless. I think we're at that point in our culture. And no, I'm not calling for actual violence. I'm calling for us to simply rise up and speak the truth, even when it's hard. You may not want to be the one to take part in the battle. But when it's time to fight, you don't always have a choice. I think this book demonstrates how we ought to act when we're up against the wall and see no way out.

"Arise now, arise, Riders of Theoden!

Dire deeds awake, dark is it eastward.

Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded!

*Forth Eorlingas!"

-* J.R.R. Tolkien

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How to Know it's Time to Fight

It can be hard to know when you should stand your ground and fight. Sometimes it's clear, and sometimes it's murky. However, I think right now we can clearly see that our culture is under attack from many directions. Some of the most basic truths are being called into question. We don't trust our institutions, and deservedly so. Furthermore, the education of our children is being undermined and used to indoctrinate them. So, if you ask me, it's time to push back. It's time to fight.

Fighting for a Lost Cause But, how do we go about that? Has the left not completely taken over the culture? While they may have taken over most of the culture, I don't think fighting back is a lost cause. It may be a long shot, but they were able to systematically and radically subvert the culture over the past century. I think we can play their game of inches as well and flip the culture.

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This is a sneak peak of my course on the Golden Mean. In this installment, I go through the first book of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. Together, we'll walk through each chapter of Aristotle's Ethics, Lewis's Abolition of Man, Confucius' Analects and Doctrine of the Mean, Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, and then discuss what they have in common. So, if you're ready to take your education into your own hands, let me know through the form below.

Sign up here >>

Further Resources Here's the outline I used so you can review it. And you can find a pdf version of the Nicomachean Ethics here. Or, you can buy a copy of your own here. If you want to get access to m

Why take this course? What can we do now, in our own lives, to improve our education? Despite the bleak diagnosis, I see two easy changes each of us can make in our mindset and our actions to improve our education.

Use school for training
Seek your own liberal education

School has become necessary only inasmuch as it is a credential for a career. But, that is changing rapidly with new ways to get job training like coding bootcamps or other digital tool certification. If you need to go to college, do that. However, if it can be avoided, you should avoid it.

Furthermore, you should still get the liberal education that puts you in touch with our history. We shouldn’t shrug our responsibility to pass down the wisdom, art, and beauty of our culture. It just can’t be found on the college campus. Each of us has to go and read the classics, learn about our history, and find alternatives to the college campus.

So, if you're interested sign up here>>

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This episode is a bit of a departure from my normal conversations about politics, philosophy, etc. Nicole from the Infinity Twins podcast joined me to discuss productivity and how to prevent burnout. While I don't want to be in the self-help space, I do think this is a real problem today. So, I wanted to offer some thoughts from Nicole and myself to help people be more productive while also staying sane.

"You'll have time to rest when you're dead."

Robert De Niro

What is Burnout? Burnout is what happens when you work too hard for too long. And in our culture, we are highly prone to overexerting ourselves without realizing it. The "Protestant work ethic" that Americans are praised for can be a tough burden to bear. Furthermore, what we consider rest is often not actually restful, which leads to burnout. The exhaustion that comes with burnout is our body signaling to us that it needs rest.

How to Prevent Burnout The way to do this is to find a balance in your life. You should work, and work hard. That's good. However, we shouldn't be working ourselves into an early grave or ignoring the most important things in life. God and family should be first in our lives, with healthy recreation following closely behind our work. Even soldiers get an R&R period now and then. The Golden Mean applies to all aspects of our lives, especially knowing how to prioritize different goods.

Finding Real Rest One of the major problems we find today is that our rest is not actually restful. Instead of calming down and spending some time in peace and quiet, we're constantly seeking stimulus. We may think we're "veging out" as we watch our favorite cop show, but that may not be the case. In fact, since so much of our work is mental, rather than physical, a little exercise might be better for rest than a couple hours of TV. But, some time with a loved one, a good book, or in prayer is always a good source of true rest.

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A lot of people are happy to note that virtue is lacking in our society, and we have a lot of work to do if we want a virtuous society. But, I hear only a few voices offering a solution to this problem. Only a few people are calling people to act virtuously and live a life of virtue. The Vital Masculinity podcast is doing great work to promote that, but sadly not many others are. Not many people are answering the basic questions like "What is virtue?" or "How do I become a virtuous person?" What is Virtue According to Aristotle? Aristotle defines the mean as the proper way of being between two extremes in great detail in his Nicomachean Ethics. Virtue, according to Aristotle, and many Greek philosophers, is an excellence in morality. Here’s what Aristotle has to say about excellence: "Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it." -Aristotle How to Be a Virtuous Person If you want to be a virtuous person, you should learn to seek the Golden Mean. But, how do you do that? Well, it's not easy, but it can be done if you are ready to learn and put in the work. In this book, Aristotle explains that you have to do what is proper to the situation. That requires knowing what the situation is, and it means you have to know how to respond. This takes Practical Wisdom, which you can learn more about here. "Regarding practical wisdom we shall get at the truth by considering who are the persons we credit with it. Now it is thought to be the mark of a man of practical wisdom to be able to deliberate well about what is good and expedient for himself, not in some particular respect, e.g., about what sorts of things conduce to health or to strength, but about what sorts of thing conduce to the good life in general." -Aristotle, Book VI of the Nichomachean Ethics

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The Golden Mean is an idea found in Aristotle's Ethics, The Tao Te Ching, and the Analects, and describes the right way of being. I've talked about the mean, or the way, previously on podcasts and articles. I wanted to revisit it here because I plan on diving deeper into what it is and why it matters. One of the courses coming soon will cover the thinkers from Aristotle and Lao Tsu to C.S. Lewis.

What is the Golden Mean? The Golden Mean is simply a manner of behaving where your life is balanced and virtuous. You find this balance by acting in a virtuous manner given certain situations. Aristotle defines these balances in great detail in Ethics. And, Lao Tzu and Confucius define the ideas of balance, especially in Confucius’ Doctrine of the Mean.

"Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it."

-Aristotle

Sign up here to be notified when updates about my upcoming course on The Golden Mean come out: Finding The Mean In order to follow the mean you must know your situation and act in accord with virtue, given the circumstances. Aristotle called this Practical Wisdom. Practical Wisdom is the ability, to look at a given situation and apply the knowledge you have properly. Sometimes it’s right to stay and fight, others negotiate, and sometimes running and hiding is the best you can do. Most actions are not in and of themselves good or bad, but can be assessed as good or bad given a certain situation.

In order to attain Practical Wisdom, you will need two pieces: knowledge and prudence. As for knowledge, you should be well-versed in many fields, especially the virtues. That way, you can assess a wide range of situations with as many of the facts as possible.

Bioethics, for example, is a tough field to master if you don’t have the scientific and philosophical background to understand the problem. Because our endeavors in life are not so narrowly focused, we must expand our search for knowledge to incorporate all aspects of our lives.

Prudence is the ability to assess the specific situation you’re in and pull from the proper knowledge sources to address that particular circumstance. It is right judgement.

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Today, I want to talk about the first book of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. I think we're in a place where each of us has had something similar to Frodo thrust upon us. In the book, Gandalf basically says that we don't ask for these hard times, but when they come, we have to deal with it. This comes up as Frodo is lamenting about how he has to bear this burden and fight to save the world. Even though he did nothing to deserve his fate, he has to take responsibility and go on this journey.

Grab your copy of The Lord of the Rings trilogy>>

We need people to bear their burdens And I think that as a culture, as a society, we have a lot of burdens that we have to face. This book offers a valuable lesson in what it takes to push back against evil. We're at a time where there is a similar feeling as what you have in the beginning of the Lord of the Rings. There is something hanging over our heads, looming, and I think there is an eerie feeling about where we're heading. What's sad about this is it isn't "our fault." Rather, it's something that's been thrust upon us and we have to respond. So how do we do that? Like Dr. Jordan Peterson talks about, we have to take responsibility - even if we aren't the cause of the suffering.

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Take Responsibility So, Frodo decides to go on the adventure and to take responsibility for something that was thrust upon him. And, I think that's what we need today. We need men ready to take up responsibility, even if it is for something we didn't mess up. Instead of the childish, "He started it," argument, we should be a society of doers. And I really like this book because it just is relatable to a child can who is coming of age, but I think a young man can as well. It is a call to take on what is thrust upon you and bear that burden. If you want to be inspired to do that, check out this book if you haven't already. Below is a transcript for you to check out and see how Frodo takes responsibility.

Find out more: https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2021/02/12/take-responsibility-and-bear-your-burden--the-fellowship-of-the-ring-book-review/

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I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephen and Brian from The Vital Masculinty Podcast to discuss how we can build a more virtuous society. On their podcast, they focus on helping men become more virtuous, and I think that our society would benefit from more virtuous men. If we want to change the culture, I think we each have to play our part and grow in virtue. A society is simply the people in it. In order to change a society, we must each choose to choose virtue.

What Does a Virtuous Society Look Like? You can't build something if you don't know what you want to build, but sometimes things are fuzzy. The picture may not be clear, but we have to take action anyways. With that said, I think we can agree that a society filled with Justice, Prudence, Courage, and Temperance is good. These cardinal virtues are the center of a virtuous life, and therefore, a virtuous society. A virtuous society will have strong families, tight-knit communities, respect for differences, and healthy politics. So, how do we go about creating that?

The Building Blocks of A Virtuous Society A society is just a human beings in relationship with one another. The family is the building block of society because its the first relationship one has to other people. But, we can only control our own actions - so if we want to change the society we live in, we have to change our behaviors first. That's why I like the Vital Masculinity Podcast's emphasis on each man attaining virtue. So, if you want to see how you can do that, listen to this episode and check out their work as well.

Enter your email here for updates on the Conversation of Our Generation! Finding Community as A Man

One thing I struggle with is finding like-minded men to fight alongside me. We want a band of brothers, but often don't know how to find that. Plus, it doesn't help that men aren't the best at building bonds and putting themselves out there. If both parties aren't reaching out, then no new bonds will form. So, the guys and I discussed this issue in light of their recent series on friendship and my observation of the breakdown of communities.

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Today we will be talking about what government has done with our money. Or better yet, the book: What Has Government Done To Our Money by Murray Rothbard. And, the reason I want to talk about this today is because I think it gives us a good basis and a good understanding of how to understand money at the basic level and how that interact our government. We have a lot of problems with money, and I think this book can help us fix them.

I'm reading another book right now on Abraham Lincoln and why he may not have been such a great president, actually. The author brings up some good points about problems with nationalized banking and some of the other policies that the Whig Party, and then the Republican Party, took on that were very problematic and terrible ideas. We have this sense of money that is wildly incorrect, and that's what I want to talk about today. You should read this book to straighten out your understanding of the concept of money. Plus, it'll help elucidate the problems with money we face as a country.

Quote of the Week

"Few economic subjects are more tangled, more confused than money."

-Murray Rothbard

I think that's really what the crux of this whole issue is - that it's so confusing, so tangled. We don't know how to classify this asset, and yet we use it daily. We understand how to interact with it in so many ways at a personal level. But we don't necessarily, when it gets into the macro monetary policy, understand things like what the Federal Reserve doing. How does that all work? That's where it gets very confusing, very muddled, and it becomes very easy for people who are in power to utilize that confusion in their favor. And, I think they do that a lot. Grab your copy here to learn about what the government did to our money>>

Problems With Money I've talked about this problem in the past in another episode that through inflation and other monetary policies that we have, an oligarchy or an elite group of people get first access to the money, and therefore, have the most power in our economy.

And so, that's why I think it's such an important read: money is a huge means of control. If there are people who are able to get first access and priority access to the money supply, they can influence economies. Especially because we see a democratization happening right now with the GameStonk thing and everything going on in politics.

They're pushing back against this institutional money that has the advantage in the market because they're close to power. And they are the ones who are nestled up and get the first, access to loans and cash flow.

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I've wanted to do a deep dive into the history of architectural landmarks, and recently got the chance. Frank Cunha, who I've been talking to via Twitter, offered to talk about some of the buildings that changed how we look at architecture. So, I took him up on his offer. This lesson on traditional architecture will take a look at the Pantheon and St. Peter's to see how Christendom adopted Roman architecture. You can also find out more about Frank at his website or follow him on Twitter.

"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness."

Frank Gehry

Sign up for the email newsletter Beauty of Traditional Architecture Truth, beauty, and goodness go together, and they cannot be separated. In order to have a good society, we must value truth and create beauty. Recently, I have talked a lot about restoring beauty in the arts and our architecture, but I don't have the expertise to give you the background.

So, I've tried to find people who know more than me on these things. I've spoken about beauty and architecture with Zach the Architect, Stained Glass Zealot, Amy Mastrine, and The Aureus Press. But, this lesson on traditional architecture will be different because it will not only focus on the beauty of architecture, but we'll dive into the history of some great buildings as well.

History of the Pantheon The Pantheon is a Roman temple that has had several iterations. Over time, it has been converted to a Catholic church, rebuilt, and renovated. Throughout its storied history, there are instances of tremendous innovation. While the elegance of its design is truly sublime, the history of the Pantheon is incredible as well.

History of St. Peter's St. Peter's Basilica, likewise, has an incredible history. The history of St. Peter's Basilica as it stands today goes back centuries, and is filled with tough architectural decisions, politics, and strife between artists and the pope. But, what I want to focus on in this conversation is why it was built the way it was and what the architects had to do to give us this tremendous piece of traditional architecture.

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Not sure if you've ever read Russian literature (I know I avoided it in high school). But, if you haven't it is something unique. In Notes From Underground, Fyodor Dostoevsky shows how someone paves the road to hell for himself by how they think and act. So, in today's episode, we'll take a look into the psyche of a man on that path to learn from his mistakes. Buy your Copy of Notes from Underground here.

Where's the Road to Hell?

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn says "The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man," however, he doesn't mention where Heaven and Hell are found. By following the character in Notes From Underground, you will see how one takes the road to Hell. The battle between good and evil may run through every heart, but the battle between Heaven and Hell happens in every action we take. In this book, you'll follow the thoughts and actions of a man on the road to hell. If you'd like to read it, you can grab your copy here.

"The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven."

-John Milton

https://youtu.be/X5W1WRBCVTQ Enter your email here for updates on the Conversation of Our Generation! Why you should read Notes From Underground

"The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness."

-Fyodor Dostoevsky

The reason you should read this book is to learn the source of your unhappiness, which is most likely you. While reading this work, you'll see how much you get in the way of your own happiness. Like I said above, we find Hell by choosing it daily. Unlike this world, the places we end up in the next are choices we make based on how we live. But, those things can come to be in this world. So, will you choose the road to hell or the Road to Heaven?

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The family is under attack in our culture today, with many ideologies attempting to undermine it. So, what can be one to push back? Last month, I reviewed a book that focused on saving the family from our culture. Dr. Scott Yenor joined me for an interview about his new book: The Recovery of Family Life. Tune in to learn more about what we need to do to save the family and halt the attack our culture is waging on it.

The Rolling Revolution In his book, Yenor identifies a revolution that has been bubbling up for over a century in our culture. It combines liberal premises with other ideologies to create a never-ending revolution. Below, you'll find how it's described on the Yenor Book website:

The Sexual Revolution, underway for decades now, is a rolling revolution—a set of unfinishable ambitions, all affecting marriage and family life. The ideologies of feminists, contemporary liberals, and sexual liberation theorists form a "rolling revolution" that has sunk deeply into our culture and political regime. As a result, marriage and family life suffer.

Saving the Family From Our Culture For me, I was happy to see a book that offered not just a discussion of the problem, but insight into how to solve it. In The Recovery of Family Life, Dr. Yenor proposes things like encouraging part time work for women and facilitating it through good policy. Furthermore, it's important to recognize how "retail feminists" sell policies that have broader effects and oppose those policies. Policies like contraception, subsidized daycare, and pushing women into the workplace all serve to undermine the family. No matter what they may say about it, that is the end goal. But, in this interview he offers those solutions for saving the family from our culture.

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The Recovery of Family Life: Exposing the Limits of Modern Ideologies

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Plato's Symposium is a great guide on how to discuss ideas. In this book, you'll get an in-depth look at a lengthy discussion about love. Despite having competing theories, the people in this book are able to discuss their ideas amicably. Furthermore, they ask good questions and understand each other's ideas. This helps the conversation dive into a deep discussion, rather than staying at the surface-level. If that interests you at all, listen here to learn more.

Learning How To Discuss Ideas This book is a discussion on love between several friends. One is a doctor, some poets, and others are philosophers, but each has an insight into what love is. What I found helpful in learning more about discussing ideas was that the Symposium is written in the form of a dialogue, like Plato's other works. The men take each other's ideas seriously despite being very different and having conflicts. Although they could attack each other's arguments, they decide to put forth ideas and seek truth.

Learn About What Socrates Was Like Another part of this book that I love is that you get a good description of Socrates (check the meme below or in this tweet). He was constantly aloof thinking about some other idea, much like a daydreamer. In the beginning of the book Socrates is snapped out of an episode like this and brought along to the party. And, it's at this party where the dialogue for the Symposium begins.

"Socrates dropped behind in a fit of abstraction, and desired Aristodemus, who was waiting, to go on before him. When he reached the house of Agathon he found the doors wide open, and a comical thing happened. A servant coming out met him, and led him at once into the banqueting-hall in which the guests were reclining, for the banquet was about to begin. Welcome, Aristodemus, said Agathon, as soon as he appeared--you are just in time to sup with us; if you come on any other matter put it off, and make one of us, as I was looking for you yesterday and meant to have asked you, if I could have found you. But what have you done with Socrates?"

-Symposium

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Our country is obviously divided, politically, culturally, and religiously. Despite living in the same country under the same laws, we have two separate nations in our country. In this episode, I'll discuss mending a divided nation and how we find unity amid all the chaos.

How We're Divided

We have divided ourselves in many ways across this country. We've separated ourselves into religious and secular, conservative and liberal, coastal and heartland, and in numerous other ways. With all of these differences, how can we even say we're one country? Discussions of secession come up on both sides of the political aisle, and many take it as an inevitability. What is dividing us? Mainstream Media, politicians, educational systems and numerous institutions seek to tear us apart instead of bringing us together.

"Even if a unity of faith is not possible, a unity of love is."

-Hans Urs von Balthasar

Methods for Mending a Divided Nation I've spoken previously about what we need to come together, but I'm going to recap some of those thoughts. Basically, I think we need to first see each other as fellow human beings, fellow citizens. Rather than seeing political opponents as evil or vicious, we should see our friend or family member who holds those views in each person. We easily jump to conclusions about people instead of trying to understand them. So, if we are to have a healthy political and cultural life, we need to be able to discuss politics well. This means we have to know our own beliefs and biases, and discuss ideas with knowledge of our own potential pitfalls. We need to learn the lessons of the past and seek to mend and understand each other without wanting to dominate or control each other.

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Common sense is in short supply nowadays. People are up in arms about politics, but should we be? Well, Thomas Paine explains his case for rebellion, and I can say we're nowhere close to that. After reading his pamphlet arguing for independence, I don't think we're anywhere close. So, listen below to find out why. Then, get your copy here so you can read. for yourself.

"SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher."

-Thomas Paine

Lessons from Common Sense 1. Monarchy rarely leads to liberty. Instead, it often leads to tyranny and subjugation of people to the whims of the monarch. Even when there's a good monarch, it often quickly leads to tyranny after a generation or two. 2. When you exhaust peaceful and legal means, you have to resort to worse. Paine grants that there were attempts at peaceful recourse first. However, they were not only unfruitful, but even harmful. So, he argues that action has to be taken and that the action must be declaring independence and fighting for it. 3. You can't waiver in between submission and rebellion. In his time, there were Americans on both sides of the Revolution, and many who were lukewarm or ready to put up with the tyranny. Paine calls on the American colonists to stand up for their liberty and reclaim it from a motherland that has turned her back on them.

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Common Sense (Dover Thrift Editions) (Dover Thrift Editions: Political Science)

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The Covid lockdowns have ruled our lives for nearly a year. Still, there seems to be no end in sight. Despite the issues with the lockdowns, we can still have many people supporting them. But, we know there are many harmful effects with the lockdowns. So, check out my latest interview with Ronni Peck, aka Think Too Much Mom about the Smiles Matter movement, homeschooling, Covid overreactions and more.

Want to watch the video for the interview and get access to content early? Subscribe to my locals now to get your first month free. Problems With The Covid Lockdowns Many studies have found that deaths due to drugs, suicide, or forgoing care have led to many deaths. In fact, some even show that the lockdowns are deadlier in many places than Covid. With all these issues, why do we continue to lock down? Why not find a better solution? Well, I argue we should use political systems to fix this issue, and Ronni and I discuss just that.

Life Changes Due To Covid Lockdowns We've all had to adjust to the current state of things. But, parents may have more to adjust to. Both their lives and their children's lives have been disrupted due to lockdown restrictions, and they need to figure that out. So, Ronni and I talked about what it was like for her making the adjustment. You can find out more at her blog here.

What is Smiles Matter? Basically, Smiles Matter is a movement started to remind people that we're human beings. Instead of seeing your neighbor as a danger or vector of transmission, we should remember each other's humanity. Not only that, but we should actively seek to share human moments with each other and find ways to connect person-to-person.

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Shakespeare's King Henry VI teaches us what the costs of civil unrest can be. Furthermore, it shows us how tensions rise and reach a boiling point that cannot be reversed. So, have we reached that point? I don't think that's the case, but we are not charting a good course. In this episode, we'll see what we can glean from this fictionalized account of actual history.

Why We Shouldn't Want Civil Unrest Far too many people are welcoming or cheering for civil unrest, but I find its possibility frightening. I don't think the people hoping for violence know what that really means, which is likely why they are not afraid of it. Throughout history, however, we have seen the ravages of war and insurrection. And when we do, it rarely turns out for the better, but even if it does, it comes at great cost. Instead, we should seek peaceful means of reconciling differences and working within our constitutional framework. In King Henry VI, Shakespeare demonstrates the cost of rebellion and insurrection by telling the story of one that really happened.

What Henry VI Teaches us about Civil Unrest After my conversation with Kenny at the APH Podcast, I was thinking a lot about how well we've been able to maintain our republic and peacefully transition power. This is a great thing for everyone involved because peace breeds prosperity and many other goods.

This story came to mind as I was looking for a book to review because it demonstrates what happens when we ignore early signs of civil unrest. Furthermore, it shows the actions that lead to the bloodshed I fear. What you'll find in this story is that you can turn back from early signs of unrest. Sadly, at some point the violence becomes inevitable and bursts forth. To reiterate, I don't think we're at that point. That said, we ought to be wary of our actions and tread lightly. These three plays show us how the unrest builds, what happens when leaders fail to contain it, and the bloodshed that ensues. For these reasons, I recommend you read this for yourself.

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The works of Shakespear. Volume the fourth Containing, King Richard II. King Henry IV. Part I. King Henry IV. Part II. King Henry V. King Henry VI. Part I. Volume 4 of 8

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This year's election is no doubt one of the most interesting we've had, and certainly unique. Trump's presidency was notable in many ways, and that continued through the 2020 election. With all the chaos and confusion around this election, I thought it would be good to take a look at some crazy elections in the past. That way, we can use lessons from history and apply them to our current circumstance. So, I sat down with Kenny Ryan from the Abridged Presidential Histories Podcast to dive into a few insane elections. If you'd like to learn more about his podcast, you can check that out here.

"People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election."

-Otto von Bismarck

A Few Crazy Elections we can learn from... 1800 Election Adams v.s. Jefferson was probably the most hotly contested election ever, at least in American politics. Many people today have seen Hamilton, so you might be familiar with this one. Also, it's probably the closest we have to today’s partisan press with both sides slinging mud in the papers to get at the other party.

1824 Election The 1824 election was a five-way election where the candidate who won the most delegates doesn’t win. The controversy directly led to the 1824 winner losing in 1828, which we can see is similar to today. Plus, a lot of partisan brokering allows this to happen, which is also all too familiar as we've seen a rise of party members put their partisanship above any principles or the country.

1860 Election Obviously, we are far from Civil War-level tensions. War is not imminent, however secession is widely talked about. And, I would argue it is a real possibility, albeit an unlikely one. How are we different from this time, and how can we cool tempers to prevent a similar bloodshed that was a result of the Civil War?

Also, I'm now a published author. Grab my book here:

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Property Rights in the Digital Age: Adapting Lasting Principles to a Changing World

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Instead of another book review, I decided to make a reading list with 25 must read books for this year. Reading is a great way to learn and connect with the wisdom of the past, so I wanted to help people find some great books to read. Check out the books here:

https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2020/12/31/183-top-25-must-read-books-for-2021/

Or, watch it here: https://youtu.be/gua9G5Uhy88

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What divides libertarians is often just degrees of liberty that should be allowed and tactics of how to achieve those ends. Mainly, libertarians argue over how to vote, or even if they should. Also, they argue over the minutiae of many minor disagreements, instead of finding where they have common ground. Instead, they should focus on how to move forward on what they agree on. So, I'm revisiting my conversation with Sean Boston to discuss some of the problems I see.

"We don't always win when we are united, but we always lose when we are divided."

-Andrew Scheer

The Serious Problems with Voting With all the problems going on in the election, we could’ve seen these issues if we weren’t willfully blind. Instead, we chose to ignore the issues we had with our system. So, now we have to move forward and offer real solutions to the problems we say.

https://youtu.be/HLH3s2IX7sw Problems with Charging Abusive Cops With Murder I'm not one to defend cops who abuse their power or use excessive force. In fact, I'm quite the opposite. But that said, I do think it's overzealous and unwise to overcharge these cops. Instead of trying to return cruelty with vengeance, I think we should seek justice as it is in the law that time. Then, we can try to fix what we find unjust about the laws as they're written when we can.

https://youtu.be/r2LgYH9yVhU How to Vote is a Huge Part of What Divides Libertarians This is a common tactical question for libertarians of many stripes. And, I think it's a good question to ask? What is best? Should we stay out of the voting system? Should we infiltrate the other parties? Or, should we create our own and go that way? We have to answer these questions, and, stick to that plan.

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I hope you are having a Merry Christmas! Today, I want to remember what this day is about and take a moment to read the stories given to us about the birth of Jesus. So, I will read the stories of the Nativity in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. It's important to go back to these stories, which is why today's episode will do just that. Instead of telling people to "keep the Christ in Christmas," I want to do that. If you agree, join me in reading these stories, and take time to reflect on what they teach.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name."

-Mary, the Mother of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

Keep the Christ and the Mass in Christmas Obviously, the birth of Jesus is the major celebration today. But, how should we celebrate Him? Well, as a Catholic I have an easy answer - the Mass. More than any other form of worship, the Holy Mass fulfills what we owe to God on this day. So, I say keep the Christ in Christmas, as well as the Mass in Christmas.

Have a Merry Christmas 2020 has been a hard year, and I won't try to deny that or dwell on it. However, as we see in the Christmas story, there is cause for joy. Furthermore, we are called to be joyful - even when it isn't easy to do so. Let us celebrate today with those that we love, and remember that this is the celebration of the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

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In our society, politics has jumped to the front of most everyone's mind. Despite its prominence in our lives, it seems that many people don't know how to talk about it. But, that doesn't have to be the case. A while ago, I sat down to talk with the guys from the Vital Masculinity Podcast about virtues, and how to discuss politics. Since I've been revisiting some of the great conversations I've had, I thought I'd revisit this conversation about justice, reading, and talking politics. That way, I can pull out some new insights and elaborate on an amazing conversation. So, after you listen to this, it would be good to check out the original interview.

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"Virtue is harmony."

-PYTHAGORAS

You Can't Fix Injustice with Injustice

While it may seem like revenge can right wrongs, it really can't. In fact, injustice cannot be dealt with by committing further injustices. Instead, justice has to be done to rectify the damage, and while some may not feel as though they've been made whole, they may need to accept that. As politicians today call for things like reparations and "equitable treatment," we ought to be wary of their solutions.

Revolution Rarely Works out Well Although the American Revolution worked out well, it is an outlier, not the rule. More often than not, revolution leads to chaos and a worse state of things. Tyranny of a dictator is, at the very least, predictable. However, mob rule and the chaos of revolutions like the Communist Revolution or French Revolution leaves a society in desperate need of order. And, this often comes from a strong-willed leader who generally leads back to the tyranny the revolt reacted to in the first place.

Talking Politics Virtuously Man, is it hard to have a good political discussion. It seems like anytime we talk about politics either we talk past each other or it turns to shouting and name-calling. But, that doesn't have to be the case. There are ways of talking politics that can be productive. Doing this requires virtues of patience, prudence, and courage - as well as some tact and knowledge. So, if it's possible, how can it be done? Listen to find out.

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So, I'm now back in the office for recording, and if you can't see it you should check out my YouTube Channel. You'll be able to watch the book reviews and see the new office. But, to get to the topic for this episode, I'll be discussing a book by Scott Yenor. The Recovery of Family Life is an insightful look into the attack on the family, and how to push back. I learned about this book because someone reached out to me about it. After reading most of it, I can say this is a crucial read for everyone in our culture today.

Unlike other reviews I've done, this is one that someone reached out to me to review. And, I'm glad she did. If it weren't for her reaching out, I wouldn't have found this book that has really intrigued me. I must say that this has really changed how I approach some of the cultural-political problems we face.

"This revolution is a 'sexual revolution' in the large and proper sense. I call it the rolling revolution because its principles are such that they will only with great difficulty, if ever, be achieved and they can call for a continuous transformation of marriage and family life."

-Scott Yenor

The Destruction of Family Life In this incredibly well-researched book, Yenor explains the problems that arise from feminism and a simplified liberalism. By tracing feminist activists' works, he demonstrates how our society has attacked the family and family values. Instead of building up families and supporting them, we've actively worked against them.

Grab Your Copy Here >> Not only does Yenor explain feminism, but he does this by extensively citing and quoting their work. Rather than hearing these ideas second or third-hand, he shows you what the founders of this feminist and liberal ideology say. If you don't believe me, you should buy the book and look at the 70+ pages of notes and citations.

The Recovery of Family Life But, where's the positive side of things? Well, Yenor doesn't just leave us with all the problems he describes. He explains the basic problem, as well as some other issues curbing the progress of the "rolling revolution." What I like most is that he shows a way forward. My goal is to solve the problems of today with the wisdom of the past, and I think Yenor's book exemplifies how that's done. By pulling from tremendous thinkers, explaining the current issue, and proposing prudent solutions, he is doing what I like to see.

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I talked with the ladies from Freed From Feminism a few months back and wanted to revisit a few great parts of our conversation. In this conversation, we discussed a wide range of problems with feminism. So, I thought it would be good to revisit our chat and elaborate on some of those ideas. After you listen to this episode, if you're interested in what they have to say you can check out the full interview here.

"Feminism is doomed to failure because it is based on an attempt to repeal and restructure human nature."

-Phyllis Schlafly

Some of the Problems with Feminism The thrust of the argument for Theresa and Beth is that feminism is based on an idea that cannot stand. Women and men are inherently unequal. While that doesn't mean women are more or less than men, it does mean there is difference between the sexes. However, feminism seeks to erase those differences, which inevitably leads to many problems and complications. Below, we'll take a look at a couple of the problems with feminism that arise from this mistaken idea that men and women ought to be equal in all respects.

Feminism Doesn't Actually Liberate Women I think it is crucial to understand the spell that feminism has cast on our society. After that, we can begin to look at the particulars more closely. But, until we look at how feminism goes wrong in its assumptions, we cant dive into instances where this error plays out.

Where are the Fatherly Role Models? Despite the need for good depictions of dads, we seem to get terrible images of fatherhood from our media. For example, Everybody Loves Raymond and Modern Family seem to do everything they can to portray the dads as blundering idiots. Rather than offering an accurate, yet comedic, look at a father, they feature caricatures of fatherhood.

Mothering is Full-Time Work As someone who has worked full-time while in school, I can say I know what it means to be busy. But, I don't know if that compares to the moms I know in my family. For those that work on top of being moms, I can say I don't know how they do it. While I disagree with Beth and Theresa that all moms should be stay-at-home moms, I recognize it's the best situation. I do think it could be good in some cases for women to have a job (not a career) and children or find some balance. Especially today when feminism is so ingrained, I think it's good to take steps in the right direction. Ideally, however, moms would be full-time moms instead of balancing their family and career.

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Plato, one of the best known Greek philosophers, was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. He's notable not only for his tremendous insight into philosophy but his style as well. Instead of explaining his ideas in a long soliloquy, he used dialogue to teach. For his dialogues, he uses Socrates and what we now know as the Socratic method to extract ideas from his characters. In Plato's Republic, we take a look at what he thinks the ideal society would be. So, let's take a look at what Plato has to say about his ideal political situation.

"Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge." -Plato

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Socratic Method

For starters, it's important to understand how Plato writes, like what I mentioned above. He uses his teacher, Socrates, and a dialogue to extract ideas from his characters. In order to do this, he has to use students of Socrates to ask questions. By doing this, he allows readers to enter into the story and see different points of views answered. Rather than reading a long explanation of an idea, you can see how the ideas clash and follow the tension between them. So, you are pulled in more like a story than a philosophical treatise.

More about Plato's Republic

What does Plato prescribe for the perfect society? Well, we may not find it ideal based on our modern ideas, but he raises many interesting points about human nature. At the beginning, the characters are discussing morality with Socrates. Questions arise about what morality is and whether or not it is a good thing to be moral. After that, we look at an extended allegory of the perfect society that leads us to an understanding of morality. In this work, he shows that morality is something noble and worth pursuing, and that it is good in and of itself.

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Today is mailbag day! So, I'll be answering your Mailbag Questions. Before I dive into those questions, I'll be talking about a tweet of mine that went viral and why I think it did. Plus, I'll discuss how people misunderstood what I was getting at with the tweet. Then, I'll talk about what I really was trying to get at.

After that, I'll dive into the three mailbag questions I have. Have a question you want answered? Let me know on my contact page or on Twitter.

I was trying. to show that the ideal we put forth was different in the 50's than it is today. Not only that, but it is something that we have to choose as a society. We will have to choose which we encourage and promote, because if we don't, others will choose for us. But, I think people took it as a broad statement about the 50's versus today, which it wasn't. I think the reason this struck a cord is that we have a strong faction trying to undermine the family, and push us into an asexual, single adult life.

"Women's natural role is to be a pillar of the family."

-Grace Kelly

The Mailbag Questions:

In a more Christian society, would you support the repeal of the 19th Amendment? -Freed Feminism
In a perfect world, what would each party do to not divide ourselves to a level of easy control?
As a libertarian, where do you think conservatives like Russell Kirk and Roger Scruton go wrong? Do you find yourself becoming more conservative or libertarian as you read them? - @TheClassicalCon

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This is the second book by C.S. Lewis that I've reviewed. The Abolition of Man is a work that I believe is prophetic, but not just because it described a problem we'd deal with decades later. Rather, the prophecy lies in the ability to predict the end result. It does so by following the logic to its conclusion with tremendous accuracy. Near the end, he says, "But you cannot go on 'explaining away' for ever; you will find that you have explained explanation itself away." If that doesn't call to mind our current Postmodern culture, I don't know what does. So, if you're interested in how Lewis check out this review.

Problems in Education Lewis begins this book by calling out a couple of authors of a grammar book, but not for teaching grammar poorly. Instead, he points out that their grammar book was teaching a worldview. When they should have been explaining the rules of language, they were directing students' word choice in a peculiar way. They do not point out an issue with the grammar, but the way language was used. In this passage, they assert that we merely explain how we feel about something, instead of being able to recognize a quality in an inanimate object. We can easily see how this method has grown and tainted our education system today. Here's the passage.

"Until quite modern times all teachers and even all men believed the universe to be such that certain emotional reactions on our part could be either congruous or incongruous to it---believed, in fact, that objects did not merely receive, but could merit, our approval or disapproval, our reverence or our contempt."

-C.S. Lewis

Grab your copy here>> What is the Abolition of Man? Basically, the abolition of man that Lewis describes is a scientific religion based on "Man's conquest of nature." He doesn't necessarily use those terms, but he shows that we often think of technology as progress. Offering the airplane, wireless, and contraceptive as examples, he shows that reliance on technology is not conquering in any way. "If I pay you to carry me, I am not therefore myself a strong man," he says, demonstrating this point. Rather than liberating man from nature, we have a few who advance the technology that the masses rely on. Instead of mastering nature, we have reduced ourselves to the same level as the nature we wish to conquer. And, in doing so, we abolish man.

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The Abolition of Man - How Education Develops Man's Sense of Morality

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I recently sat down with Amy Mastrine, an artist who works in traditional mediums, to talk about the state of art. Finding a way to create new iterations of traditional art is something that would go a long way for our culture. Because I enjoyed this conversation, I wanted to revisit some of the great insights to discuss them more. Amy offered a lot of interesting ideas, so I thought it would be good to elaborate and offer my thoughts. Also, I've thought about doing this for some of my other interviews, so if you enjoy this, let me know! And, if there's anyone I should interview, let me know here.

"Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs."

-Thomas Wolfe

The Beauty of Traditional Art Digital art lacks soul in some way. There are a lot of great things happening in digital art. For instance, video games are creating incredible scenes. Despite the beauty one can create with digital art, there is something irreplaceable about traditional art.

https://youtu.be/hhDScD6qTPE

Beauty is Objective Beauty is an objective reality. Although many people will argue it is subjective, it is an objective reality. However, people who argue for the subjectivity of beauty touch on something true. Because beauty is an abstraction, it does require a subject to observe it.

https://youtu.be/TVPVgHa1Dx8

The highest form of art What is the highest form of art? Is it painting, sculpting, or stained glass? In this interview, Amy called architecture the highest form of art, and I agree. Although architecture isn't often thought of as art, I would say it is. In my opinion, art is creating beauty in an expressive way. Despite not being expressive in the same way, architecture does have this relationship to people because it is how we live.

"Eventually, my eyes were opened, and I really understood nature. I learned to love at the same time."

-Claude Monet

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In order for you understand the modern political landscape, it is important to read Machiavelli's The Prince. It includes detailed and wise accounts of how rulers gain, retain and lose power. The version that I recommend in this video also includes a couple other works by Machiavelli. In these other works, he describes the forms of government and which are most preferable and why.

What can be learned from The Prince? Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince is a political work that teaches how to rule pragmatically, rather than philosophically. Instead of describing the best form of government, Machiavelli teaches those in power how to remain in power. Unlike Aristotle's Politics, The Prince is a handbook for leaders. In this book, he explains practical steps for rulers to take given certain situations. In other words, this book reads more like a diagnostic manual for rulers than a treatise on government.

Niccolo Machiavelli"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."

Grab your copy of The Prince About Niccolo Machiavelli Machiavelli has become somewhat of a shadowy figure in history. He is often thought of as a very mysterious figure. However, Niccolo Machiavelli was a rather normal politician whose work has likely inspired good and leaders. In fact, he's not much of a mystery at all. We know quite a bit about him.

Machiavelli was an ambassador and military adviser in the Florentine Republic. But, he was not a highly-ranked figure. That said, his knowledge of history and understanding of politics ensured he had the ear of his superiors. His acumen as a tactful observer helped him to see the big picture and predict outcomes fairly well. If you want to learn more about Machiavelli, you can do that here.

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I recently sat down with Brendan Heard of the Aureus Press to talk about traditionalism and power of ancient and esoteric wisdom. After his book about the decline of Western Art, Brendan continued to writing. This led him to start the Aureus Press website where he publishes articles. This conversation will teach you a lot about a range of problems facing us today. For more of this discussion, listen to the interview. Or, if you're a subscriber you can watch below.

Importance of Beauty As you know, I've talked with several accounts about art, architecture, and beauty. And, I've talked a lot about restoring the arts, despite being in an ugly culture. Furthermore, I think there is a connection between truth and beauty - that they're both objective. Brendan and I discuss that quite a bit as well. That said, I think much of what we tried to get at is perfectly summed up below by Francis Bacon.

"Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite."

Francis Bacon

What Is Esoteric Wisdom? Basically, esoteric wisdom is knowledge meant to be somewhat hidden - or at least not widespread. According to the dictionary, esoteric means:

"intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest."

This is, in other words, a type of knowledge that requires a lot of studying and work to acquire. However, that doesn't mean it's out of reach. It is something that each of us can attain, in fact. The quote below explains why that's the case:

"Esoteric or inner knowledge is no different from other kinds of human knowledge and ability. It is a mystery for the average person only to the extent that writing is a mystery for those who have not yet learned to write."

Rudolf Steiner

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Roger Scruton is one of the leading conservative philosophers of the last century, and potentially of all time. His book, The Meaning of Conservatism, was instrumental in developing how I think about politics. So, I want to share this book with you. Honestly, I think anyone - whether conservative or not - would learn a lot from this book. Interested? Check out the podcast here:

"All conservatism is based upon the idea that if you leave things alone you leave them as they are. But you do not. If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change."

-G.K. Chesterton

Grab your copy ofhere. What is the Meaning of Conservatism? Well, that is the big question, right? Conservatism is a way of approaching problems that is different. Instead of discarding the old, conservatives seek to understand why those who came before them found things valuable. They don't just let things remain, but actively seek to preserve them. Furthermore, they aren't just reactionaries as Roger Scruton explains:

"A reactionary is fixed on the past and wanting to return to it; a conservative wishes to adapt what is best in the past to the changing circumstances of the present."

-Roger Scruton

Conservatism v.s. Liberalism There's a healthy tension between conservatism and liberalism. Scruton explains in The Meaning of Conservatism how the debate over whether or not something is worth preserving is a constant question. By seeking to preserve what is time-tested, the conservative argues in favor of tradition. Liberals, on the other hand, will push for change and novelty, challenging the status quo. When both the conservative and liberal can discuss issues, they will be able to decide together how to move society forward by changing and preserving the right things. This debate is essential, and the conservative is an essential part of it. Without him, it would simply be a lecture - not a discussion.

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Today, many people don't understand what it means to be conservative. In fact, the whole conservative perspective is often misrepresented and misunderstood. However, I think that is largely due to to bad branding rather than bad arguments. Here, you'll get a great discussion about culture with Alan Cornett, creator of the Cultural Debris Podcast and the Eat Kentucky Podcast.

In this conversation, we covered a bunch of topics related to culture. Here's some of what we discussed:

Social media
Post-election divisiveness
What conservatism means
Roger Scruton, Russel Kirk, and other great thinkers

What is the Conservative Perspective?

"All conservatism is based upon the idea that if you leave things alone you leave them as they are. But you do not. If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change."

G.K. Chesterton

Basically, the conservative perspective is to hold onto what works until there's sufficient reason to turn away from it. Rather than casting aside anything old, the conservative seeks to cherish, uplift, and celebrate traditions. Instead of severing the link between ourselves and our ancestors, the conservative works to strengthen those bonds.

In order to understand our culture fully, we must know how conservatives and liberals approach the different problems facing us. Where do they put the strongest emphasis? How do they understand and tackle problems? In this episode, I get a thoughtful, conservative perspective on the culture.

Russell Kirk's Influence on Conservatism

“Men cannot improve a society by setting fire to it: they must seek out its old virtues, and bring them back into the light.”

Russell Kirk

Russell Kirk's The Conservative Mindwas instrumental in shaping the next half-century of conservative thought. Although conservatism has a bad brand, it is a tough philosophy to contend with. Over his lifetime, Kirk worked hard to forward conservatism and argued in favor of the conservative approach.

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The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot

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The nullification movement is something that has been pushed by the Tenth Amendment Center and other people concerned with limiting Federal power. Basically, the goal is to help states reclaim their sovereignty. Instead of letting the federal government hand down dictates at will, our founders provided us with the means to push back. So, if you want to learn about nullification, listen below and check out the Tenth Amendment Center.

Grab your copy of State of the Nullification Movement

What is the Nullification Movement? The focus of this movement is to bring power back to the states. Why do we need to do that? Despite the attempt to limit government, it has grasped more power over the course of the progressive movement. However, things were not always like this, and they don't have to be like this either. Luckily, the founding fathers foresaw this problem and offered a solution. Thus, we have nullification - the ability for states to deem federal laws unconstitutional and not comply with them. Tom Woods explains below:

"Nullification is the Jeffersonian idea that the states of the American Union must judge the constitutionality of the acts of their agent, the federal government, since no impartial arbiter between them exists."

Tom Woods

The Tenth Amendment Center To be honest, I am a card-carrying member of the Tenth Amendment Center. I believe in their mission, which may make me a bit biased. That said, this organization is doing tremendous work in the pursuit of liberty and government accountability. Below, you'll find the text of the 10th Amendment. That's what the TAC is fighting to preserve.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

"Whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force."

-Thomas Jefferson

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State of the Nullification Movement: 2019-20 Tenth Amendment Center Annual Report

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Recently, I sat down with the Stained Glass Zealot to talk about the beauty of stained glass, and how it draws you in. Check out his Twitter account here or his Substack to see what he's doing to show how beautiful this art is. Mostly, we discussed the beauty of churches. But, we dove into several other topics like the Lindy Effect, Divine Light by Abbot Suger, fashion vs. eternal beauty, and much more. Listen here or subscribe below to watch the interview:

One theme that came up again and again in this interview was that beauty draws us in. We know this from our own experience, if we stop to reflect. Generally, when we fall in love, it starts with some attraction to beauty. In a grocery isle, our eye jumps to bright, beautiful packaging. Beauty captures our attention. It captivates us, pulling us in.

"My interest in art must have started with my Catholic upbringing. Art was everywhere: churches with its paintings, sculptures, stained glass, textiles, and fine metalwork."

-Cheech Marin

Stained Glass and the Lindy Effect According to Wikepedia, the Lindy Effect, "is a theory that the future life expectancy of some non-perishable things like a technology or an idea is proportional to their current age, so that every additional period of survival implies a longer remaining life expectancy." Basically, the longer something has been around, the longer it will last into the future.

Therefore, much of the beauty we find in stained glass windows, some hundreds or a thousand years old, will remain beautiful for. along time. Obviously, they have to be maintained for that. to be the case. But, the principles of beauty they follow will last.

The Origin of Stained Glass

This art was largely inspired by Abbot Suger of St. Denis. His work of Divine Light was meant to encourage the use of beauty to inspire people to pursue Christ. In essence, he believed that beauty could be used to bring people into the Church. In fact, people took this idea even further and used the art itself to teach the faith. Today, many churches have stained glass windows that teach the gospel and of the saints.

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A lot of change started happening in the 18th century and by the 19th century it was full steam ahead. With change came a lot of difficulty adapting. Due to that difficulty, a new school of thought arose. Thus, nineteenth century thought was marked by a grappling with change and how to handle it. Political thought went through a transformation in the wake of this new school of thought.

"I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection."

-Charles Darwin

How These Philosophers Laid the Groundwork of Progressivism Progressivism preaches an inevitable outcome - that we are marching toward some future state regardless of our choice. However, this is largely unfounded. Thinkers like Darwin and Marx have been proven wrong. Although their ideas weren't completely demolished, their body of work has taken numerous hits. Instead of marching toward inevitable utopia, we have wavered between progress and regress.

-John Stuart Mill"All political revolutions, not affected by foreign conquest, originate in moral revolutions. The subversion of established institutions is merely one consequence of the previous subversion of established opinions."

Grab your copy of Nineteenth-Century Thought: The Discovery of Change This book is a dense read, for sure. Despite that, I really enjoyed it. But, you will have to dedicate some attention and energy to this book as you read it. If you do, I think you'll get a lot out of it. The way it's laid out is very interesting. Simply put, it is a collection of works and writing from several different authors. You'll get input from writers like Marx, Darwin, John Stuart Mill and more. So, if you want to learn more about the groundwork of Progressivism, this book is for you.

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With the election today, I thought it would be good to share a discussion I had with Sean Boston where we talked about our election thoughts and much more. We talked about ACB, Libertarianism, and our secularizing culture. Furthermore, we were able to agree and disagree, while having a lively discussion. Plus, it helps that Sean is a very funny guy, and much sharper than he gives himself credit for.

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

-Charlie Chaplin

Final Election Thoughts I wanted to be sure to get this episode out before the election was over. Mainly, I was hoping to be able to get my thoughts and predictions out there before it happens. This quote from Benjamin Netanyahu sums up my thoughts on what will likely happen with Trump pretty well. And, this is how I evaluate what's going on around me in politics to make a decision.

"I always lose the election in the polls, and I always win it on election day."

-Benjamin Netanyahu Plus we dove into more than just Election Thoughts Also, we discuss much more than just our thoughts on the election and potential outcomes. We looked at what it means to be a "real libertarian," if there even is such a thing. Moreover, we talked about the woes of the Libertarian party, and my misgivings about Jo Jorgensen. Next, we dove into our thoughts on the nomination (that hadn't happened at the time) for Amy Coney Barrett. We talked about the secularization of our society and some of the fallout we expect to see. And, we discussed much more as well. If you enjoy, funny and insightful conversations, I think you'll get a lot out of this one.

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In keeping with this week's episode on history, I decided to bring out a book from my library on history to review today. In this episode, we'll look at some of the secrets of history from this book. Basically, this book is a collection of short stories that many may not know about American history. Despite being a history buff, I hadn't heard many of the stories, so I think there's a lot of learning for anyone. Tune into this episode, I'll show you why you should pick up your copy.

"It's a very good historical book about history."

Dan Quayle

Grab your copy of Shocking Secrets of American History by Bill Coate

"History's like a story in a way: it depends on who's telling it."

-Dorothy Salisbury Davis

Some Shocking Secrets of History How much about history do you really know? Did you know about Aaron Burr's debauchery? How about John Edwards' wayward grand nephew? If you want to learn incredible stories about our past, this book is where you want to look. In fact, some of the stories are truly unbelievable. Despite that, these did happen, and I think you'd be amazed by some of these stories. It's definitely important to know the broad themes and movements of history. However, these little stories are great to know as well, and can make for a great way to get people interested in history.

Why History is Important to Learn History is a part of our heritage, and it's important to know where we come from. Furthermore, knowing history allows us to identify solutions in our current situation. There's a common saying that those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it, and that's true. Most importantly, it offers us the knowledge we need to make decisions about our world. This is because it puts things in perspective by broadening our frame of reference.

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Shocking Secrets of American History: 115 Surprising and Amusing Tales

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There are so many Catholic history myths out there that are so ingrained in our minds that we just believe them. But, are these stories we know for sure about our history really true? Brendan Lane from the Catholic History Show joined me to explain why our understanding of history is mistaken.

The Catholic History Myths The Catholic Church is the recipient of a lot of scorn in America. I would argue it is one of the last acceptable forms of bigotry in America, and I'm not alone. So, I wanted to refute some of the myths our culture puts out there about Catholic history. That's why I talked to Brendan about these several topics - to separate fact from fiction.

Blase J. Cupich"The long arc of history that recounts the Catholic Church's embrace of people of all faiths and none in providing health, education, and welfare in society is as incontestable as it is impressive."

https://youtu.be/0bYBHeieOv0

Christopher Columbus History Myths Christopher Columbus has a bad reputation nowadays, but is that really deserved? Actually, much of the negative stuff about Columbus we have is either slanderous or exaggerated. In fact, he was a very good man, impressive explorer, and a genius. He did have his faults. But, each of us is imperfect, and to hold historical figures to today's standards is unfair and childish.

The Crusades and Myths

The Crusades are also terribly misrepresented by historians. Although it is a complicated series of wars, it is boiled down in history books to a simple religious squabble. And, the Christians were totally in the wrong, according to today's historians. However, this is incredibly ahistorical. In reality, anyone who looks will find out that there's much more to the Crusades. And, Brendan helped unravel that story in this interview.

Myths of The Inquisition There's more to the Inquisition than the Monte Python sketch. In fact, it is one of the most misrepresented periods of history. Brendon shows how the myths surrounding the Inquisition don't hold up to the historical record. Furthermore, he demonstrates how much of what Catholics think they know is wrong as well.

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I wanted to review the Doctrine of the Mean and the Analects because I think they are full of amazing wisdom. Confucius is, in my opinion, on par with some of the greatest Greek philosophers. Having now read more of Plato's work, I would compare these works to something like the Symposium or Republic. The question-and-answer style is very engaging and I think makes for a good demonstration of how to discuss ideas.

The Wisdom of The Analects This is a readable, short discourse on morality, propriety, and virtue. It is an incredibly insightful work that delves into a range of topics, each one focused on making people better. Also, it has a familiar form of discourse where Confucius' students ask him questions and he answers. To those who've read works by Plato or the Gospels, these techniques will be familiar and, in my opinion, inviting.

"The superior man is catholic, not partisan."

-Confucius

Although Confucius is from China, his ideas are incredibly similar to what we find in western philosophy. Furthermore, I believe the ideas expressed give a unique perspective since they don't come from the West. Despite the similarity, there are differences that come out of this work in comparison to one from Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas. But, there is tremendous wisdom in this for anyone who is seeking truth.

Grab your copy of The Complete Confucius: The Analects, The Doctrine Of The Mean, and The Great Learning What is the Doctrine of the Mean? The mean is an idea that exists in both in the East and West, and has a number of expressions. Different expressions of the Doctrine of the Mean are due to the fact it's hard to pin down exactly. Aristotle, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and others have sought to explain the mean. Basically, the mean boils down to how to act morally and ethically.

"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous."

Confucius

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The Complete Confucius: The Analects, The Doctrine Of The Mean, and The Great Learning with an Introduction by Nicholas Tamblyn

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I had the chance to talk to the guys at the Winner Gets Nothing Podcast about a range of topics. In this episode, we discussed, politics, religion, and much more. One of the main things we talked about is how to engage in discussions. I think this is a huge part of what's hurting our society today.

We dove into a range of different topics. But, I think the whole time we were flowing on a lot of different topics. Hopefully, this episode serves as a guide for those of you who want to have good, productive conversations.

"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis."

Dante Alighieri

The guys at the WGN Podcast are not sitting idly by, but are engaging in the conversation. And, that's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to them. If you're interested in politics, religion, libertarianism, conspiracies and more, you'll like this podcast for sure.

How To Engage in Discussions First, keep a level head. Don't get angry or upset if people disagree. In the moment you can simply agree to disagree and think about things and think about it later.

Secondly, you should find common ground and seek to understand the other person. Instead of looking to win the argument or undermine the other person's argument, look for ways to be productive. Finding common ground and building on that can be great. And, learning a new perspective can be really helpful as well.

Lastly, I recommend you talk about things you and the other person are knowledgeable on and passionate about. If you can do that, you have a way to move forward on the conversation and can get into the flow of it. I think we had that flow going, which is why I wanted to share this conversation with you.

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Titus Andronicus is a beautiful tragedy out of the collection of William Shakespeare's works. I think it's important for modern people to read tragedies from the past. We are so disconnected from our history and heritage that it's easy to dissociate from what they went through. Obviously, this is a fictional story; however, there is a way that we can see what our forefathers experienced in these stories. These are real depictions of what life was like, although fictionalized. And, in this book review, I'll explain why you should read this masterpiece from Shakespeare.

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."

-Robert Kennedy

Why You Should Read Titus Andronicus Firstly, this play is a classic. Getting to know Shakespeare's works is crucial for anyone trying to learn about Western Literature. Secondly, it is beautifully written. All of Shakespeare's works are well-written, and this is no exception. The lofty rhetoric is something that I think we need more of in our society, especially with our current state of discourse so debased. Lastly, I thought it was a truly wonderful and fun story to read. The entire time I was reading it, I was wondering what would come next. And, the way it lays out is a great tragedy from which you can take valuable lessons.

Grab a copy of Titus Andronicus While I don't have this version of Titus Andronicus, I did use these a lot in high school for other Shakespearean plays. So, I trust the accuracy and notes that are there to help readers. I know you'll be in good hands with this because it's the publisher I used all through high school for my Shakespearean reading assignments.

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Titus Andronicus (Folger Shakespeare Library)

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The art of architecture has been corrupted. It is no longer aiming at beauty, but either purely utility or novelty. Instead of aspiring to lift up people's hearts and minds to beauty, ugliness that adheres to leftist ideology is put forth as architecture. So, I talked with an architect about the problems he sees with the art and the industry - as well as some solutions to the problems he sees.

Several Problems with the State of Architecture: * Architecture schools are ideologically possessed * Modernism encourages novelty over beauty * Traditionalism is scoffed at or ignored * Architects in the professional world are beholden to their clients * Traditional buildings are expensive to build

"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

https://youtu.be/MHLcSTIZ-ZQ

The goal of the architect should be to combine beauty and functionality. However, that's not what we find. What we often get instead is insolent designs, many of which serve no other purpose than inflating the architect's ego. So, we need people to step up and push for beautiful architecture again. Then, we might actually see a change.

Buildings like Penn Station attract our protective instincts not only because of their beauty but because we fear what will come to replace them.

-Roger Scruton

What Solutions Are Available? Well, the fact is that solutions will require a lot of energy and determination to bear fruit. With dedicated and talented people, things can change. Here are a few things Zach and I discussed. There are surely more potential solutions, but I figured it would be good to offer these for your consideration.

Firstly, we can promote traditional schools of architecture like Notre Dame's. Secondly, professional architects should educate the next generation in the traditional way. This is easy to do with cheap online courses. I believe there are solutions, but I also don't have all the answers. If you listen to the episode and have your own solutions, let me know.

Some of the accounts mentioned in this podcast:

Wrath of Gnon
Christopher Liberatos
Eric Bootsma
Frank Cunha
The Aureus Press
Western Traditionalist
Tudor architecture
The Traditionalist
ArchitectureRevival

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One president and two future presidents worked together on the Louisiana Purchase. This book dives into the story of how they did that, and what it took to coordinate the deal with Napoleon Bonaparte's France. If you don't know this story, I recommend you listen to this book review. So, listen below to learn why you need to know this story.

Problems of the Louisiana Purchase

The purchase of the Louisiana Territory was no small feat. Nor was there a clear deal to be made. In fact, Napoleon and his forces were planning on occupying the territory at first, squeezing the western Americans out of their best seaport. But, what started as peace negotiations from a point of weakness soon turned into a much different conversation as time went on.

"The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world."

-James Madison

Grab your copy of Jefferson's Great Gamble Fallout of the Louisiana Purchase The Monroe doctrine is one of the major developments that came from this deal. This is the idea that America would push any major powers out of our hemisphere. Instead of allowing European and Asian powers to meddle in politics on the Americas, the Monroe Doctrine insists that the United States would lead.

Furthermore, this deal more than doubled the size of America, posing new problems. How will America fill this vast, new expanse? How much land did they actually buy? What's out there? All these questions and more were dealt with throughout the 19th century. And, the answers were crucial in the shaping of the America we know today.

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Jefferson's Great Gamble: The Remarkable Story of Jefferson, Napoleon and the Men behind the Louisiana Purchase

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I had the chance to sit down (virtually) with Brian Murphy and Stephen Sloyer from the Vital Masculinity Podcast to talk about some of the things that have been on our mind recently. Since it had been a while since we talked, we had a lot to cover. So, if you want to catch up, you can check out my previous conversation with the Vital Masculinity crew. But, you can also dive into the interview below.

In this interview with the Vital Masculinity crew: * Justice, and the misconceptions about it in our culture * How to talk about politics as a virtuous man * The current political climate * Great books we're reading right now * And much more...

https://youtu.be/7OnNIpw-dl4

-Gad SaadLet us stop pathologizing masculinity. Instead, let us appreciate the endless ways by which men and women are similar to one another, as well as the important ways in which the two sexes differ.

Virtue Makes the Man... Stephen and Brian reiterate this great piece of advice on their podcast each time they sign off. And, I argue that they are embodying this in what they do and talk about on their podcast. So, if you want to learn about the virtues and what it looks like to live them out, check out this conversation and their work.

-Marcus AureliusThe happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.

About The Vital Masculinity Project Our goal is to restore classical masculinity by encouraging men to pursue virtue and brotherhood. While there are many competing voices on manliness today, most have forgotten this foundation of character while instead focusing on externals. We strive to provide practical steps for all men to begin their journey to becoming virtuous. Visit our Journal for reflections virtue and manliness or check out our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your other favorite podcast providers to listen to rich conversations about them.

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I know the abuse scandal was a huge obstacle in my faith. I felt as though I couldn't trust the Church or the pastors who were supposed to shepherd me. It was a betrayal. Despite all this, I found a way to separate the sins of shepherds from the mission they pursue. Letter to a Suffering Church is a great, short book that can be very comforting to anyone who's angry about this.

The reason for this book review is that Bishop Robert Barron's work here really impacted my thoughts and feelings on this subject. Because of that, I think this book review will help Catholics and non-Catholics understand this crisis and dispel myths. So, get your copy of Letter to a Suffering Church or listen to my review for more.

The secular culture we live in is not only anti-religion, but also often overly sexualized. In this book, you'll find all the problems that stem from the culture and its influence on the church. Bishop Barron doesn't make excuses, but owns up to the abuses. He calls out those who are guilty and calls people to account. However, he does show how this didn't come from thin air, but arose in a certain context.

“The Emperor Napoleon is said to have confronted Cardinal Consalvi, the secretary of state to Pope Pius VII, saying that he, Napoleon, would destroy the Church—to which the Cardinal deftly responded, “Oh my little man, you think you’re going to succeed in accomplishing what centuries of priests and bishops have tried and failed to do?”

-Bishop Robert Barron

Grab your copy of Letter to a Suffering Church here. The reason I'm bringing this out now is there are a lot of people who enjoy being critical of the Church. And, many of these people make money from their critical lens. Not to mention, lots of these people are in the Church or leaving it due to these.

Lastly, I like this book because it offers solutions. It diagnoses the problems, offers context, and then shows what people can do to make things right. And, with the Conversation of Our Generation's goal of solving problems of today with the wisdom of the past, this resonated with me. So, I want to share it with you here.

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Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis

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I sat down to chat with Amy Mastrine, a talented artist, about her work and the state of art today. Beauty and art are essential to culture. When the arts decay, so does the culture. And in our culture, it's hard to argue our arts are in a good place. Luckily, there are talented artists like Amy fighting to create a culture of beauty.

Full show notes here

An artist's look at art

Artists don't always have the ability to analyze the full meaning of their art. But, they are capable of analyzing the beauty and form of art. Thats why I looked for someone who was not only a talented artist, but a sharp thinker as well.

Artists can see things a layman doesn't. Instead of just offering my opinion on the arts, I asked an artist for her thoughts to call on her expertise. My goal of this conversation was to learn more about what it takes to create beautiful art and the obstacles facing those who try to do that.

"Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse."

-Winston Churchill

The current state of art: We covered a lot of ground in this interview. Firstly, we looked into many of the problems holding artists back. Then, we dove into the importance of art and the relationship between art and culture. Moreover, we discussed how Amy, and other artists, are going back to the old methods with a new twist. This, I believe, is where we can begin to go back to true art that lifts the soul. For my fellow Roger Scruton fans, we discussed his thoughts on beauty and aesthetics as well.

More about the artist: Amy Mastrine is an artist interested in mysticism, beauty, and truth. Amy was born in western Pennsylvania, and her last name is Italian for “master of a trade or craft.” Her style has been described as feminine, whimsical, and representational. Amy’s work is intended to honor the divine and sacred. You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, and her shop.

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About the author, Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie's life is a story of success - a true rags to riches tale. Though he shares the last name of the steel titan, Andrew Carnegie, they aren't related. Dale Carnegie actually changed the spelling of his last name to match the industrialist's spelling to gain clout. But, this book review is not about that. It's a look at How to Win Friends & Influence People, a fantastic guide to dealing with people.

Why I chose to review this book: I found this book tremendously helpful as I left college and entered the business world. It was difficult to talk to experienced professionals, and I needed a confidence boost. Before graduating college, I worked in retail and had no problem talking to customers. But, being thrust into a new world, I was out of my element and needed help. If you ask me, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to lead a successful life.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

-Dale Carnegie

Readability of the book: I find it easily readable. Written in a conversational tone, it's like he's transcribing some advice he gave a friend. The stories are intriguing, although sometimes a bit outlandish. That said, the lessons you draw from them make it feel more like a parable than a lie or hyperbole.

Grab your copy of How to Win Friends & Influence People here. Sections of the book: * Twelve Things This Book Will Do For You * Fundamental Techniques in Handling People * Six Ways to Make People Like You * Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking * Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

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I sat down with Matt Nunes, author of Last Call to learn what it takes to become a published author. If you're interested in writing and publishing your work, this interview will give you what you need to get started. The insights Matt brings are great. I know I learned a lot, and I'm sure you will too. Listen or watch below.

It's important not only to discuss ideas, but to write them down. I find that as I write, my ideas become clearer and better defined. If we are to improve our discourse we have to engage in long form conversations. And, books are a great way to have those extended, thought-out dialogues. Because I find that important, I sat down with Matt to have him explain what he did to become a published author.

"Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will."

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Some of the keys of being an author we discussed: * Different writing and editing processes * Finding the right publisher * The publishing process * Working with an agent * Differences between Fiction and Non-Fiction

More about the book and the author: Last Call is the first of a series of mystery novels featuring former Naval Officer Paul Costa, a man who thought he was seeking a quieter life for himself and his daughter in civilian life, only to find the biggest threats still lie ahead.

Matt is a former Merchant Marine Officer, bartender and often times cog in the corporate machine. He has done a range of jobs to give him, which includes bartending - and that's what gave him the idea for this book. Matt is an interesting person, and I'm glad to have the privilege to talk to him about how he completed this amazing feat.

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The Anatomy of the Stateis a great look into how the modern state operates. It is a guide to understanding how the idea of government has largely been perverted. Today's book review will dive into this book and who Murray Rothbard is.

"It is in war that the State really comes into its own: swelling in power, in number, in pride, in absolute dominion over the economy and the society."

-Murray Rothbard

Book Review: The book is quick and easy to read. It is closer to a pamphlet than it is some large, dense nonfiction work. I liked that there are also plenty of footnotes and citations for you to examine and dive deeper into the topic if you're interested.

Murray Rothbard: This book is important largely due to the author, Murray Rothbard. His work is one of the major foundations on Libertarian thought, and if you wish to understand libertarians, it would be good to understand his ideas.

Furthermore, he is the basis for much of the libertarian understanding of economics. For me, he makes a convincing argument for his economic theory that I don't think people can refute. In order to understand what we see today, we must look at the figures who brought us here. And, Murray Rothbard is one of those figures.

Grab your copy of Anatomy of the State here. If you're looking for an approachable look at a rather complex subject that ties in philosophy, politics, economics, and more - then this book is one you want to read.

More Book Reviews: And, if you're interested in learning about other books, I have plenty of other reviews for you. If this book interests you, definitely grab your copy. And while you're here, check out my list of book reviews to educate yourself on the wide range of topics I cover in the Conversation of Our Generation.

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When can we legislate an opinion? Who is to say that an opinion is a fact? The left has long called to bring the personal into politics, while also calling to keep politics away from people's private decisions. These two things cannot exist together in one's mind.

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

-Plato

After a long Twitter discussion, I realized that this was the question at the heart of the debate. Is there a point that we can legislate morality? If so, what is that point? And, is there really an objective morality that can be applied in politics?

Abortion Politics The discussion I found myself in was one about abortion, whether one can be personally opposed to it, but legislatively allow it. I think this principle is sound, but that it has limits. Here's the tweet:

tweet by @Smallgovdude

I'm personally pro-life but legislatively pro-choice. Does that make sense? Legislation and Politics So, today we'll take a look at this principle to see if there is a threshold that allows us to "legislate morality." And, I want to look at the political situation to see what is and what isn't appropriate to legislate. This is an important discussion if we are to have a functioning society.

Personal Beliefs We can have beliefs about what is right and wrong, and we should. We ought to learn about the world and living properly in it. That is a virtuous and noble endeavor. And, I think that it is useful to engage in dialogue with others about the beliefs we hold. That is when it turns toward politics because politics is the way in which we learn how to live together.

Political Opinions Our political opinions are those opinions about right and wrong, and how they ought to be enacted in society. Our beliefs on politics are not simply what is wrong or right. Instead, it's whether or not that action should be punished, how it ought to be regulated, and who is required to follow those rules. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, and it is here that we begin to decide what is right and wrong for society.

When Politics and Personal Meet When we start to go from our personal beliefs to the political ones, it can be hard to have that discussion. If we talk about banning something or punishing an action, there are others who will be affected, and they may take that personally. It's important to be delicate but clear in these discussions so we can let people know we aren't attacking them, but are trying to curb the effect of something that is wrong or harmful.

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Recently, I decided to revisit The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde because it had been a while since I'd read it. And, I must say that I forgot how entertaining the book is. That's why I recommend you listen and grab yourself a copy.

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.

Oscar Wilde

I used this story for an old episode because the story shows the importance of using words properly. But, it isn't some deep dive into the depths of the soul like Crime and Punishment. The Importance of Being Earnest is a clever look at the frivolity of high society in 19th century England, which I think would ring true today.

Get your copy of The Importance of Being Earnest What I found amusing about this book is the commentary on high society. It mocks people who think highly of themselves despite not being able to think much at all. In fact, they mostly think of themselves. If you thought that was clever (although it wasn't), this book is one that I think you'd enjoy. It's clever, witty, insightful, light, and pleasant - basically a romantic comedy with a bit of bite.

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We're so plugged into the internet all the time that we rarely see how much of our attention it requires - and how much energy that zaps from us. I've been trying to pull back on the amount of TV and internet I use, and wanted to share some of those results.

A few things I've done to cut back:

Read in bed before going to sleep rather than watch TV
Stay away from social media when spending time with my wife and on weekends
Disconnect from work emails over the weekend and in the evenings
Not bring my phone to the dinner table

"Men have become the tools of their tools."

-Henry David Thoreau

The thing I've found is these things may need cooperation from others around you. And, the suggestion by my wife to read instead of watch TV was what prompted that change. There are also a lot of tools you can use to lock things up after a certain amount of time on apps if you need that as well.

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We all can fall to temptation, normally without even realizing it. The Screwtape Letters are a riveting series of story-like letters that show how people can be tempted to turn away from God. Whether or not you believe in God, this story can teach you how to beware the parts of human nature that steer you away from your purpose and towards self-destruction.

Lewis' Screwtape Letters is a great read for people of all ages, at least from middle school on. It is the tale of two demons, an older and a younger trying to tempt a man to bring him to Hell. And, the older demon is advising his nephew on how to do this successfully. You'll see all the subtle ways that demons can tempt you and pull your attention away from where it should be.

"Satan, the leader or dictator of devils, is the opposite, not of God, but of Michael."

-C.S. Lewis

Here's where you can find Lewis's major works.

My hope in reading this book is that you can be vigilant of the work the Devil and his minions do to pull your attention away from God. And, maybe you'll see some of the seemingly innocuous things that you let slide, but really could be a demon at work.

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The C. S. Lewis Signature Classics: An Anthology of 8 C. S. Lewis Titles: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Miracles, The Great Divorce, The ... The Abolition of Man, and The Four Loves

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What is justice? It is something that we feel intuitively, but often have trouble pinning down. We know very often when a particular action is unjust, but rarely are fully able to articulate why. Today, we'll dive into the principles of justice and how to apply them - at least as best as we can in one podcast.

Two things brought this topic to mind. One is my reading of Plato's Apology and Crito. The other is watching Person of Interest. One is a look at how to face injustice with piety, and the other is a series on how to stop premeditated violence with a machine that violates our rights. Have the principles of justice changed since the death of Socrates, or are the same principles at work today?

"It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do; but what humanity, reason, and justice tell me I ought to do."

-Edmund Burke

I want to walk through parts of the Apology and Crito in order to understand the ancient conception of justice. Then, we can look at the principles of justice in today's world. What do we do when the genie's out of the bottle and we can't put it back in? Can injustice be a means to justice or is that always out of the question? That's what we'll explore today, and hopefully find some answers.

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With leaders of the influential BLM movement claiming to be avowed Marxists, I think it's good we look at what Marx and his followers believe. This book is a travel through the development of Marxist thought from simply economic to what it is today: an all-encompassing cultural push.

Get your copy of Fools, Frauds, and Firebrands by Roger Scruton here. In this book, Sir. Roger Scruton follows the development of Marxist ideology from Post -war Europe to the 80's and to today. This is actually the book that caused the first cancellation as he was ostracized from the University where he was teaching. He takes on a number of thinkers you'd know as well as many you may not know.

"The Marxist theory of ideology is extremely contentious, not least because it is tied to socio-economic hypotheses that are no longer believable."

-Roger Scruton

If you're curious how the left has taken over institutions of education to help them peddle Marxism, this is how. The methods, jargon, and beliefs are laid out in this book for you to follow. Plus, you'll have many excerpts from their works to see how they think, rather than only getting it second-hand. If you're confused about the moment we're in, this book will offer clarity.

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Fools, Frauds and Firebrands: Thinkers of the New Left

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The important thing in observing politics is to maintain objectivity and ability to discuss politics in a disassociated manner. This allows one to evaluate the actions of politicians based on the outcomes rather than one's opinion of them. Recognizing good politicking is not supporting someone, just acknowledging skill.

Machiavelli was an astute political observer, capable of detesting someone and at the same time recognizing their skill. To be able to succeed, you have to do the same: know where the political winds are blowing, even if you disagree or don't like where they're going.

"To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people."

-Niccolo Machiavelli

Some principles for observing politics: * Know what you believe and why * Separate discussions of ideas from people and maneuvers from beliefs * Acknowledge what you want to happen and think will happen might not match up * Don't let yourself get too angry or worked up (if you do, take a break) * Remember that politics is people and people are fickle

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I read Scott Adam's Win Bigly a couple years after the election of Donald Trump, and it was then that I realized what happened in that election. Up until then, I thought it was a bit lucky with some skill combined with the fact he was up against a hubristic Democrat party and the most unlikeable candidate in recent history.

"In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech."

-Aristotle

In his book, Scott Adams shows that this was no fluke, and describes the tactics that the Trump campaign used to take the white house. While this sounds like a political book, it really is a modern version of How to Win Friends and Influence People. You'll learn the strategy, tactics, and overall art of persuading people.

Grab your copy of Win Bigly here. This book offers a lot of insight into how effective political messaging is (and really any sort of marketing message), but it does so without rooting for a political party. Scott Adams doesn't let his political beliefs get in the way of observing how effective politicians are. And, I think that is yet another lesson we can learn from this book.

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Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter

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We recently looked at how much faster lies spread than the truth. But, I want to dive deeper to see how we're being lied to and help you identify lies in headlines, articles, and assertions being put forward regularly.

I think all of these little lies add up and make it difficult to trust any authority. But, if we sharpen our minds and are aware of the deception being presented, we can see the lies. This tangled web is artfully articulated in Empire of Lies, which I reviewed last episode.

"There are lies, damned lies and statistics."

-Mark Twain

Here are some of the ways we're lied to by the media consistently:

Outright Lies - This what you need to know section doesn't answer the question being posed by those who question her legitimacy
Lies of omission - This story is omitted, despite it's far more heinous nature than that of Michael Brown, George Floyd, or Trayvon Martin.
Lying through emphasis - They emphasize the Proud Boys' background while saying the "Anti-fascists" are counter protesters. The so-called counter-protesters are the ones running into the video to start a fight.
The lie of "changing their mind" - 6 years ago, Jake Tapper criticized the USPS for its inefficiency and inability to serve him. Will he change like the media did on war in the Middle East or "caging children" depending on who's in power?
Expert assurances - "Experts say" is a common phrase. But who are these experts? All too often they're not experts in the field or are simply Left-leaning PhD holders.

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This is the second book I've reviewed from Andrew Klavan, and the first book of his that I've read. He offers a riveting story that has you questioning the truth the whole time.

"Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence."

-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Grab your copy of Empire of Lies here. Action thrillers are some of my favorite movies, and this book really has that feel to it. A newspaper reporter with a checkered past stumbles on a story that he can't believe, and tries not to, but the evidence is something he has to follow up on. When he looks into it, he ends up on an adventure that is hard to believe.

The characters in this story are realistic, complicated, and dynamic - and throughout the book they develop in a way that attaches you to the characters and helps you sympathize with them. Because of that, you are constantly questioning the truth of the story the main character is chasing, especially since you don't know who to trust.

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The Catholic Church has a term called the "Church Militant," which is the body of living Christians - those who are still fighting the spiritual fight. Joe Rigi and his team at Our Warpath are helping Catholics live an authentically Catholic life. We were able to have a great chat about what it means to be authentically Catholic and the challenges facing those trying to do so.

"The love of heaven makes one heavenly."

-William Shakespeare

Some of the things we covered:

What does it mean to live an authentically Catholic life?
What are the challenges facing Catholics?
What does Our Warpath offer its leaders and listeners?
How do we push back against our secular culture?
And much more.....

About Our Warpath Our Warpath is a group of Catholic young men and women that have one single goal: to try their very best at leading real catholic lives. They see the beauty of it. They see the sheer awesome power of living this kind of life. But they know that they are weak and that the world wants them to run away and submit. But they have no plans to retreat. No. They want to wake up everyday and be disciplined, thoughtful, intelligent and true. And they want to help every living soul do the same. And so here they are, hoping that this endeavor of theirs will help you live the life that you were destined to live.

Our Warpath has everything you need. Daily meditations, readings, quotes, articles, movie, music, and book reviews. You can find Our Warpath at ourwarpath.com. You can also find their podcast on iTunes and other platforms. Our Warpath is here for you.

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Stupidity doesn't explain everything. And, in our culture, it seems like too many sensible people deny evidence that points to malice in favor of the stupidity explanation.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast here.

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"

-Hanlon's razor

I try to look at things in a charitable light and not assign motives. That said, eventually when evidence stacks up high enough, it's time to admit that what may appear accidental wasn't. And, to not allow people to simply ask questions, but insist that they're conspiracy theorists if they do, is wrong. That's why today we're going to take a look at real conspiracies that are known world-wide as well as weird occurrences that you aren't allowed to attribute malice to- or even ask about.

A few examples of verified conspiracies:

The 9/11 Attacks
Lincoln assassination
Crucifixion of Jesus

Now, there are often events that are attributed to stupidity before even being evaluated:

The Mandalay Bay shooting
Explosion in Beirut
The Epstein and Ghislane connections
The new controversy over a Trolls doll

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A great bonus to buying this book is that it has a copy of the entire Constitution and the amendments in the back. (Just sayin...) But, more importantly, it is a barely-edited version of the decisions by the Supreme Court. The few edits are to take out the "legalese" and make it more understandable and readable for the lay person. I was able to fly through it and really enjoyed it all the way.

Get your copy of Freedom of Religion Decisions of the United States Supreme Court now!

Justice Owen Roberts [Cantwell v. Connecticut]"In the realm of religious faith, and in that of political belief, sharp differences arise. In both fields the tenets of one man may seem the rankest error to his neighbor. To persuade others to his own point of view, the pleader, as we know, at times, resorts to exaggeration, to vilification of men who have been, or are, prominent in church or state, and even to false statement. But the people of this nation have ordained in the light of history, that, in spite of the probability of excesses and abuses, these liberties are, in the long view, essential to enlightened opinion and right conduct on the part of the citizens of a democracy."

What I love is when these cases are read back-to-back, it's easy to see where the lines are drawn between church and state. Plus, when a case is referred to, there's a good chance you recently read it (since they appear in chronological order) and you recognize the line of logic being used. This really opened my eyes to how precedents are set.

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Freedom of Religion Decisions of the United States Supreme Court (First Amendment Decisions Series)

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We now have an established church in our country, and it is a Secular Church. The first amendment's "freedom of religion" clauses had a distinct purpose, but it was not to separate church and state to the extent, or in the manner, that we turn our backs on God.

-James Madison"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries."

Instead of ensuring that opposing religious factions don't persecute one another, modern interpretations of the establishment clause have been used to attack religion. This is a serious problem, and one that needs to be addressed.

The First Amendment of United States ConstitutionCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Some instances of this happening today:

Students for life arrested for writing pro-life messages in chalk on the sidewalk.
Little Sisters of the Poor's contraceptive case
The Colorado baker, Jack Phillips
A list of 1st Amendment cases and outcomes

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It's truly amazing the way the wisdom from Art of War has lasted, and most likely will last much longer. There's tremendous advice relevant to those who may not be in war, but are vying for position or competing in some way. The wisdom in this book is timeless, although it may not apply in the same way.

-Sun Tzu"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

While many of us will never direct troops in a war, we may lead a company, fight a political battle, or coach a team (even if it's little league). Each of these is like going to war, but with lower costs. And, much of what works for war will work in other battles as well.

Grab your copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War here. If you're looking for a quick, easy read that is packed with wisdom, then check out Art of War. The short excerpts of wisdom are in an easily digestible format and are packed with a lot to contemplate. Like Meditations or the Tao Te Ching, it is a collection of excerpts rather than a large, continuous work. I think this makes it easier to break down and digest what you're reading.

I really recommend you grab your copy and read it for yourself. Then, let me know what you think.

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I sat down on Saturday with Beth and Theresa to talk about why they've decided to reject the premises and conclusions of Feminism. These two ladies have left behind the ideas of feminism and embraced their femininity, and encourage other women to do the same. So, I wanted to chat with them to understand why that's the case, and the benefits that come with their decision.

-Pat Robertson“The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.”

In this episode we discuss a range of problems with feminism as an ideology, and most especially how it's thrust upon women against their wills and without their knowledge.

Here are some of the questions we discuss:

Why should we reject feminism outright instead of dissecting the waves?
What are the basic assumptions that ensure that feminism logically leads to what we see today?
What are some of the effects it's had?
How has feminism affected family life?
How has feminism taught women to dislike their children and reject their fertility?
How does it affect men, whether or not they realize it?

If you want to learn more about Freed From Feminism, you can subscribe to their podcast here or follow them on Twitter.

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Go to the episode.

Wonder how the Church has addressed issues as they arise? If you want to learn more about the early heretics and persecutors the early Christians faced, this is an easy book to read.

Buy your copy of Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians here.

-Albert Camus"Every revolutionary ends up either by becoming an oppressor or a heretic."

What I enjoy, besides learning the history, is to see how ideas are addressed over and over. We have a lot of interesting ideas popping up in our culture that challenge established truths. This book shows how to dissect why something is wrong, explain that, and show why the truth holds. I think we need more of this, and it offers many examples of this process while under duress.

In a world of Cancel Culture and a stomping out of ideas against leftist orthodoxy, it is important to realize the complex relationships heretics had. Often, we're told they're a victim, but many times throughout history they use untruths and force to push against those speaking hard-to-handle truths.

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Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians

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The beautiful has been lost in our culture. Beauty has been reduced to lustful images and true beauty has been neglected and attacked. If we want to correct the course for our culture, we must restore standards of beauty and find new ways to create and distribute true art.

-Edmund Burke"Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty."

Beauty and truth go hand in hand, and the attack on both is not accidental. That is why those who put forward truth and offer beauty are denigrated. But, we must support those speaking truth and offering real beauty.

Places where we can reclaim beauty where it has been stolen from us:

Art- The quality of art as dramatically deteriorated. I believe there is a chance for this to be revamped by truly skilled people as long as we are able to refine our taste and patronize true art.
Music- The deterioration of music's quality is similarly real. There has always been folk music, and I enjoy music that is simple and not Mozart by any means. That said, I don't put David Allen Coe on the same pedestal, but recognize the difference.
Rhetoric- In reading a book on great American speeches, the ability of our leading minds to communicate their thoughts in soaring ways has greatly diminished.
Architecture - Functional architecture is reflective of a culture that has traded truth and beauty for only economic interests. It is a culture that prefers useful and expedient to good and true.

Several accounts I've recently begun following are great at helping preserve art, architecture, style, and beauty of the past. I've truly enjoyed these accounts and and others like them, and recommend you check these out.

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With everything going on with Ghislaine Maxwell, and potentially another "suicide" on the way, I thought it would be good to give my thoughts on a great book about Epstein. This story is going to come back up, and I think it's important to know the background so you don't get gaslighted.

Grab your copy of Filthy Rich here.

"The only time I commit to conspiracy theories is when something way retarded happens. Like Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone."

-Joe Rogan

There are some, actually many, gross details in this book. So, if you're not comfortable with that, it may not be for you. But, if you're up for it, I think it's an important read to be ready for the storm to come.

The narrative style of this book is engaging and easy to follow. It almost flows like a story, not reporting, but it is incredibly informational and documented. Honestly, I wasn't sure what it would be like going into this book, but it was a captivating story, although off-putting, and the book was written well also. Overall, I think it was a great read.

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Filthy Rich: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein – The Billionaire’s Sex Scandal (James Patterson True Crime, 2)

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One of our Founding Fathers, and first President, George Washington gave us tremendous advice on defending the nature of our republic at his farewell address. He described a set of problems and how to address them that we still struggle with today. And, I think it would be good to look at what he had to say, and see how it still applies.

-Niccolo Machiavelli"A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example."

The main items Washington warned us about:

Foreign involvements (both trade and war)
Political Factions (mainly, parties)
Sectionalism (division by region)

I've written and spoken on the issues facing our society extensively the last few years, and I would argue that most issues are at least partially caused by one of these items listed above.

And what were his solutions? He prescribed religion, morality, and education as a cure for the rising political ills. In the end, it comes down to what the individual does, as Machiavelli said in today's quote.

I think it's time we stand up and say, "STOP." We must destroy the means of division that lead to our loss of liberty. Instead, we should unite under the founding principles, and stand for what's right so that we can live free and pursue happiness for ourselves in the way our founders envisaged.

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This is a great book that will help you understand the Supreme Court, how they make decisions, and how those decisions affect you. It's a great look into the major cases that have shaped America, and most especially, American jurisprudence.

Buy your Copy of The Supreme Court Landmark Decisions here. In light of my recent episode defending American values, I thought it would be good to talk more about one of the arenas where these values are put to the test, and at times, come to fruition. This is a great book to help you understand what was going through the minds of the Justices as they made their decisions. And, when the Supreme Court is making some insane decisions now, it's a great reminder that these are fallible people and can be overturned.

-Harry S Truman"Whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court he ceases to be your friend."

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The Supreme Court: Landmark Decisions: 20 Cases that Changed America

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Is America irredeemable? Is it an intrinsically evil place, built on evil principles? Or, is it a place worth defending?

-Frederick Douglass"A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it."

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TweetIs America even worth defending anymore? Or, is it simply an evil, racist, fascist country? Check out this discussion with The Conversation of Our Generation's @NickJamell: https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2020/07/06/132-is-america-worth-defending/

The charges being brought against America all too often are numerous. Charges of racism, imperialism, misogyny, greed, and more are thrown around casually, often with complete disregard for the implications. If America is so irredeemable, how can these critics take part in any way.

Are there fair criticisms? Sure. Were there grievous atrocities and injustices committed. Yes. But, that is not an excuse to be complicit in the erasure of history in favor of this Marxist hypothesis.

Why then is it worth defending? The ideals are the answer. A Constitution is not simply a written document. We have a written one to preserve the real constitution and offer the nation's citizens a means of redress against the government.

However, the constitution in its original sense was the institutions, traditions, culture, politics, and common values that made up the society. It is developed over time, and after 300 years of subsisting as colonies, our founders realized we had broken from the English motherland.

As for these charges, do we find evidence to back them up in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and other documents?

No, and that's why they don't stick. Not only is there not evidence of these charges, but there's actually evidence that we led the way in getting rid of many of these things. And that is why America is worth defending.

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In Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway tells the story of an elderly fisherman in Cuba who's struggling to make ends meet. He's poor, and desperately so. He has a young man who helps him, and he mentors him some.

-Ernest Hemingway"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places."

The story is a lot about grit, determination, and striving to regain the vibrancy of youth. I won't give away the story, but it is a great embodiment of the Stoic ideal as this old man battles with nature out at sea.

Buy your copy of The Old Man and the Sea If you know someone who likes adventure stories, this is a fantastic book for them. I will admit that it has points that it gets a bit slow, but it is normally short and gets back to the action quickly.

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A few weeks back, I had the chance to sit down and talk to the guys at the Vital Masculinity Project. The conversation covered a range of topics, and was a lot of fun. They put it up on their site, and I thought while I was on vacation this would be a great episode to share with you.

"Virtue makes the man."

I enjoy the back and forth that's possible with smart people interested in the truth. And, I hope you enjoy it as well. If so, let me know so that I can try to make more things like this happen. I've been speaking with a couple other people about finding a way to collaborate, so maybe this could be a more regular occurrence.

TweetCheck out this conversation between @ConOfOurGen and @TheVMPod. Really solid dialogue in search of truth >> https://conversationofourgeneration.com/130-interview-with-the-vital-masculinity-project

The Vital Masculinity Project has posted a couple of guest blogs as well to the Conversation of Our Generation, so if you like this interview, check those out as well as their other content too.

About The Vital Masculinity Project

Our goal is to restore classical masculinity by encouraging men to pursue virtue and brotherhood. While there are many competing voices on manliness today, most have forgotten this foundation of character while instead focusing on externals. We strive to provide practical steps for all men to begin their journey to becoming virtuous. Visit our Journal for reflections virtue and manliness or check out our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your other favorite podcast providers to listen to rich conversations about them.

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In case you haven't heard me talk about Jordan Peterson, you should know I'm a huge fan. I think he's one of, if not the, greatest intellectual alive. So, reading this book was a huge joy for me. That said, even if you're not a huge fan or have never heard of him, 12 Rules for Life is an amazing read.

-Jordan Peterson"It's very hard to find your own words - and you don't actually exist until you have your own words."

This book is an amazing guide to becoming a better person. It is a mixture of Psychology, Religion, Ethics, Philosophy, and Literature that shows you how all of truth is related to other types. And, each of these is a tool for us to use by participating in the truth by speaking it and defending it.

Grab your copy of 12 Rules for Life here.

TweetHave you read 12 Rules for Life yet? If you still haven't, check out this review to see if you'd like it. I bet you will... https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2020/06/26/129-book-review-12-rules-for-life-by-jordan-b-peterson/(opens in a new tab)

In this book, Peterson walks through 12 rules that sometimes seem apparent, and sometimes not, in order to give the reader a way of living a productive, fruitful, meaningful life. I like it because he makes his claims without religion, and thus has to be contended with without writing him off has a "religious nutjob."

While I don't like that classification, and find it to be lazy thinking, it is something that can't be applied to Peterson for sure. He approaches the religious ideas from a secular, pragmatic point of view, and often backs them up with great evidence.

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Having read the Communist Manifesto and most of Das Kapital, it is apparent where Marx goes wrong right off the bat. All of his thought is littered with bad logic, but most of all, it is built on the improper understanding of what it means to be human. Today, we'll look at where he goes wrong in his thinking and what this bad logic leads to.

-Karl Marx"Men's ideas are the most direct emanations of their material state."

Marx's premise is off to begin with. He begins from a materialist assumption. He praises science while denying many of the major tenets that allow for the modern scientific process. In his denial of the immaterial part of the human being, he denies the possibility of beauty, truth, and love - each of which is a product of a mind that emanates from a person with a soul.

He then goes on to poorly apply this premise with other German philosophers' work to create a new way of studying history that is built on the assumption that all of history is on a track toward "progress." Thus, we ought to understand all of history as a journey toward some end constantly progressing towards progress (though this is never really clarified). Because that is the course of history, it is our duty to comply with or propel progress, just as we wouldn't try to fight the effects of gravity as it pulls a piano from the 5th story toward our head as we walk below. This allows for the conclusion that complies with this theory to be accepted, no matter how faulty the logic that precedes it.

A few major flaws in the economic theory:

Labor Theory of Value
Value of goods when exchanged
Theory of Money and Capital

Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto: 1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. 2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. 3. Abolition of all right of inheritance. 4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. 5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. 6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State. 7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. 8. Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. 9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equable distribution of the population over the country. 10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, &c., &c.

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Thomas Sowell is one of the clearest thinkers and communicators, and has a deep knowledge on a range of topics. Controversial Essaysis perfect proof of this as Sowell offers practical thoughts and solutions to a range of political, sociological, economic, and personal problems.

-Thomas Sowell"It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance."

This book is an easy read. Each of the essays is only a couple pages, so you can do it in bursts. It's a great book to have on the table to pick up here and there and flip through a couple essays. I found it really helpful to read a couple then reflect on them and gather my thoughts so I can distill it. He writes simply, yet profoundly, and there are layers to it that you can unravel the more you contemplate. Also, it's a great way to get lots of facts and figures quickly and easily that are well sourced and cited if that's something you need.

Buy your copy of Controversial Essays here. This isn't the first of his books that I've reviewed. It is however, the first one I read of his that I read. I was heavily influenced in how I think and approach issues by Sowell after reading this, and I think it would make a huge difference to anyone else looking for new ways to think.

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Controversial Essays (Hoover Institution Press Publication)

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Our world has turned its back on truth, and instead looks to the comforting story. Truth is not as important as avoiding cognitive dissonance. The idea is "if you upset me, it's not because something's wrong with me, but with what you said. I'm offended, and therefore you're wrong."

But this isn't sane at all, and today we're going to look at where the narrative is winning over truth in our culture, and how to push back individually as well as culturally.

-Andrew Breitbart"We just assumed that Walter Cronkite was unbiased. In hindsight, it is clear that Walter Cronkite was biased and that he used feigned objectivity as the cudgel to change the American narrative from being a right of center one to being a left of center one."

Before we can discuss solutions, we have to demonstrate the problem. So here are some examples of the narrative usurping the truth:

Systemic Racism
"Mostly Peaceful" protests
Our understanding of our history and its figures
Coronavirus

But, where does this come from? It is the left's stranglehold as the "purveyors of truth" in our education system, news media, and entertainment industry. Each of these is a cultural center, and one that every American interacts with to some extent, often spending much of our time with these pillars of society.

We are forced to interact with the leftist narrative, one that has been modified from Marxist ideology to disrupt and invade every aspect of our lives. Because we in America were so resistant to the Socialist case - largely due to the success of a free market economy - the Marxists attacked our culture, education, and entertainment in order to push their false narrative.

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Our politics are breaking down, and has been for a while. I think that if we want to talk to each other, we’ll need to start speaking the same political language. To do that effectively, we must learn from the same canon.

“He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.”

-Aristotle

This is a foundational text when it comes to political understanding. Aristotle is so exact in his terms, it makes it easy to follow his thought and see how he ties his ideas together to create a political philosophy. Many of the terms he lays out are still used today, but are often marred in their meaning to push an ideology.

Grab your copy of Aristotle's Politics here Aristotle writes free from any ideology, and as a man in his time. So, some of the ideas may not be what we would find right today, but in his time and place, it was likely seen as enlightened compared to many of the legal systems that preceded the Greeks.

This and Plato's Republic, are the foundation of our Western political philosophy, and to go without reading them is to neglect your duty to understand where this society comes from.

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We have effectively separated the subject from the object in our culture. We no longer see other people as people, but as "bodies." This is evident from quotes I've heard and read from Ta-Nehisi Coates referring to black bodies rather than black people. Not only have our philosophy and politics divided the object and subject of the human person, but so has our art.

In our art, architecture, music, and literature, we have divorced the object and subject. This is most evident in the title of this episode: pornography. We watch sexual acts of people who treat each other as objects as we treat them as objects in order to satisfy our pleasures. We do this in our music and literature as we play to the base appetites instead of challenging the appetites and urging change toward the divine.

-Matthew Desmond"Home is the center of life. It's the wellspring of personhood. It's where we say we're ourselves."

Pornography- printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.

This is what we're going to look into today because I'm tired of seeing it, and would like to bring this to the forefront.

I tweeted this over the weekend, and had one emphatic, correct response.

There are three ways to understand the human experience.

Subject encased in an object

Subject emanating from an object

Subject and object intertwined inextricably

Which describes your experience? via @ConOfOurGen

Places where we've divorced object and subject effectively in our culture:

The body from the person
Human experience from art
Individual from politics
Real people from their digital avatars

In order to push back, we must reunite the subject and object of the human person, recognizing each other as a body-soul composite. We are temporal beings, immortal souls that give life to our impermanent bodies, but souls that will be reunited with a permanent body at the end.

If we take that approach to each other (whether or not you're fully sold on the idea) it will revive our culture and give it a substance. We will soar to new heights, and hopefully, more will come to understand this as true.

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If you're looking for a better understanding of statistics and what they mean, Outliers, is a really interesting look into how trends can really affect individual outcomes en masse.

I have written and talked about the fact that statistics are an amalgamation of people, that when we see these numbers they represent actual experiences of people.

Malcolm Gladwell"What do we tell our children? Haste makes waste. Look before you leap. Stop and think. Don't judge a book by its cover. We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and spending as much time as possible in deliberation."

Outliers is a look into the trends that create incredible anomalies and the people who are there, ready and willing, to take advantage of a moving wave. I look at success a lot like surfing: in order to ride the wave to shore, you need to be there, see the right wave, and know how to ride it. This book tells you all about the waves, and the people who were poised to ride them in to shore.

Grab your copy of Outliers here. If you'd like to understand how greatness comes about by being the one to see the trend and make the best of it, this is the book for you. It may not teach you how to identify the right trends as it chalks much of the success up to intuition, but it will show you what many successful people have done to see an opportunity and seize it.

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Those of you who listen to my podcast and follow my blog know that I have no love lost for the authorities. I believe that many of our institutions have been corrupted beyond the point of deserving much respect, let alone the benefit of the doubt.

-John Locke"The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom."

So, when I saw what happened to George Floyd, I was outraged and hoped that changes would be made to prevent this sort of thing from happening. This should not happen, and cops who do this should be fired, stripped of benefits, and brought up on charges - every single time. And no one should disagree with this.

That said, we should also not allow the sort of violent response to stand. We should push back against the violent and hateful tactics and negotiate a real solution. Looting your local neighborhood does nothing to solve this problem, and most everything to worsen it.

We need to find ways to express ideas peacefully and have a dialogue. Today, we'll talk about some of the problems with police and the violent protests, as well as some potential solutions to the problems between police and the black community.

Some of the problems I'm seeing with police:

Police enforcing unjust laws
Police using bad tactics to restrain people
Police using too much force due to incompetence or poor training
Justice system covering for cops
Lack of discipline for police due to unions
Bad discussions about the actual problems at hand with people talking past each other

Some of the problems I'm seeing with the riots:

Attacking the very people you purport to defend
Hatred does not solve hatred, but multiplies it
Peaceful people are having their voices hijacked by radicals
Violent radicals don't actually care about the core issue of police violence
Anger is not being directed at the problem

Some potential points of improvement:

Punish cops immediately for excessive force: don't make the mob call it out first
Get rid of police unions and make it easy to fire and bring charges on cops
Listen to the concerns of black people and don't come back with statistics against experiences
Explore sources other than race for some of the conflicts- unjust laws, focus on nonviolent lawbreakers, poor training
Look for common ground and start there

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If you're looking for an entertaining read, True Crime is a great book. It is an interesting look into the criminal justice system and what it's like to sit on death row.

-Thomas Aquinas"Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him."

With all the discussion right now about problems in criminal justice, this is a great look at how one dedicated person can make a large impact. It also brings into question Political Correctness and the complexity of a not-so-great person's attempt to do the right thing.

I like Andrew Klavan's books, and I think this one is a really great thriller that will keep you wondering throughout and on edge till the very end.

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I'm worried that we're being prepared for a "new normal," and one that will be harmful to us. I've seen a couple signs of this and wanted to call them out so we can find ways to push back and resist encroachments into our lives.

-Jordan Peterson"I've studied authoritarianism for a very long time - for 40 years - and they're started by people's attempts to control the ideological and linguistic territory."

Here are a couple things I've noticed happening that touch very different parts of our lives.

Whole Foods using cash only (from a picture on Twitter, but have heard this elsewhere)
Contact tracing & mandating vaccines
"Simple" behavior changes - Masks, handshaking, distancing
Stripping of religious community and other social institutions

I believe these will work to undermine our freedom and our way of life. My hope is that being aware will help us to push back and not loose those things we hold dear.

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In a time when discussion is angry and partisan, it is refreshing to have a book that addresses real issues seriously- but not too seriously. Don't Burn This Book is a great look at Dave Rubin's political transformation, and it comes with great advice for those afraid of the PC Mob.

If you're open to honest and civil dialogue (which I hope you are if you're here) this is a good look at many of the issues people are facing today. It isn't a dense philosophical treatise and it surely isn't fluff. It's an approachable read that gives the reader a good read of the landscape both philosophically and politically... as well as memetically.

-Dave Rubin"Instead of silencing speakers on campus, perhaps do what you're supposed to in college instead: listen to someone who thinks differently than you do."

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Don't Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason

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It seems to me all to common that people pursue theories for sake of pursuing them, rather than a search for truth. The problem in this is that truth is the end, and our capabilities to be rational and seek truth are a means. Treating the pursuit of truth as the end is like treating money as an end, rather than a means.

-Friedrich Nietzsche"On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow."

We ought not treat means as ends or ends as means. If we do, we are acting improperly and will not be able to reap the benefit of proper action.

What should be the focus of an intellectual pursuit is not notoriety, pride of accomplishment, or vindication. Rather, we should seek truth and if any of those come our way as a side effect, be grateful.

The worst thing one can do in search of truth is to attempt to subdue the truth and wield it, rather than to seek and accept it. This is a grave problem and should be avoided, as it is an exercise of pride and self-imposition on reality, rather than acceptance of the reality at hand. It is the beginning of ideology and tyranny, and many of the ills our society sees today.

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Marcus Aurelius was an Emperor of Rome. He was also a wise, Stoic philosopher. He might be more remembered for his writings than what he did as a political and military leader.

His understanding of discipline and how you can grow in virtue only through channeling liberty for good is one that strikes a cord with me. I think that in an emotionally-driven culture, we can use some more stoicism and cold rationality as we discuss the relevant topics today.

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In today's discourse there is a lot of bad dialogue. Many people fling ideas out there with little to no consideration, and many of these ideas are fallacious.

I'd like to look at several fallacies that really disrupt our ability to have a productive conversation. My hope is that in looking at these, we can find a way to push these fallacies aside and work to have a real, productive dialogue on the topic at hand.

-Henri Poincare"A sane mind should not be guilty of a logical fallacy, yet there are very fine minds incapable of following mathematical demonstrations."

These are three common fallacies I see used a lot right now that I think it's important to address.

"You don't care about grandma." This is an impugning of motives rather than a serious look at the issue at hand.
Partisan Whataboutism- This problem stems from either a double standard or an accusation of a double standard where none exist. Both are a problem.
Materialist Assumption - This happens a lot now because many people who aren't religious simply assume a materialist cause for many things that are not necessarily materialist or justify beliefs assuming materialism as a basis.

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Saint Augustine - "God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering."

Saint Augustine of Hippo, a late-in-life convert and one of the Fathers of the Church. His influence on the growth and theology of the Church is hard to calculate, but he has definitely changed the course of the Catholic Church.

I love the way he speaks to God in this book and how he asks God for the truth. I think it is a great example of how to be an honest seeker of truth. Instead of choosing what you believe and asserting your points, be humble and seek the truth and accept it.

If you'd like to learn more you can click the link below to get your copy. Whether you're Catholic or not, I think it would enrich your search for truth and your appreciation for the wonder of the world.

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One of my favorite poems is William Wordsworth's "Lines Written in Early Spring." I came across this poem a couple years ago as I started reading his works. The length is great, and the message is insightful and relevant. Plus, it's beautifully written.

As I read it, I feel like I'm out in nature as spring is blooming. And, it asks a great question: what have we done with ourselves to lose the joy and pleasure of life?

-Robert Frost"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words."

The poem is below if you want to read it. But, I recommend you check out more of his poems as well.

I think a good poem is long enough, but not too long. You have to be able to bring out some insight, emotion, or idea in a creative way. So, 3 lines rarely (if ever) does the trick.

I also like simple observations. I love the poetry of the Romantics because they bring out the beauty and joy of ordinary things, often those that are taken for granted. In our rationalistic world, poetry is able to speak to the soul.

Buy this collection of Wordsworth's works.

Lines Written in Early SpringBY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

I heard a thousand blended notes,

While in a grove I sate reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,

The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;

And ’tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,

Their thoughts I cannot measure:—

But the least motion which they made

It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature’s holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What man has made of man?

Read more on Stewardship as I mentioned in this podcast.

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William Wordsworth - The Major Works: including The Prelude (Oxford World's Classics)

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While I have no problem looking at the world and seeing the spiritual realm as well. I am not a materialist. But, for those who are, this book will bring that out of you.

In The Soul of the World, Roger Scruton explores the spirit behind the music, art, and architecture and in doing so makes an argument for a human soul as well. There is little to no mention of God, and he still is able to show how a spirit can emanate from the physical.

If you want to be able to answer materialists, check out this book and dive into one of the greatest philosophers, and definitely one of the greatest of modern times.

Click the book cover below to buy it on Amazon.

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With the lockdown continuing and even the prospects of a reopen small, it would be a good time to do the things you've wanted for a while. I've tried to take advantage of a little extra time at home to clean the house and yard, hang with my wife and dog, and reading and writing.

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.

Rene Descartes

I wanted to update you on some of the improvements I've made on the podcast, and some things I'm working on as well.

Plus, I'd like to talk about the weekly book reviews and some easy ways for you to support me while buying books to improve your knowledge too.

House projects- Garden is planted
Reading- 3 books finished during quarantine, Wordsworth's poems
Watching old movies - Dirty Harry, Singing in the Rain, Kingsmen (not that old, but I missed it when it came out)

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Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell is a great look into how economic disparities that we hear a lot about play out in the real world. Statistics are a snapshot at a certain time, in a certain place, of a certain group. It isn't the whole picture, let alone the whole story.

In this book, Sowell shows how economic and sociological statistics can be used to paint a very different picture than reality and gives you the tools you need to assess claims made from certain sets of data. The beauty of this book is its simplicity. He doesn't hide a lack of understanding with complex syntax, but gets to the point clearly and succinctly.

Grab your copy of Discrimination and Disparities here to check it out Even if you're not a economist or sociologist, you'll understand what he has to say. This has been the inspiration for much of my thought around how we are tricked by economic statistics to not think of the people they represent.

And, in my most recent podcast episode, we looked at these effects more closely.

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We have a lot of talk today that "It's worth saving one life, even if we ruin the economy." People who say this overlook the fact that the economy is a collection of individuals and the decisions they make when interacting. All of these people overlook what a bad economy means for real people.

Ben Bernanke"I got into economics because I wanted to make things better for the average person."

Today, I'd like to talk about some topics with economic relevance and show how that truly affects people's lives. While I find utilitarian arguments weak as they can justify a range of opposing positions, I want to answer the utilitarian attacks on proponents for economic well-being.

What happens when the market takes a dive?

Buying opportunity for the young
Can bankrupt pensions- which kills people's retirements
My grandparents, who are living on their retirement funds, have 30% less right now.

What does unemployment mean?

People unable to provide for their family- and $1200 won't cut it
Suicide risk increases 2-3 times, and is slightly more for men
Loss of productivity, which is what our country's debt's based on

What does inflation do?

It is taking a line of credit out in our grandkids name
It raises prices, but not before it benefits those close to the government

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In these times of social isolation and government encroachment, we can take some lessons form Henry David Thoreau's Walden and essay Civil Disobedience.

Walden is a journal Thoreau wrote as he lived off on his own on the Lake Walden in New England. It was a time where he got away from society, which allowed him to see it clearly. It's a great look at the society at the time, and we could learn something today as we are shut in as well.

Civil Disobedience is his essay on, well, civil disobedience. He talks about how he takes steps to push back against a government he finds unjust due to slavery.

If you'd like to read more about the mid 1800's and the reasons one might disobey civil authorities, you can buy the book below.

Buy Walden and Civil Disobedience, then let me know what you think!

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We are in the middle of a real threat that I don't want to underplay. I do, however, fear that our solution is untenable. We cannot violate our principles as a country and the rights of individuals and call that a solution.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Benjamin Franklin

There are a lot of places where government regulations have gone way too far, and here are a few examples:

Church services
Ability to assemble
Freedom to move and be outside
Invasion of privacy
Licensing and permits for the vaccinated and tested

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Wanted to try something new to take your mind off of all we're facing right now and start a new part of the podcast where I review books I've read and loved.

I started this on my YouTube channel, but am not always presentable, so I want to bring this to you on the podcast so your weekend can start with a good book recommendation.

Since we now have more time at home, it would be good to pick up a book rather than a video game controller or the remote.

So, let me know what you think of The First Philosophers: The Presocratics and the Sophists.

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The First Philosophers: The Presocratics and Sophists (Oxford World's Classics)

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Spring is a wonderful time of year. Gardens, trees, forests come to life and emerge from their slumber. Today, as we are in our mandatory hibernation to prevent the spread of COVID, we can look to the inklings of spring around us for hope.

"Satan knows that youth is the springtime of life when all things are new and young people are most vulnerable."

Ezra Taft Benson

Plus, with this being Holy Week, it is an even better time to look into rebirth as we approach Easter.

I love this time of year and wanted to take an episode to talk about what it means to me.

A few things that happen this time of year:

Easter
Plants & animals coming to life
My birthday
(Normally) a more vibrant social life

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We just passed the largest stimulus bill in American history by a long shot. And while people may celebrate their $1,200 check or complain about the pending bailouts, I think it's important to get to the basics of money and why government spending is an issue.

"The Keynesian prescription for unemployment rests on the persistence of a 'money illusion' among workers, i.e., on the belief that while, through unions and government, they will keep money wage rates from falling, they will also accept a fall in real wage rates via higher prices."

-Murray Rothbard

Here are the topics we'll cover today:

What is money?
Federal Reserve

Fractional reserve banking

Interest rate control * Government influence on money

Inflation

Mis-signaling the market

What is money?

Money is a commodity like any other. The difference is that the purpose of money is to be a means of exchange. It is a good that is highly exchangeable and fractionable to make buying and selling easy.

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Over the last couple of weeks and months I’ve avoided putting out an opinion on the Wuhan Flu, But with the reactions we’ve seen from authorities, I think it’s important to have different ideas out there

There is a lot of chaos for sure, but reaction I’ve seen thus far ignores any consequences and trade offs that are being made.

-Dwight D. Eisenhower“Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.”

Today, I’d like to talk about trade-offs and how they are not being discussed. Then, we can look at other plans and see if we can come to something more sensible and takes all things into account.

To start, let’s look at what a trade off is. Basically, every decision you make means you didn’t make an infinite set of other decisions. Al the decisions you could have gone with instead are a trade off.

Here are some other tactics that are being used:

Quarantine only the sick and the susceptible
Test everyone who shows symptoms at all
Young people go about their business but cleaner and with more Lysol

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSCRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers. If you would like to join me in the Conversation of Our Generation, follow me on Twitter @ConOfOurGen, Facebook Conversation of Our Generation Facebook Page and SteemIt @jamell Also, you can find me on YouTube Conversation of Our Generation YouTube Channel. I am just trying to join the Conversation of Our Generation. Let’s get the dialogue going with comments, shares, questions- just say something! Sign up for hosting on Blubrry http://create.blubrry.com/resources/podcast-media-download-statistics/?code=convo

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I’ve recently been reading a book about Irish immigrants in the American West during the westward expansion. This open my eyes to the role Irish immigrants played in the American story outside of the role they played on the East Coast.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I wanted to talk about this role in greater depth..

Before I dive into that, I’d like to talk a bit about the Wuhan Virus or Covid19 as it’s also called. I’d like to talk about some ways to be prepared and navigate the hysteria.

A few things you don’t know the Irish did out west:

Leaders in the fur trapping industry
The Donner party
Canadian Hostilities
Rabble-rousing love for freedom

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSCRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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Last thing we have to look at in this series is how you get your adult life started building wealth. We'll look at things people put off for so long that they shouldn't. And, if they didn't, they would build wealth faster.

"Unite liberality with a just frugality; always reserve something for the hand of charity; and never let your door be closed to the voice of suffering humanity."

Patrick Henry

So, what can you do to build wealth? Here are some things that help:

Buy a house ASAP- Earns equity, bring roommates, have options when you move
Get married early (but that doesn't mean rush)
Run numbers on purchases
Learn to do things for yourself
Take hand-me-downs

The aim of these tactics is to have them as tools, knowing that the goal is to reduce the number of sunk costs in your life. By being responsible and frugal, you can start on the road to financial freedom.

Join the Conversation Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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In this episode we’ll continue our discussion on financial freedom. Well look at some alternatives to college that can help you get better jobs.

The aim here would still be to earn, save, build credit, and stay clear of debt.

The difference is how you get there.

-Oscar Wilde“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.”

Other opportunities besides college:

The trades
Coding
Self-employment
unconventional career paths

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSCRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers. If you would like to join me in the Conversation of Our Generation, follow me on Twitter @ConOfOurGen, Facebook Conversation of Our Generation Facebook Page and SteemIt @jamell Also, you can find me on YouTube Conversation of Our Generation YouTube Channel.

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After high school comes a fork in the road. Today we will cover one of those which is the college route.

"Financial freedom is available to those who learn about it and work for it."

Robert Kiyosaki

Recap Many of the principles that we talked about last week don’t change, but the way that they are implemented and how you go about them doesn’t change.

The goal still will be to earn money, save money, build credit, and avoid debt.

How to make financial progress in college * Earn more money- by working more hours or somewhere you can get raises * Save more money- because you're earning more (duh) * Avoid debt- to the extent you can and make sure the debt you take on is justifiable * Build credit- start paying your bills ON TIME

Join the Conversation Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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I find that one of the most important things that we can do in our life to increase liberty is to be financially free. That doesn’t mean you have to make $1 million a year. And, in fact, I want to start off by talking about how to be financially free while in high school.

This is going to be another multi part series talking about how to start off in the right place financially to set yourself up for success later. This isn’t a Dave Ramsey video on how to get back on track, but a lesson from someone who started off right on how they did it.

So, today we'll talk about how you (or a someone you know) can get their adult life started on the right financial foot.

-Dave Ramsey"You're not a bad parent if you don't save for your kid's college because instead you had to choose to feed them and clothe them. Those things come first. They can go to school and do this thing called 'work' while they're in school."

Here is what a high schooler can do to get started: 1. Start earning money (and start saving it too) 2. Put most of your savings in a mutual fund, and some in a bank savings account 3. Find ways to build credit (without risking a lot of debt) 4. Assess the right college or alternative path for you (both practically and financially)

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I am just trying to join the Conversation of Our Generation. Let’s get the dialogue going with comments, shares, questions- just say something!

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My answer, yes... most of the time at least. It seems that facts only matte when they serve your point of view. People use them as clubs rather than in search of truth.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

-Henry David Thoreau

A few things have come up on the campaign trail and in the wake of impeachment that made me notice this tactic.

Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are both known as being inexact with their language. Recently, both have had some goofy mistakes that have lead people to miss the point of their message.

AOC used the name Milton Keynes, mixing up John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman, two of the most prominent economists in the last 100 years. It's funny because she proves over and over again that she actually is ignorant.

But ask yourself, would you give one of the people you follow some slack if you saw this?

Trump then went out and said he heard the one word he wanted to hear, "Total exoneration." Joy Behar then called him out because it was actually two words.

These are cases where the fact they're being criticized on are not the point. Trump's point that he was exonerated is true. Just look at his poll numbers.

AOC's point about economics was, "famed economist Milton Keynes predicted that by 2030, GDP and technology would have advanced so much that it would allow everyday people to work as little as 15 hours a week and provide for their families."

That is something he said, and actually there's evidence that that could become reality, but not for the reason he thought. Also, it would require us to be content with less status. A $30,000 salary today provides far more luxury than it did in 1905, despite being a modest income.

Instead of having a conversation about the topic at hand, we're talking about irrelevant details. That's where facts don't matter.

They do matter when they truly affect the conversation. What a candidate plans to do in office matters, as well as whether or not the president is actually being thrown out of office. It matters to our lifestyles what value we produce and if we can live off a 15 hour work week.

Now, what are the actual facts that pertain to these issues?

Book Review: Walden And Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau

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"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature."

Marcus Aurelius

The 7 deadly sins: Pride, Envy. Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, Sloth

Cardinal virtues and Theological Virtues:

Four cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice

Three theological virtues: faith, hope, charity

Discipline your mind

There are two ways of discipline in your mind. One is by learning, and the other is figuring out how to control your thoughts more effectively. I find that it's best if these two things are done together. As you learn more, especially if you are learning about what is good, you'll be there to focus your mind on better things. While you're doing that, you should find ways to push bad thoughts out of your mind and hone in on good thoughts.

Discipline your actions

Now, it's time to put your learning to work. You have to begin acting out what is good and learning how to do it better. You have to find a way to discipline yourself in all areas of your life: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. For men, it's often easiest to start with the physical because that actually begins to wire your body the right way to take on other challenges.

Discipline your schedule

Once you begin to act out positive things, it's time to find a way to do them more regularly. Finding time early in the morning or late at night depending on what kind of person you are to read, work out, and grow spiritually is important.

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In this episode, we'll discuss the Passions, or emotions, and how to channel them properly. This comes from St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica, and I think they're pretty comprehensive.

"Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."

-Kobe Bryant

Before we dive in, I think it's important to define a few terms.

Appetite- any inclination or tendency to some good or suitable object or away from some bad or unsuitable object.

Passion- Receptivity, being acted on by another; or intense movement of the sensitive appetite

Concupiscible Passion- Sense appetite seeking pleasure, which is found in the good

Irascible Passion- Sense desire to fight or escape danger

THE CONCUPISCIBLE PASSIONS 1. Love

Hatred and concupiscence
Pleasure
Sorrow

THE IRASCIBLE PASSIONS 1. Hope and despair

Fear
Daring
Anger

Resources: Article on Anger from Summa

The Passions from the Summa

Aquinas on the Emotions/Passions (what the Heck does Irascible and Concupiscible Mean?)

Aquinas on the Passions, W/ Fr. Gregory Pine

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The Second Amendment debate has recently heated up quite a bit due to new laws that Virginia is trying to pass to restrict gun ownership.

Today we will talk about why there is a second amendment and four major reasons that the founders thought it was important.

"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty."

Plato

Sporting

Shooting is and, has been since guns have been invented, A popular pastime. Whether it's targets, or target practice or really usage, Americans have enjoyed shooting sports throughout its history.

Food

The main issue that people bring up is that guns were for hunting so you don't need "military style" weapons. The fact is that guns are used for food whether it's hunting or quickly and humanely killing livestock.

Self-defense

One of the more serious reasons why we have it is in the case of self-defense. The saying goes that when you need help now cops are only minutes away and that's true. If you have to defend yourself in the moment there's no better way than a firearm that you know how to use well. That's been true since the frontier when you even had to defend yourself against animals in addition to other people.

Defense against tyranny

The most important reason and the reason why most founders site in talking about the Second Amendment, is to defend against tyranny. It is important to have a militia ready to take on anyone who tries to take the guns. The reason is that an unarmed people are easy to oppress.

This is why slaves were disarmed, and the NRA was founded in order to give black citizens legal recourse when their rights were violated in regards to the Second Amendment.

Guns Aren’t The Problem, But The Solution

Guns Don’t Kill People, Materialism Kills People

Why Rights Should Not Be Revoked Because Of One Person

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A couple days ago, a genius, philosopher, and one of my personal inspirations passed away. Roger Scruton has done yeoman's work answering the Modernism and Postmodernism that has set out to define our time.

“Art once made a cult of beauty. Now we have a cult of ugliness instead. This has made art into an elaborate joke, one which by now has ceased to be funny.”

— Roger Scruton

He is a truly wonderful thinker, and today I wanted to commemorate him and explain why I am such a fan of his work as well as why I am persuaded by his philosophy.

These three reasons we'll discuss today show why his contributions and the spirit of his work will be missed.

His defense of Conservatism and conservatism
His answer to the Modernists and Postmodernists
His understanding of and ability to describe beauty

Learn More:

Book Review–The Meaning Of Conservatism

Episode 10: Institutions And Conservatism (Not The Way You’re Thinking About It)

Importance of the Arts

Episode 32: Institutions of Justice

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In the last couple episodes, we discussed how you can come to know things about God, the order of creation, and how we should act in their creation, through human reasoning. What I would like to discuss today is the value that revelation brings and how it shows us a deeper understanding that cannot be known but through revelation. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." -Jesus Christ

Jesus does this by showing us how to live, making claims about the world that are hard to understand but when followed are true, by making an offering of life to which nothing can be compared. Because Jesus is God incarnate, which is something that needs to be taken on faith- which has plenty of support that may be for another episode- He is able to reveal essential facts about being how do you act that cannot be known by human reasoning alone. The beatitudes are a perfect example of this. He flips the common understanding on its head and then doing so opens up a door two brand new ways of approaching how we treat our neighbor which lead to huge prosperity and many of the miracles that he tells us we will do. In fact, this is encouraging is such a powerful event that you can see how he completes in his ministry the work of many who tried to build an ethic before him. This is why Chesterton places figures like Buddha and Confucius with the magi at his birth. As Jesus progresses in his ministry, He makes claims to divinity to his actions then words. Multiple times throughout the gospels he is threatened with stoning for violating blasphemy laws. His claim to divinity is important, because this would make an equal in nature with the creator, and would allow him to reveal truth about the way the world is ordered, which he does. Through His teachings, we reconcile philosophy and religion. It is when God becomes man, walks among us, teaches us, that we truly can understand how to behave and take part most fully in creation. It is this event that deepens our understanding of Truth that leads to scientific advancements that continue to amaze us, an ethic that has dramatically decreased violence and increased prosperity and charity, and opens the door to the fullness of life- one that we have to wait to the other side of the veil to fully experience but one we can begin to understand in our life today.

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Last week I talked about the Logos or "That which gives order to the universe." We talked about how it was necessary that Truth flows from the Creator God.

Today, we'll talk about the Way- or what Aristotle and Confucius call the Mean. We'll talk about how we can know there is a proper way of acting in the world that can be understood through reason.

"Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it."

-Aristotle

The mean is the right course to take that is not too extreme in either direction. It is the walking of a tight rope with disaster on either side. It is the proper ethical response to a given situation.

Just as you can only use the pythagorean theorem on a right-angled triangle, you can only act courageously or piously to a situation that allows you to do so. Acting pious when you should be courageous is not the proper response- and therefore not within the mean.

To be able to act within the mean requires that you understand the situation you're in and know enough to have the proper response to the given situation. One must be educated in the Truth and work with others to test out their reasoning. They must understand the virtues and vices and how to apply them. Plus, one must have practiced virtue to be prepared when a situation arises.

"What Heaven has conferred is called The Nature; an accordance with this nature is called The Path of duty; the regulation of this path is called Instruction." - Confucius

The only limiting factor with this understanding of ethics, that is fairly comprehensive, is that it can only see the value of ethical action through a lifetime. It doesn't account for the ripple through generations- or the echo in eternity.

Helpful links:

Book Review: The Analects And The Doctrine Of The Mean

The Mean: What It Is And Why It Matters

Book Review: Tao Te Ching By Lao Tzu

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Last week we talked about God as the Creator and source of life. We established certain pieces of his nature that have to be present to be the supreme being.

This week, we'll discuss more about His nature and the order of the universe that follows from His nature.

"It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense."

-Mark Twain

God is the creator, and therefore the Logic or Mind, behind the order of the universe. There is a fullness of Truth in God and all truths, however small or incomplete, point to that truth.

People will say that evil is not a thing in itself, but an absence of good. It's a lack or deprivation. Truth, like goodness, is a building up of something towards an ideal. A lack of truth is falsehood. But an incomplete truth is not bad the same as a lack of good because we're born without the ability to truly do evil while also born ignorant.

All truth we know is learned. All good or evil can be in flux throughout our lives.

As we learn, we can measure our understanding of the truth by the results our understanding produces. Because God created the world with an order to it, we can tap into the potential of His creation by coming to know that order better.

We learn truth several ways: observation, experimentation, reasoning, and exploration. We can learn about the physical world and see what metaphysical truth that reflects, and vice versa.

In fact, science comes from this world view: that the universe has a logic to it and can be observed. That it operates with laws and rules to guide it.

But, does this translate to moral truth? I say yes. There are principles to live by that are in accord with the way the world is created. You then apply these principles to the situations you're faced with- which is where the Way comes from.

Need to catch up on the series? Check out Part 1 here.

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Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." This is a hard thing to understand. How can He be the way to God, Truth Itself, and real Life?

I believe that we have to look at this as a mirror saying. God is the source of Life, the Creator. Through His creation, He conveys Truth about Himself, metaphysical truths expressed through the Logos, the Word, the logic behind the order of the universe.

By understanding God as the source of Life and Truth, a perfect example of all that is good, we can then begin to derive a way of acting that is in accord with our nature in His Image and Likeness.

Jesus is the fulfillment of time, God incarnate, the perfect example of how to act. People around the world struggled to find a way to live virtuously. They looked for the straight and narrow path, or as Aristotle and Confucius would say, "The Mean."

I believe, and will demonstrate, that Jesus showing us how to live led us to a full Truth that leads to the fullness of Life.

Today, we'll begin that discussion with the Life, and its source: God. I want to walk through arguments in favor of a creator and why that creator must be God.

The universe can't have always existed. If that were the case, every possible thing would have had to have happened, which would include the universe itself not existing. Without getting into a discussion of the multiverse, it is clear that anything physical can't be eternal in the way the universe is today. You could argue that something created could be never-ending, however with science today, that is a hard case to make as well.

Everything created is contingent. If you exist (which you do if you're reading this), then you have some cause for your being. Each person comes from 2 parents. Trees come from seeds that came from trees before them. The universe, all known being, is contingent on something else. That means that we fall into the problem above. You can't just have an infinite regress of causes- that's absurd. There has to be one necessary being that created everything. That's God. This argument is true for motion, actuality, and cause, and they're very similar to one another.

There are a few things we can know about God based on this. If God is the uncaused cause, He is at His essence being itself. He simply is. He is also simple, made up of no parts. He needs nothing. Therefore, we can be confident that His creation is out of love. He doesn't need to be loved, entertained, assured of His power. Through His omnipotence, he sustains all of being and gives life.

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There's no more Advent season anymore- just Christmas. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, it's the Christmas season, not Advent, that is all across America.

However, I believe we lose a big chunk of what it means to celebrate Christmas by skipping the Advent season.

"The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come."

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Reasons we should celebrate Advent:

It reminds us what we're celebrating, namely Jesus. It isn't Santa Claus and reindeer, but Jesus and the coming of the Messiah.
You lose out on the anticipation and preparation. The Jews waited 4,000 years for the Messiah (and some are still waiting) and we can wait 4 weeks after Thanksgiving to celebrate him as well.
There's a rich heritage and many traditions tied to the Advent season that enrich one's understanding of the culture they live in.

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When we live in fractured and splintered times like we do today, it is more important than ever to have times and traditions that we all hold sacred.

It is important to have things that we share with our neighbors even if we disagree on everything else. There needs to be something that helps us identify with each other. I think Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday.

"Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants."

-Kevin James

Here are some of my top reasons I think this is the perfectly unifying holiday.

It's uniquely American.

2. It's Christian, but can be adapted for other faiths.

A family that eats together, stays together.

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This will be a quick episode where I try to capture my basic thoughts on the current impeachment proceedings. I try not to talk too much about the nitty-gritty of politics, but I think that some important ideas to discuss here.

"The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office."

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

With impeachment hearing going on, I felt like I ought to weigh in and offer my thoughts on where the process is - and where it's likely to go.

Despite trying to move away from the day-to-day politics, I think this is an important enough event to warrant some discussion.

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With everything going on with the election, and all the hype around Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax, I felt it would be good to weigh in on this idea. One of the listeners mentioned this on Twitter and I thought it would be a good topic to dive into to see why it's not a good idea.

"I think there's a lot to be said for changing the balance of what we tax: wealth versus work."

-Pete Buttigieg

What is wealth?: Wealth is everything you are on. It is not simply cash in the bank ready to be taken by the government. Nor is it income.

GDP growth: GDP growth is the main factor that plays into the fact that we have continually increased tax collections year after year whether taxes are cut or raised. if the government wants more money, they simply need to grow the pie. It doesn't matter what their slices if that isn't happening.

Billionaires are people: That means, they will react like people. If you were getting bullied, you wouldn't just stand there and take it. Either you would fight back or go somewhere else. When they're already shouldering the bulk of taxes paid, billionaires won't stand to have their wealth liquidated and taken overtime by further taxation. instead, they will most likely pick up and leave, or find ways around the world tax. Plenty of billionaires have already spoken out and are pushing back against the candidate from the party that they generally agree with.

More on Warren’s Wealth Tax and Medicare Plan here.

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Kanye, as a cultural leader and visionary has influenced every piece of pop culture from music to fashion. His latest album has made waves-as did the rest of his have.

It's amazing to hear Scripture being cited in pop music, and he's done it well.

"All my idols, let 'em go

All the demons, let 'em know

This a mission, not a show

This is my eternal soul"

-Kanye West

God Is lyrics

1. It allows religion to be cool: when someone like Kanye West professors of religion, it gives cover to other people who believe as well to profess their faith. It has become unpopular or uncool to be a practicing religious person in our culture for a while, and this gives permission to people publicly practice and profess.

2. It shows what turning to Christ can do for you: this album really makes me believe that Kanye has his priorities straight and that he's no longer wrapping for his ego or other worldly things. He seems to have really focused in on what matters most, like his family, God, and true self improvement for the sake of God.

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The 80/20 rule is often used to find the highest value next steps. You should ask, "how can 20% of the effort get me 80% of the way to the place I want to be?"

It's no different with political allies, and I was inspired by a tweet by Larry Sharpe, who is an 80/20 ally to me, by a tweet I saw of his recently. It summed up what this 80/20 rule can mean in a political landscape where there is no black and white, only grey.

"I go by the 80/20 rule. If I agree with what you're saying 80% of the time, and I disagree with what you're saying 20% of the time: you're still my ally."

-Larry Sharpe

I have often talked about how I'm willing to talk to people I agree and disagree with, find common ground, and work with people where we agree. I think it is a healthy thing for a society to have this.

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The college system is going away. It's obvious that the economic writing on the wall is there. However, education will remain. The question is what will this look like?

"The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things."

-Jean Piaget

Trade Schools: This is an obvious answer. However, I'm not just talking about welders and plumbers. I mean other trades that don't require that you read Shakespeare- just that you know how to do them. Trades like software development, piloting, and many more are increasingly looking to move towards a trade school-like model.

Apprenticeships: Most entry-level roles have little to do with what you studied in school. In fact, most entry-level jobs can be learned on the fly once you prove you have the skills to learn quickly and adapt. Instead of spending 4 years in a classroom, I think we'll see a resurgence of people getting out there and learning on the job.

Online Courses: Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris, and many more academics have proven this model already. They offer their lectures on circuit and put out content via blogs, podcasts, and YouTube. This is already happening, and it allows people to dive into content at their own pace and to the extent they want to do so.

But where does the Liberal Education go?

I think the online courses could replace the crappy general education colleges push kids through for 2 years simply to get a little extra cash. What I want to know is if you'd like to learn that way.

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It seems as though we have trouble delineating between different means of understanding the world and how those should be used. I've seen philosophers make for bad scientists and scientists make for bad philosophers. The reason, I believe, is they require different ways of searching for Truth.

"Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom."

-Will Durant

Science tells us about what we can measure.

Philosophy tells us about what we can work through with reason.

Science and philosophy can inform each other. The scientific method is rooted in philosophical ideas. And many philosophers use science in deepening their understanding.

Abortion is a discussion about values that can be informed by science. We can see the evolution of thought around abortion as the science has improved.

Climate change is a scientific question- and so is any solution to combat its effects. However, assigning values and making the tradeoffs is a philosophical discussion.

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The panic over climate change seems to be getting worse and worse despite the fact that the predictions have been wrong time and time again. Today, I would like to discuss the panic around climate change and the lack of good solutions to the problem.

"Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us."

-Bill Nye

Is it warming?

It seems to me that based on the evidence it is getting warmer. I am not sure exactly how fast it's happening, nor do I know if that is worldwide or certain areas. Sure there might be dips in temperature, but that is like saying the stock market hasn't gone up steadily since we've begun tracking it when there is a recession. A local dip doesn't mean that the overall trend isn't going up.

Is man to blame?

There seems to be evidence that man contributes to global warming in some respect. By disrupting ecosystems and releasing pollution we do have a negative affect often on the environment. We do have a positive affect in many aspects as well, and if we can mitigate the negative effects I think we can really reduce our impact with some simple things

What should we do?

Well, socialism isn't the answer. My main problem with climate change alarmism is that the answer always is government takeover of this or that. It is never a call to personal responsibility in any meaningful way. Nor does it go after the large perpetrators.

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It seems that school has lost sight of the goal that they should be educating and challenging students instead of indoctrinating them. The system we have now doesn't truly provide an education, rather it is a path for skills training to get a job.

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."

-Malcom X

Bad incentives: The system we have currently was developed by socialist activists like Dewey. Because of that, the system has for a long time had a bad incentive structure for those who truly do excellent work.

Lack of options: Despite the fact that we have tons of unfilled labor jobs, especially those in skilled trades like electricians, welders, etc., we do not educate people on that opportunity, nor do we prepare then. There is also a lack of options for schools. If you want people to be able to succeed, allow them to go to the schools of their choice instead of trapping them generation after generation in a bad school system.

Biases: The biases in the education system had become so ingrained due to the fact that many of the elite educators lean in one political direction, and the government has an incentive to educate people to enjoy a big government. There is no conservative answer to the Howard Zinn ways of educating people. They don't need to answer with their biases, but with the truth and allow people to decide.

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This is something I discovered in my life a while ago, and have not had a single way of saying until listening to Jocko Willink and Akira the Don's remixes of his talks. There's one song called Discipline Equals Freedom that caught my attention and concisely describe what I've been trying to say.

"While discipline and freedom seem like they sit on opposite sides of the spectrum, they are actually very connected."

-Jocko Willink

Health Freedom: If you want to be free to move about and to not have to take medicine every day or deal with chronic pain, you have to take your health into your own hands. Doctors can't do it for you, drugs can't do it for you. You must eat right, stay active, and be aware of what's going on in your body.

Economic Freedom: If you want the freedom to not worry about your finances or to be able to retire, then you must be disciplined in your actions and have a plan. You'll need a budget. You'll need a career path that allows you to grow. And, you'll need to make wise decisions with your money, so you'll have to learn how to do that.

Political Freedom: This comes whenever we stop needing the government to fix all of our problems. We are unhealthy so we need government to fix healthcare. We are broke, so we need government welfare. We are poorly educated by our government to understand these things so we need government to pay for our college. Instead, if we took action and didn't need the government for any of these things, we would be freer and more prosperous if the government weren't trying to fix our problems.

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Our government system has corroded over the 240 years since our founding, but I think there's a chance for us to revive it a little bit. I do not trust that any reforms to her government that would really right the ship would ever happen, but I have a few ideas that could help.

"The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles."

-Montesquieu

Judiciary: The judiciary has become way too powerful as the arbiter of the constitution. They were never meant to be the last say on whether or not something is constitutional. They were meant to be a co-equal branch of government keeping the other two in check. I think a law could be passed to limit the scope and purview of judicial review.

Congress: I think there are two very simple fixes here. The Senate should be appointed by the states again and we should abolish the constitutional amendment that allowed them to be elected democratically. For the house, I think limiting the number of terms they are allowed to serve to four terms would also go along way. Then, if we could find a way to make it illegal for former Congress people to become lobbyists and ensure that the pay they get while in Congress is near poverty level, there would be little to no incentive other than goodwill to serve.

President: If we could pass a law overturning the Chevron rule, bills to limit the scope of the president's power, and stop military actions outside of declared war, I think that would really limit the focus on the president. Then, by empowering states and getting people in Congress who are truly passionate about the way the country is governed instead of helping themselves, we can make most of the federal actions fairly obsolete.

States rights: Once the federal government is very limited by these actions, we can focus on strengthening communities, towns, and individuals through proper channels that are local and specific to the needs of the people there.

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As Trump calls off a meeting with the Taliban and the leaders of Afghanistan, we asked the questions: Why are we still there? When can we leave?

The first question is easy to answer for anyone who has little siblings. When a power rises up and begins to challenge you your best option is to use the minimal force necessary to put them down and get them to stop pestering you. When it goes on for a little bit, you may have to use the force necessary to send a clear message that you aren't messing around.

"In time it will become clear to everyone that support for the policies of pre-emptive war and interventionist nation-building will have much greater significance than the removal of Saddam Hussein itself."

-Ron Paul

Germany: After World War II we rebuilt them so that they would not raise up again out of anger against the rest of the world. And, I've heard many people say that doing so after World War I would have prevented the second. I don't see the evidence for that, and I wonder if a better strategy would have been to help the rest of Europe that was affected and strengthen them against Germany.

Korea: I would argue staying in Korea is much different than Germany. Since the end of the Korean War, North Korea has been a threat to the southern half of the peninsula. Plus, China has also been a threat to the entire peninsula. If having a small presence prevents future full-on conflicts could argue in favor of the cost to have people somewhere in peacetime.

Afghanistan: We've been fighting a war there for 18 years, and it this point many of the people fighting could have been born after 9/11 happened. We have prolong the war through soft military tactics, and lent further credence to the idea that it is unconquerable. Instead we should find a way to leave, and I respect Trump's decision... despite the bad optics on the timing.

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I find that today many people that I agree with on many things subscribe to the objectivist philosophy. It almost seems as if Ayn Rand is every libertarian-leaning person's favorite philosopher. Today, I'd like to talk about some problems I find with this philosophy.

When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder.

-Lao Tzu

Contradiction over objective truth- Every Objectivist I hear acknowledges an objective reality that we can only partially perceive through the senses and can only go so far to understand as reason and logic will allow us. I agree with this, however, I find that when it comes to morality, they balk at the idea of an objective standard that is applied to individual situations.

Relativistic morality- There is objective truth regarding unseen forces all around us like gravity or radio waves, and morality is no different. The social interactions between people has a right and wrong way of doing things. It is in the application of universal principles to individual circumstances that we find what is right.

Hierarchy of Virtues- This means that there is a hierarchy of virtues that exists for all people the same. It has to be sought after as rigorously as any other truth we may know. We have to follow arguments to see why some actions are ok for certain people in certain situations when in other situations it would be wrong.

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Today we discuss why America's history is not a story of racism, but one of triumph over racism, though it could have been faster to do so. This is in no way to belittle the struggles of victims of racist policies, institutions, or individuals. Rather it is the recognition that despite man's innate fear of others, we found a way to look beyond tribes and become one America.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

-MLK Jr.

Washington: While Washington did own slaves, he fought to free this nation. Then, when he became president twice, he stepped down and relinquished his power when he could have been king.

Jefferson: His story is actually a bit more complicated than Washington's. He was actually not the true owner of the slaves he owned. Rather, most were the inheritance he received that did not account for the massive debt he'd accrued. Thus, creditors owned his slaves and most everything else Jefferson owned.

Despite all this, he was one of the Founding Fathers most in favor of the spreading of newly founded rights to as many people as possible.

Lincoln: He did not set out to get rid of slavery in the Civil War, although he was an abolitionist, but he did end up doing so. His intention was to preserve the union and in doing so did a lot of legally and constitutionally dicey things. He suspended Habeas Corpus and denied southern states their right to self-government. When people are being "owned" by others, something must be done to intervene

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It's all too common to hear Conspiracy Theorist thrown around as if it is an argument stopper. However, it's just another example of ad hominem attacks that result from a little cognitive dissonance. The two sources of this dissonance are a total trust in the media and an "official report" as well as an inability to believe people are capable of such conspiracies and the depravity they point to.

"The only time I commit to conspiracy theories is when something way retarded happens. Like Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone."

-Joe Rogan

Today, we'll discuss why it's ok to ask questions and how to do it in a way that doesn't make you sound crazy. Plus, I'll give you some ammo to push back on the "conspiracies never happen" idea.

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We have a problem in our society of standing on the bodies of innocent victims and placing blame. Instead, we should do the right thing: pray for the families, allow them to mourn in peace and quiet, and not demagogue on policy while the bodies are still warm.

"Sometimes I am asked if I know 'the response to Auschwitz; I answer that not only do I not know it, but that I don't even know if a tragedy of this magnitude has a response."

-Elie Wiesel

Today we'll talk about what's wrong with what we do, how to do it better, and how to handle people who are using this as a political club.

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I am in favor of every means of exacting back power and sovereignty from government overreach that does no harm to individuals in the process. I do not advocate defiance of every law, but I do see it fit to have the states stand against unjust laws as well as the individual, in the most prudent way possible.

"In case of a deliberate, palpable, and dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states who are parties thereto, have the right and are in duty bound, to interpose for arresting the progress of the evil, and for maintaining within their respective limits, the authorities, rights and liberties appertaining to them."

-James Madison

Nullification: This is the idea that because states are equal partners with the federal government on many programs, and that through the delegation to the federal government its powers by the states it was created, that the states have the right to disobey the federal government when it oversteps its bounds.

Historical Uses of Nullification:

The 1798 Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Prohibition's repeal forced by nullification practices
Marijuana laws on the books today

Personal Nullification: I am not advocating vigilante justice or tax evasion in anyway. However, there are ways to nullify federal overreaches through individual actions if there is a critical mass of people. A few places where we are seeing it are homeschooling, people not taking government loans for liberal arts degrees anymore, and gray markets.

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Today, art is most often trivial or vile, and there's little that truly brings enrichment to the human experience. But how can we find a way to make art that's hard-hitting, true, and beautiful, without making it vile or grotesque?

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."

-Michelangelo

Truth and Beauty: These two must be in concert with each other, two sides of the same coin working together to bring more out of each other. They are the source of real art, and they do not come from the artist, but rather they move through the artist.

Current Institutions: Currently, every institution of the arts puts forth relativism and often leftism as well. You can hear it in the music with the way discord is so widely used, in the movies when you can't tell a difference between the good guy and the bad guy, and in the novels where the character's intersectionality trumps the creativity of the author.

Taking Control of the Arts: This isn't just an infiltration of the current institutions. They're too powerful and have walls to keep honest truth-seekers out. Instead, new institutions must be established like Podcasts, subscription-based web content, and more.

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The recipe for success is not as straight forward as people like to make it out to be. There are many factors that play into success: how hard you work, inherent skill, passion, and some luck.

Today, I'll explain insights I've recently come across into success and a recipe that I've seen work for me and others around me.

"Success is when preparation meets opportunity."

-Grandpa Jimbo

Recipe for success: This is just the quote above. You need to be constantly working on building new skill sets and uncovering new knowledge. All that must be done, and then you can practice seizing opportunities. If you're not ready for an opportunity and try it anyway, you have more wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of what it takes. If it works out, you add to your body of success.

Individualism: Success is key to freedom. Not filthy rich, super famous success, but something that allows you to rely on yourself and have excess to save for the future and help others. The growth of the victim mentality we see today is directly correlated to the spreading of a false understanding of success, and by pushing back against that, we can help people find a new individual liberty.

Community: Success in a community breeds success. Look at top universities. Schools put out alumni that will make a lot of money. They then pay that back to the school in donations and opportunities for the next generation of students there. It builds its own network and recruitment system to some of the best-paying jobs in society. However, there's more. In any community where moderate wealth and many virtuous people are, it can be a spring of wealth that is more than just money.

Society: We are the wealthiest nation on the planet today and throughout history. However, people still feel left behind. Why is that? There is a need in the human heart to participate. Even in Eden, Adam and Eve were told to tend the garden, which is to work. We want to take part in something meaningful and challenging, and I think that what Jordan Peterson is doing is exactly what we need.

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With the Fourth of July behind us, I wanted to take time to reflect on what it means to love your country and to be a patriot. I think this is an important thing to remember in a time when America is divided over whether or not this is a good country.

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." -Mark Twain

"Patriot: the person who can holler the loudest without knowing what he is hollering about." -Mark Twain

I will give 4 tips to show how you can be a patriot, while not condoning everything your government does.

Be thankful, not proud.
Criticize, don't hate.
Know your neighbors. Be a neighbor.
Country over politics.

Use these to vet whether you're falling away and hurting your country or too loyal to your country to the point of fault.

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It's all too common for us to jump to conclusions in the digital media world. But, a little patience and context can help us save ourselves from rash judgements, and therefore, save the person we're judging.

"Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash."

-George S. Patton

Pope Francis: Conservative Catholics think he's too soft on moral issues. Liberal Catholics think he's to hard on moral issues. Where is the truth? I think it's hard to tell with a media that misrepresents everything he says and does.

President Trump: He's obviously a firecracker, and deserves plenty of criticism. The problem is the criticism he receives is rash and often overblown. I think people would be more receptive if the Never-Trump right and left didn't hate him for exact opposite reasons on issues every time he's in the news.

War Cries: We are often either all for war or totally against it from the start. This rash decision shows our hand and doesn't allow us to make the right judgements based on a given situation. Nor, does it allow us to negotiate.

Our Neighbors: By being charitable to those we deal with daily and face-to-face, we can practice not rushing to judgements. It's far too easy to do so when it's a picture in your news feed or a video on the TV. But, when someone stands in front of you, it's much more difficult.

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We need forgiveness and mercy to return to our society if we want to see it mended. You cannot reconcile, nor would anyone look to do so, if there is no sense of mercy toward others.

"Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me."

-Alexander Pope

Kyle Kashuv:Do you deserve to have your life ruined for something you said at age 16? I think not. So, today we talk about public figures that I believe deserved forgiveness and mercy, but didn't receive it.

Rosanne Barr: We talk about what happens when someone says something they shouldn't after moving into the public eye. How do we forgive and move on? When should we not do that?

James Gunn and Joy Reid:To show that these beliefs are not partisan in any way, I talk about two people I believe deserved a bit of grace and charity but didn't receive any. How can we create a standard that we can hold our political opponents to?

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We often hear stats and detach ourselves from their reality. Yesterday, I heard a podcaster make a great point about statistics and give them life. Today I'd like to look at that and expand on it.

"Life it is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it's about experience, it's about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious."

-Daniel Libeskind

Unemployment: The real hidden number here is twofold. You have to take into account the number of people who are either getting back into the labor market or leaving the market. Plus, you have to take into account the number of people finding jobs and losing jobs.

Housing Prices: This is often overlooked when talking about economic crashes. But, as we saw in 2008, the pricing of houses can be a huge deal to people. It's often their biggest single investment, and the price of the house going way down can be the same as a bloodbath in the stock market.

Polls: I think the thing that is lost in the poll data most often is the human element. Computers aren't being surveyed, but flesh and blood people. And, we don't necessarily comply with or give the full truth to pollsters. There are also those who rally to give the pollsters too much.

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Today, I'd like to talk to you about several recent events or news stories that have made the news, and what they say about our culture.

"Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future."

-Elie Wiesel

Pride month: A month dedicated to pride in having sexual attractions outside the norm is ridiculous. Celebrating tolerance for people after years of unjust punishments, sure. However, pride is the sin that birthed all other sins. And, having pride in one's sexual attractions is unhealthy for that person and society as a whole.

Trebek's Miracle: Alex Trebek has been fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and it is now nearly in remission. I've seen what this disease does first-hand and to see where he is now is amazing. He offered this miracle up to the prayers people have been saying, but some news coverage leaves that out. They want it to be a feat of science rather than a miracle.

Tiniest Baby Born: A baby was born at 23 weeks and weighs only 8.6 ounces. The fact the baby could survive is another miracle. But that's not all the story. In 23 states, the baby could have been killed because it's "not a baby." However, just like anytime a star is pregnant, the media is calling this baby a baby. They've given up on their previous lines of defense on abortion.

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Today we'll be diving into the topic of abortion. Due to the new bills being put forward, it seems necessary to touch on this issue. We will walk through the main arguments on both sides and why I fall where I do. Then, I'll talk a little about the prudence of the bills being put forward.

"Abortion isn't a lesser evil, it's a crime. Taking one life to save another, that's what the Mafia does. It's a crime. It's an absolute evil."

-Pope Francis

Pro-Life: The position held here hangs on 2 assertions. One is that life begins for a new human being at the point of conception. The other is that all human beings are persons whose lives are infinitely valuable. The first assertion is one that can be discussed with science and a little philosophy, but the latter requires some religious or convoluted atheistic idea proving value of human life beyond utilitarian arguments.

Pro-Choice: There are two camps on this side of the debate. One states that what is inside the mother is not a human being or alive until a certain point, which allows the mother to kill what's inside her whenever until that point it becomes a life. The other states that it is a life, but the well-being of the mother should be held over the child's life.

Roe V Wade: This decision made abortion a national, rather than local, issue. It took the ability of states and localities to decide on law that should fall under the Tenth Amendment. By denying people's right to decide issues for themselves and have discussions about what's right and wrong, a few oligarchs on the Supreme Court handed down legislation despite that not being their job.

Political Climate: Today's climate is heating up on this issue and I'd like us to remain calm. Understand the other side's point of view so you can have rational discussion about it. Ask questions and make anyone you're debating define what they mean. Listen to them so you understand them, and state your case as best you can. But, these bills do have the potential to overturn Roe V Wade. I am not a scholar on the Constitution or constitutional law, but I do know that the reason the left is up in arms over these bills is they fear the decision will be overturned.

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It seems to me that commonplace things like gender and sex have been upended. But, that was not where this relativistic use of terms began. Many terms have turned into "what they mean to me," rather than what they actually mean. This makes for a confusing dialogue. Today, I'd like to see how we can come to agreement on the meaning of words and what that would do for our society.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

-William Shakespeare

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far to [audio src="https://conversationofourgeneration.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/08c6c-a-rose-by-any-other-name.mp3"][/audio]better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity."

-Carl Jung

Liberal and Conservative: These words have become tied to parties that are rarely aligned with what these mean. Now, it is true that there are plenty of liberals in the Democrat Party and conservatives in the Republican Party. However, the words liberal and conservative have lost their meaning by being tied to a party that does not hold to what the words actually mean.

Capitalism and Socialism: The systems we think of as Capitalist and Socialist are rarely a truly pure system. Furthermore, they are often misunderstood entirely. Capitalism is not the banks running the government through a reserve system. Socialism isn't just sharing. They have definitions, and understanding these would drive down animus a lot.

Christian: What it means to be a Christian, like any other faith, is to believe certain things. Now, it seems that thinking Jesus was a cool dude, who maybe existed, qualifies one as Christian. There can be differences among Christians, but there are essential Truths that must be there to be a Christian faith.

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There are many ways to take control of your life. One big thing we can do is to create self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and preparation into our lives.

Today, we'll talk about that... and some local politics too.

"A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them."

-Liberty Hyde Bailey

Individual: We can start a garden. Start eating out of your own back yard. Even if it's not most of your calories, but it's simply a couple salads a week or one per day. Then, you can begin to really save money, store food, and prepare to lose electricity.

I think the other steps have to come after the garden. You need to tend to a garden and have it in order.

Community: What could bring a community together better than creating a garden? The Israelites were commanded to leave a tenth of their fields untended so the widows and the poor could cultivate it. Why would we not help the homeless and the hungry by giving them the chance to grow and eat amazing, fresh food?

Politics: When people are reliant on themselves, they're no longer reliant on government. By improving resilience to disaster and the odds of finding success through responsibility, we create a less envious society.

I've talked a lot about not getting involved in the voting booth. My exception for that is local politics, and especially primaries. Listen to find out why.

Society: When the politics get better so will our society. I think we will lose the hatred for each other when we all feel safe. But, the government can't make you feel safe any more than your shrink can take on your fear for you. We each have to do that, which is why I think this is an important first step.

The Survival Podcast: http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/

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I found water in my basement this morning, which had to be addressed, but didn't want to leave you hanging. So, I pulled this out of my archives. However, it seems to becoming more and more relevant to our culture and society.

Gender, sex, and the nature of masculinity and femininity are still being talked about in a protected, but muddled way. This conversation is a good first step to get a dialogue going on what our society needs to think about when addressing gender and sex.

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We can't have rational discussions when disagreement is a personal affront. That's why the issue of "making the personal, political," is such a problem. It turns a simple difference of opinion into impugning of one's character.

Today, we'll talk about how to remedy that in our society.

"Ending gun violence isn't political. This is personal."

-Joe Kennedy III

"You're not just voting for an individual, in my judgment, you're voting for an agenda. You're voting for a platform. You're voting for a political philosophy."

-Colin Powell

Individual: Don't worry about other people's opinions. Focus on what you know, believe, and understand. Take chances to debate ideas, rather than feelings, and take the wins and losses as you would a game of basketball.

Community: We need to have a live and let live attitude. But, that starts with each of us taking that upon ourselves. And, it requires we help each other and reach out to each other when they are in need. Our community should be a personal thing, a connection not tainted with political opinions.

Society: We're heavily polarized. Every top issue is a point of divide in our society, and without clinging to community, we are unable to separate beliefs and ideas from feelings.

Politics: The problem with politics is the perverse incentive to be personal. Instead of talking about ideas that can drive passionate support for a candidate, they bring out Joe Shmo and tell his story at debates. We need to put our money and support behind people who take the high road and attack ideas.

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Yesterday, the historic Cathedral of Notre Dame was all but destroyed in a huge fire. While lamenting the fact that I will now never see that work of art, and all those in it, in the way people have for centuries, I wondered how many people realize all that there is around us to appreciate.

"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know."

-Harry S Truman

Today, we'll talk about some of the lessons I've learned in my travels about history and the importance of learning it well. Seeing, touching, and hearing the monuments that stand for millennia is incredible and humbling. I'd like to talk about some of my experiences and hope you can share some of your own below.

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Today we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of college, why I think it's a bad deal for almost everyone there, and other options that are far better.

This will be a little different than most podcast episodes, but I think it'll be a good one!

You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Because that's the one thing people can't take away from you is your education. And it is worth the investment.

-Michelle Obama

Advantages: Good for doctors, engineers, and lawyers. It's good for people who go in for specialized training to do complicated jobs that pay well.

Disadvantages: It costs a lot, so if you won't make a return on investment, it's not worth the investment. It messes up your credit and makes it nearly impossible to create wealth in your early adulthood.

Better options: Trade schools are great. You can learn how to make $60k in a few months in many of them. Then, you read on the side to get the education Michelle Obama was talking about in our quote of the week.

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Why is language important? Well, it's a way of conveying meaning, and when it's used for masquerading meaning instead, that's deceit. Today, too many people misuse language or twist the meaning of words to forward ideology.

"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

-George Orwell

A great thing to go on is Oscar Wilde's Important of Being Earnest. The story focuses on a dishonest man, living a double life, who is trying to become "Ernest." No, not become an earnest man, but to take the name earnest to win over a lady.

We're in a world where virtue is virtue signaling, or what you say you think, not what you do or actually think.

Speaking YOUR truth is what is true, but facts that can be verified through citing data is simply "YOUR opinion."

In other words, we go by the name Ernest, but are in fact a two-faced liar.

Individual: This can make you afraid to speak. You don't know if you should be honest or hide who you are. It's tough to navigate this world because there is no guiding light of truth since everything is manipulable. But, there is something you can do.

Think for yourself. That's all we can do to protect ourselves from this monster that we've allowed to creep into our daily lives. Read, research, discuss, and verify. Look for multiple sources and conflicting viewpoints. Think in a complicated way and disregard slogans.

Culture: The "newspeak" in Orwell's 1984 is here. However, it is not government acting as big brother putting you in a room and torturing you. It's the culture. We've censored ourselves with political correctness, which is newspeak. It is the mobs on Twitter telling us that gender is an ever-moving goal post. It's not tied to sex, now it is and both are malleable. The sexes are different, but equal. Then they're the same, and now they're different again.

Winston doesn't break when he admits that 2+2=4. It's when he says that 2+2 is whatever Big Brother says it is that he looses himself. He surrenders objective truth in favor of ending his torture.

Economics: This area is rife with terms that confuse people because their unfamiliar with it. It's easy for people to tell any tale of an economy to people who don't know what the metrics mean. A few examples:

Unemployment- This excludes anyone who isn't looking for work. So, you can lower unemployment by creating jobs and keeping the number of people not looking for work the same or by keeping job numbers the same and increasing the number of people not looking for work.

Capitalism- This is not a system that simply benefits the rich or creates class divides. It is a system where property rights are preserved and people own the fruits of their labor. The reason it's created major inequalities over the last 200 years or so is because capital had to condense to create efficiencies necessary to be profitable. Since the Industrial Revolution, we've needed economies of scale. I think we are going to see a shift there.

Socialism- This isn't "sharing." Sharing is done freely by one's own choice, not coercion. Socialism requires that the government nationalizes industries, forces redistribution of wealth, and sets controls on prices. Effectively, the government administers and oversees the entire economy.

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My first episode of the podcast talked about the collusion being floated around and why it's absurd. Now, the report has come out and only the people who kept their heads throughout this process woke up the day after the results came out no different than any other.

The reason? They did not put their faith in princes, neither Trump nor the media.

To understand the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one must be of the people.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

Individual: We must not fall in with the people, but assess our world for ourselves. It is important to observe people's actions, get the facts, consult your beliefs, then make a determination on what those in power have done.

Like Machiavelli, we must detach from the personality of the prince and assess their behaviors as well as the results. To learn more of my thought on how to assess politics check out this article.

Culture: The culture makes idols out of our celebrities. We do not merely admire their talents on stage or on screen. We turn them into golden calfs.

This is dangerous for not only ourselves, but our culture at large. After Barbra Streisand's tweet, I fear that this will cost us our society if we do not fix it.

Politics: Faith in princes is the same as giving a hall pass without a time limit to the class clown. When afforded leeway, those in power will use it, which is why we should be vigilant. Instead of being swept away by celebrity or personality, focus on what people's reactions are to understand what's being done.

Machiavelli notes how to control the people and influence them, so this is nothing new. By understanding where we are, we can carefully watch those in power and restrain them to their office.

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Modernity has done a lot to improve the circumstances of billions of people around the world. Free markets, personal liberty, science, and art have done amazing things for humanity in the last several hundred years. There is a cost, however, that must be addressed.

"Modernity, the child of the Enlightenment, failed when it became apparent that the good society cannot be achieved by unaided reason."

-Robert Bork

Individual: Modernity, especially through the progress of science and the doing away of religion, gave way to a denial in many to the inherent value of an individual. It leads to utilitarian thinking and corrupts the idea of an individual. Instead of pursuing virtue through the lens of right reason, we seek solely to delay suffering and partake in pleasurable things.

Philosophy: We've made philosophy into ideology. Instead of balancing different ideas in one's own mind, we're trained to think of the world through ideology. Think about your job. Could you entertain an idea about it and decide that it's not the best course of action and choose another option? I'm sure you can due to training. But a lack of training in how to discuss complicated ideas has led to an inability to entertain foreign philosophies. It has also become taboo to put forward fairly moderate ideas or ideas that have been around for millennia. This is another sign of pride or ego getting in the way of a search for Truth.

Culture: Radical individualism has broken societal institutions that promoted a good culture. We've lost the family, community, church, and other institutions that we could take part in that give us a sense of something greater than ourselves. Now, our culture suffers from a lack of meaning and is sold either radical collectivism as a reaction or a doubling down of radical individualism. We saw this throughout the 20th century with the rise of socialism and communism (but I repeat myself) and the rise of "The American Dream."

Religion: Separation of Church and State was meant as a separation of these into two distinct institutions where they could have a dialogue. It was a check on either's power so they became harder to corrupt. If one entity held both religious power and state power, it was nearly invincible and this could lead easily to tyranny. We've used this as a weapon against religion, which has given the state total control and allowed it to devolve into tyranny.

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It's Lent, and this is a time of fasting for Catholics, but it's also a great time to learn what it's like to simplify life. We can learn which things in our lives are making us go crazy without realizing it. With so many distractions and complicated systems, a little simplification can really help.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

-Leonardo da Vinci

Technology: This is where we go astray personally so easily. Every social media, app, TV, and new tech draws us in. We become like zombies. Instead, we should learn to use tech, but to not let it use us. When you're opening social media apps out of habit, it might be time to switch it up. I've found podcasts and audiobooks to be helpful at keeping me from wasting time on my phone, but still have to control that.

School: I think the education system is a monstrosity. There is very little logic to the things people do in school, and it's a lot of complicated requirements that often lead to a lot of debt, but no job.

Economy: Based on innovation, the economy will inherently become more complex. In a global world with 7 billion+ people, you can't have a simple system of trade. The only way to simplify this is to go back to the days of an economy subsisting of the local town people and their trades. However, we can reduce complexity by alleviating unnecessary burdens.

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Today, both sides of the isle take too much as true on their own side and dismiss any point the other side makes off hand. We need a middle ground. We need people who question whatever is said by those in power, and work to verify what people say.

"Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. We believe good men more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is, and absolutely true where exact certainty is impossible and opinions are divided."

-Aristotle

Individual: The search for truth begins with the question, "why?" In order to grow and learn, we have to seek the answers to questions. We must ask them of ourselves and of others in a search for truth. This is our only guarantee against the narrative of the powerful and of society.

Philosophy: To seek truth, we must question. Socrates taught people how to think by questioning their propositions until their logic broke or they got to the base assumptions with the line of logic in tact.

Society: Our culture and our society could use a questioning mind. We see something we disagree with and don't analyze it, but call it "fake news." We see things that we agree with and don't question it. As we as individuals begin to ask questions and seek proof of assertions and opinions, in search of truth.

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Today let's dive into the thing our society needs: humor. What makes things funny? Why is humor in short supply in our culture today?

"Everything human is pathetic. The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven."

-Mark Twain

Individual: I think humor is good for the soul. I like to say, "If you can't laugh at it, you can't live with it." Humor is a way to remind oneself to be humble and to find joy in it. It opens people up to the reality of the world around them.

Community: A community can bond together based on a common sense of humor. It would allow people to come together and have the ability to not get hung up on problems.

Society: Our society has a lack of a sense of humor. The award shows, comedians, and people all over can't allow themselves to be honest about comedy. Our society has no ability to laugh at things or enjoy humor. I think a little humor and humility could go a long way.

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Today there are two quotes of the week to show you two prevailing views of the Truth. One is that it is something that exists outside of ourselves and is able to be conveyed through honesty. The latter is that it is something to be created and moulded by our words. Today we will walk through why I take the view on truth that I do and the benefit you come to when you do so.

I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.

-Harry S Truman

A lie told often enough becomes the truth.

-Vladimir Lenin

Philosophy: The first view of Truth is that it is a description of reality. This says that it is an asymptote towards which we can move by using our senses guided by logic and reason. We can move toward it through many avenues like philosophy, science, and art.

The second is that truth is subjective. This means that it is malleable. We can change the truth by imposing ourselves on it or by lying in order to make that truth. I think this is no more than a fun mental exercise, but I'll attempt to explain the issues.

Individual: Objective Truth acts as a judge and allows you to continually grow towards perfection. Taking on that task allows you to grow and to go as far as your circumstances allow.

Subjective truth allows you to think of the world however you want. This only becomes an issue when your view of reality has to face reality. The only thing one can do is crawl further into oneself or break away and accept reality.

Religion: Often, religion requires Objective Truth. I cannot think of one that is subjective though some are more pluralistic. Many of the long-standing religions have made advances in science in the pursuit of Objective Truth.

Society: A person who rejects reality will have a tragic life. A society that does the same will create such tragedy that we could hardly imagine. Sadly, this has happened multiple times, so we need not imagine. All we have to do is look at the 20th century to see the results. I think our society needs people to defend the fact of Objective Truth and seek it in good faith. That's the only way we restore sanity.

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President Trump declared in his latest State of the Union that, "America will never be a socialist country." This is a positive declaration by a president who has often flirted with too much intervention in the economy. It's also especially important in a time when socialism is becoming popular. I guess it's time to address socialism and its problems in light of current events.

"The goal of socialism is communism."

-Vladimir Lenin

The issue with socialism that's often missed is that it degrades the individual. It makes the collective more important than the individual, which is backwards. Not to mention, socialism's real effects are softened by unclear language around what it truly is to make it digestible.

Individual: Socialism degrades the integrity of the individual. It discounts your inherent value. When you're not forced to rely on yourself, you lose the ability to define your path in life. Capitalism allows you to build a life and enter into mutually beneficial situations. You have to help other people and provide value to other people to receive value in return.

Community: What you find at the community level is the same. In a socialist society, everyone expects others to take care of problems because they weren't raised to take responsibility. Capitalism creates a society that forces people to create value before receiving it. If that system focuses on creating virtuous people, then it can sustain people who can't help themselves at that time or for their whole life.

Society: Politics that are supported by a socialist system expand government and force out the individual. It creates a society that is angry and envious, or vice versa. It's like a chicken and egg situation. Capitalism does the same thing in reverse. It makes people content and congratulatory, when it's truly a free market, because people recognize that they make their own success and what others achieve is their own.

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The racial politics we're in right now has had obvious negative effects, especially over the last ten years. What can we do to move past race and see each other as individuals? How do we heal the wounds and move on?

No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them.

Elie Wiesel

The reason for this topic is I recently watched the movie Fenceswith Denzel Washington, and I found it to be a beautifully made movie. However, it was also full of insight.

Individual: Basically, don't be racist. Then, if you're truly not racist, don't be guilted by false accusations.

Society: The intersectional way of thinking is inherently racist. I am willing to agree that people who were subjected to Jim Crow and were the grandchildren of former slaves have a disadvantage for them and their children. However, I will not say that being black means that someone doesn't have the same chances I do. I know plenty of people of all colors who have more and less privilege than I do.

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Can public schools teach the Bible? What does the 1st amendment say? What can we learn about reading the Bible both religiously and secularly?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Individual: We can obviously learn lessons from the Bible. It has a plethora of characters, and we should be able to find our faults and shortcomings in some of the characters as well as our greatest strengths in some. You can read it as a religious text- as I do- or you can read it as you would Aesop's fables.

Society: We can teach the Bible as literature. It is the most referenced piece of literature. If you wish to understand Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Dickens, or even the Declaration of Independence, you must know the Bible. It is impossible to understand Western literature, art, or music without at least a basic understanding of the Bible.

Politics: We must allow for people to explore ideas. As the Constitution states above, the government should neither prohibit or establish any religion. Since that was written, the Bill of Rights has been expanded to include state governments. However, to teach religions, at least as an offering, is obviously not the establishment of religion. The "separation of church and state" is not in the Constitution, but an idea of the founders. The point was not to root out all religious ideas from the government, nor was it meant to not prefer one over another. Rather, it was the assurance that they would not be one institution as the Anglican Church was, so all people could practice their religion.

Mark 12:13-17, NIV:

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

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In honor of MLK Day, I wanted to talk about healing the country's divisions, since he was so instrumental in healing our racial divisions. It seems we are divided among new lines.

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Racial Lines: It seems like this is mostly in our past, but still part we must address. The racial divides seem to be more real, I think, because of tendencies of certain races to belong to certain political parties or religions. Because we organize ourselves to people who think like us and attend the same church, we seem to have some racial pockets.

Elites and Average: This isn't that some people are actually elite, but the coasts talk about the middle of the country as if the people there are bumpkins. Meanwhile, average people in the Midwest and West look at the coasts as stuck up. I think this is a very big divider in our country, and a place where most of the issues we have stem from.

Political: Republicans and Democrats are at each other's throats.... like usual. However, it seems as though the rhetoric is elevated. Again, this seems to be happening due to disparities in political alignment between regions. It's easier to hate the other party when you don't know many, or any, people who you disagree with.

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I know I've tried to be less political, but I think this is a good lesson for us. It's been weeks since the government shut down, and you would never know if it weren't being hyped up in the news. So, we'll discuss all the fuss and why I think this should remain permanent.

"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

-P. J. O'Rourke

The spending problem: Why are we regularly funding "non-essential services?" What are they? I say that anyone that is non-essential should be fired right now. Any agency that is closed should stay closed. I have not seen one single difference in my life, nor have welfare recipients, social security recipients, or people getting groped by the TSA. We need to curb spending to have a country in 50 years, so why not start with the things that have no effect on your life.

The tax problem: Taxation is theft. Government workers are given stolen money, and do not pay taxes. They would have to work to create value rather than suck value from the economy to pay taxes. What government workers "taxes" are really is simply the government keeping some of their paychecks.

Political optics: I don't know if this shutdown hurts either side. Trump is being blamed for the shutdown, but it seems that Republicans aren't against it, especially as a negotiating tactic. Democrats look like they're playing hard ball against something that their radical base is against, and most moderate democrats as well: the wall. The problem for democrats is, eventually they have to pay their base, which is most (if not all) federal employees.

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I apologize for the 2 week hiatus! Both of the last 2 Tuesdays were Holidays, and with family in town and an unexpected illness, I was unable to do the podcast. I think the break was needed, and I'm ready to get back into it today!

"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all."

-George Washington

Me: New Years is a good time for resolutions, but what should they look like. I take the approach for myself every Lent to abstain from some things and to build habits. I also try to to work on things in my life of different magnitudes like not biting my nails and praying everyday.

Individual: Discipline reminds us that we need to sacrifice now for tomorrow. We want a retirement fund, but don't want to put away 10% of our money at age 20. That doesn't work. What we find in discipline is the ability to forgo comfort today for a benefit tomorrow, and by doing that we hopefully can learn to forgo trivial things for deeper more meaningful results.

Community: A community-wide mentality of discipline will ensure that people who are able to fend for themselves do, and don't drain the community. It ensures that those who truly need help are the only people that others have to tend to, thus removing the burden of the laggards. There will be people who are struck by tragedy or who have handicaps that prevent them from caring for themselves, and the community can handle these issues without disdain and through empathy for people with a bad lot.

Society: I think what this would do is reduce resentment. Discipline at the individual level allows charity to mostly remain at the local level. If we are helping our own neighborhood or city, we don't have as much disdain for or distrust of the assistance being provided. I don't know where my dollars go in D.C., but I do see local roads being built, new school lunch programs, and the Wheeler Mission food bank by my work.

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSCRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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I want to talk about faith and how it is not some giant leap that starts you on a journey, but a small step at the end of a journey of learning.

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe."

-Voltaire

Individual: At the individual level, faith is an essential part of sanity. If we try to rationalize everything down to the beginning, we'll simply spend all our time doing that, looking for the end. So, no matter what we have to take things on faith. However, it should be the last step to a journey of understanding to complete the worldview.

Spirituality: People often talk about faith in God as a starting point, but it's really the end point for the cosmogony in the Christian world. God is the leap of faith that is made to make sense of a logical universe.

Society: A cosmogony is an understanding of the world and how it is structured. Currently, there are way too many understandings of the world in our society which makes it hard to have commonalities in beliefs. Having a system that holds certain main tenants in common is necessary. Ideas of truth, ethics, science, and many other fields of study must have certain underlying principles in common to allow a society to function-especially a free one.

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We often look at our ancestors as rubes or primitive, but they were far smarter than we give them credit for. Maybe they hadn't advanced technology to the point of self-driving cars or iPhones, but there is more to human intelligence and survival than technology that makes our lives more comfortable.

In reading Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, I was struck by how much some of his teaching had become common knowledge (or maybe was and he simply codified it) and it made me think about how much of his book is likely proven or disproven through psychology over the years. How much of it has changed as the culture has, and how much is simply innate to the human condition?

It made me realize that even discussions on networking fit into the Conversation of Our Generation because my hope is to take the wisdom of past generations and apply it to the problems we face today, and that means that any knowledge is welcome.

"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."

-Isaac Newton

Our innate knowledge: We are born with intuition, reflexes, and more knowledge than we are aware of, and this is an advantage. There are so many things that are in our DNA that we don't have to learn which opens us up to be able to focus on the things around us that we encounter everyday.

Our family's wisdom: My mom moved away from her family when she married my dad, and when she became a mother, she had to look to my dad's family for guidance. I know that I learn from my older cousins, aunts and uncles, parents, and grandparents. I also hope that I am a source for my younger brothers, cousins- and will be future nieces, nephews, children, and grandchildren.

Friends and colleagues: These people can offer fantastic nuggets of wisdom, but I find that they are the best for tactical parts of life. Because they are often around the same age, they often are facing similar problems or have run into similar issues recently. This makes them the perfect people to help navigate a new landscape or offer pragmatic advice on things like job searches, choice of a major, or living situations.

The collective wisdom: This isn't wisdom of some sort of bodiless, ethereal consciousness we call the collective. It's the fact that when there are 100 people in a room, there is a better chance that someone has the solution to a complex problem than when there are 10. When the number is 7 billion, we are really talking about the ability to solve each other's problems. My hope is that by creating a forum for this discussion, we can find a way to do this better by bringing together different perspectives and belief systems to find the path toward a deeper Truth.

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Learn how everyday is the start of a new year. With that in mind, I often find motivation for the year to come, and gratitude for the past year.

"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man."

-Benjamin Franklin

It's a year from December 4th, 2019, and it's been a year since December 4th 2018. What is different in your life? Where are you going?

As I've said, this has been a year of change for me, and the way that I gauge these things is by looking back.

Birthday: Your birthday is obviously your new year. I'm not one for "your truth," but this is by definition a new year for you in this life. It often changes your life by taking you across milestones, and into new phases of your life.

Advent: Advent is the beginning of the New Year for Christians as we await Christmas and the coming of Jesus. We start the next cycle of the readings at mass on Sunday. It's a time of anticipation and reflection.

New Year: This is the beginning on the calendar, and only means anything because we arbitrarily say so. It's just the day we chose. However, this necessary, and a great time for our society to begin a new year together.

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSCRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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Over Thanksgiving weekend, I stopped watching news, checking Twitter, and binging political podcasts- which I'm pretty sure upped my IQ by a solid 20 points. I didn't even spend extra time reading, writing, or listening to classical music. I just decluttered my mind for a few days and feel so much clearer now.

I think there is a ripple from how the news makes us feel individually to the ills we see at a national level in America today.

"If people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly."

-Thomas Sowell

Individual: I feel my blood pressure spike when watching main stream outlets, even if it's people I agree with, because that's what it's intended to do. That's not healthy. I switched more to podcasts because the format is less conducive to the short segments of outrage that the MSM does to maintain viewership, but it's still so often top of mind. It's important to be aware of the news around the world, but watching the news is not necessarily the best thing.

Family & Friends: Not only does politics divide family and friends now, but the news outlet you watch does. The siloing of ideas to ideology is dangerous, but to present one as news is utterly, and purposefully, destructive. This divides people along fanatical lines rather than allowing people who should love each other to unite despite these issues.

Community: What happens to families and friends occurs in communities as well as the people segregate by ideology. This makes it hard to be a minority viewpoint in any place, so people become more entrenched, which reinforces the ideology and pushes out any disagreeing viewpoint.

America: Now, since we have nowhere to turn in our personal lives- family, friends, community- we turn to the national politics, social media, or mainstream outlets to find a tribe. Instead of falling into a tribe that has disagreements, scuffles, and other struggles, we find ourselves in a tribe based on an ideology shared by people online or on TV that we will never meet.

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! Subscribe to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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With Thanksgiving this week, an episode focusing on gratitude seemed like it would make sense. This has been a focus in my life due to a push in the company I work for to have gratitude built into our culture, and I'll talk about what it's done for me.

This episode will be a little shorter so you, and I, can enjoy our Thanksgiving week with family.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

-John F. Kennedy

Spiritual: Being grateful is good for you and your soul. It focuses your mind and heart on the good things instead of yearning for what you do not have. It's made me happier when I practice it deliberately because I remember what great things I have, and I notice things to be grateful for that I hadn't thought of in the past.

Professional: It makes work great. When your work is appreciated, you have a sense that what you do matters. It also holds you accountable in a way, since you know you get noticed for a job well done, a job not well done would likely be noted too. But despite that, you know that you're secure in what you have due to the fact you know that you're appreciated.

Family: Family functions better when there are lots of thank you's. It can be easy to expect dad to work all day, mom to cook and clean, and the kids to get good grades and do their chores, but it's important to recognize the roles each person plays in the family. I've noticed this more explicitly as I've been in a relationship and have chores that mom isn't checking for completion.

Society: As we build up from the individual to the family and workplace, most of the people we come in contact with regularly have a shared value of gratitude. This allows for gratitude to be extended to strangers more easily. You're less likely to be short with a cashier or waitress because you know very well what it's like to be recognized in your home and work. These bridges being built will help us to look to our community with appreciation rather than disdain.

Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSCRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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Empathy is an undervalued skill since in a world of victimhood, we focus all too much on sympathy. No one seems to want others to understand their trials and tribulations because then solutions could be evaluated, thus removing the reason for sympathy. Sympathy is a currency to be traded, instead of a social situation to be avoided. I think this is due to a distance we've created between individuals.

"... you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

-Jesus Christ

Spirituality: Empathy is good for the soul. It is an understanding of and connecting to other people in a genuine way. Both Hinduism and Christianity teach something close to "in God all is one." It takes different forms in both, but the idea that through God there will be no Gentile or Jew, woman or man, only one body of Christ. Empathy is the first step.

Religion: Through religion, empathy forms a community. Parishes, synagogues, and temples create faith communities that, so long as they aren't hostile to other faiths, create a sense of understanding for one another. If done properly, the religion extends this community to reach out to those outside of it as if they were a part of the community.

Economics: We see the power of empathy in the generosity of those free to give their money to create a better life for others. We also see it in new ways with technology allowing for crowdfunding to start businesses. When a society comes together and has empathy for "the other," it becomes far easier for economic systems to be put in place that play to the greater sense in empathy of the whole group because there is a critical mass of individuals looking for these market solutions.

Politics: Empathy allows us to stop treating people as "the other." Instead of falling into political tribes, we can respectfully disagree, live and let live, and know that other people aren't evil due to their point of view. When I see people telling Gerard Butler that they're happy his house burnt down due to his position on Israel.

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With the election day being today in Indiana, I wanted to discuss my decision. I will weigh the pros and cons of voting and how I would vote if a ballot were in front of me.

A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.

-Theodore Roosevelt

The lesser of two evils: I've done this. It doesn't feel good, and I'll never do it again. I won't believe the propaganda of "the most important election of our lives" every 4 years (now 2 thanks to Trump).

To vote is not violence: This is a discussion for the hardcore Libertarians. I don't think that voting is in fact enacting violence on another party. Because it is so engrained in the system, a vote either way doesn't move the needle on this.

To not vote is a vote: This is because it's a statement that says, "I do not approve of the candidates listed, up to the system as a whole. As such, I will vote with my time by putting it toward a more productive end."

Vote with actions: This is how I will vote. I will vote by working with We Do Better to help organizations access the funds they need to continue to do better at helping people. I will vote with my actions in my work to create economic liberty for myself so it doesn't matter who's in office. I will vote with my voice on my blog, podcast, and daily conversations to explain the tenants of liberty.

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With a week filled with obvious signs of escalation from rhetoric to real threats of violence and even ideologically driven violence, it seemed necessary to address this boiling over of the public discourse. This is why I've begun the Conversation of Our Generation.

Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.

-Thomas Jefferson

Politics: The violent rhetoric must stop from the political leaders. While they may not have pure power over our actions, they can influence actions of people around the country- or simply be used as justification, even if no call to violence was made.

Relationships: Let's be kind to one another. Let's not be afraid to respectfully disagree, and possibly look for common ground. Why not try to let each other be and to believe what they want to so long as their will isn't enforced on anyone else?

Philosophy: We must search for truth, and learn to accept it when we find it. In our discourse, we must look to explain our thoughts logically and be able to interrogate others and answer for our principles with vigor, yet understand that violence is not the answer to losing an argument. I hope to see a country that debates above the level of ad hominem, seeking instead to rise to the discussions of one's base assumptions and follow the line of logic from there.

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Too many people today have little regard for what the arts are. It seems to me that art is often more about being absurd or outlandish than portraying beauty. Rather than being a vehicle for expressing the truths that cannot be fully described without the arts, it denies reality and truth to serve ideologically driven purposes.

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."

-Orson Welles

Spirituality: Art touches the human soul when done correctly. It moves us. It makes us understand and empathize with others. We can feel the emotion of the musician, understand why the actor does what he does, and see the vision of the painter. It places us on a different plane of understanding.

Arts: What really are the arts? I believe they are an attempt to grasp at a truth that cannot be expressed without a certain form. It is a fictional story that reveals an essential truth about humanity. It is a song that expresses one's emotions far greater than any words could ever try to do. It is a painting that captures a scene in such a way that it's more real than the sight the artist saw.

Culture: Politics is downstream of culture. But, culture is downstream of arts. The arts are what create the culture. Artists are the people who explore the unknown world and bring back bits of it to share and fit them within the framework we have to understand the world. The artists are often unaware of what they are exploring, rarely understanding it themselves. Regardless, this is what forms the culture.

Philosophy: The arts and culture can move the philosophical discussion drastically. We've seen this in many ways in American culture. The dissolution of Judeo-Christian values arrived the same time as the degradation of the arts. As the arts became unbounded and vulgar in the 60's, the culture followed. Then, the philosophical discussions did as well.

The arts when bounded by rules free people; when art is let loose to run wild, it enslaves them. Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!! SUBSRIBE to The Conversation of Our Generation's Podcast now on iTunes!! Want to learn more, but don't know what to read? Check out my Amazon Affiliate Page, and use those links to shop for books to help you learn and grow! Subscribe to our email list for our Recommended Reading, reviews on books and other content that can grow your store of knowledge. New products will be coming soon, exclusively for subscribers.

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Today, I will take a look into the way Liberty falls into an ethical landscape. We will discuss why it's important to have Liberty to be an ethical person and why a society founded on the ideals of Liberty require an ethical population.

"Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom - and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech."

-Benjamin Franklin

Spirituality: We must be free to choose or we do not really choose. While people are often fine with being a safe slave than to live in danger with their liberty, it degrades the soul and the mind of the individual to live without liberty. Man was born to be free, but called to use their freedom for good.

Religion: To have any ethical standing requires choices. And, in today's secular society, the code of ethics one chooses is up to them, unlike it had been in the past. Therefore, it is necessary for people to decide which religion they will serve or they will end up serving the one that chooses them.

Economics: Running an economy requires free choice, which is the basis of market economics. But, it is so often that people don't realize how key this is to not only the functioning of the economy, but the health of those dots on the chart in real life. Economic decisions have huge impacts, and it's important to recognize that.

Law: The law must recognize the liberty of the individual. It must protect it from other individuals, but more importantly, from the state. The state is the greatest transgressor against liberty, and it will continue to do so. Therefore the law must enshrine negative rights and stand as a levy against the constant flooding of the tyrannical power of the state.

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Learn how failure can be conquered from the micro level to the macro. Understand the process of taking failure as it is and incorporating it into your life.

"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

-Og Mandino

Economic: These failures are often, if not always, a failure of trust on behalf of people. Instead of allowing the system to progress as it naturally would, people try to put an economy on their timetable- which causes market failure.

Athletics: This teaches us that not every failure is ultimate. A quarterback being sacked doesn't mean the team can't score a touchdown on that drive. A single missed shot in basketball doesn't cost the game. There's always a chance to make up for a mistake or small failure until the clock hits 0.

Personal: These are far harder to cope with because the onus is on one person. You have to take full responsibility- even if it's out of your control on these failure. It may be losing a job, failing in a business, or dropping out of school.

Spiritual: These are personal failings, but on a moral, spiritual, or ethical plane. It isn't like losing a competition, but failing to overcome one's addiction, pride, or other moral failings. These can be the hardest to cope with because they go straight to the moral fabric of our being, our soul.

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Today, I won't be talking about war necessarily, but the idea of battle and how that can manifest within oneself, in politics, in philosophies, and ultimately in war. My hope is to show how the war within oneself can lead to the last.

"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare."

-Sun Tzu

Spirituality: We all have friction between the person that we are and the one we have the potential to be. Also, there is a battle between our impulses and the desire to strive to something higher. It is in these conflicts that we discover what we can become out of the potential we are presented with.

Politics: Often, people believe the battle of politics follows philosophy. However, I think the philosophy is moulded by the politics. Politicians rarely do what's principled, but what's expedient. They react to the baser instincts and urges of the majority to maintain power.

Philosophy: This comes from one of two places. The good philosophies are the result of an honest search for truth. The bad are an attempt to justify one's own failure to conquer their demons, manipulate others, or a failure to decipher between their prejudices and truth.

War: This can happen in the traditional sense. More importantly, ideas, philosophy, and political factions can draw on for so long that it sucks the ability to function outside the war. It makes the only source of energy the ability to engage in the battle.

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As we've talked about before, an institution is far more than a physical place, but the shared understandings our culture uses as shortcuts to interacting with each other. Often, these are developed over centuries or millennia. The institution being discussed today is justice due to the issues with understanding the court system in America as well as where the idea of justice comes from.

"Punishment is justice for the unjust."

-Saint Augustine

Philosophy: Justice is the idea that certain actions will result in certain consequences. It is a recognition of the order of the universe and the order it follows, and the repercussions of actions with that in mind. Should one act against the natural order, it will find a way to correct the action against it.

Religion: This is where the idea of justice has an ideal extracted from it. This ideal is God's justice. It is where perfect justice exists because it is the view of time and space through the lens of eternity, which sees all at once.

Law: This is the attempt to codify the ideal of justice and execute it as well as man can as an imperfect vehicle. Law in America uses 3 branches to create, enforce, and judge cases of injustice.

Society: Society must find a way to instill justice as a virtue in individuals that comprise it. In order to have a just society, individuals within it must be just themselves. This means that wherever injustice arises, individuals go against it.

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Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor, possibly one of the greatest emperors, but is remembered mostly for his Meditations. These are a compilation of thoughts he recorded for himself as a sort of journal, and were never meant to be published. I read his these Meditations last week and felt they were pertinent to our modern world and the ideas I have been trying to convey.

"The universe is change: life is judgement."

-Marcus Aurelius

Philosophy: I want to talk about the idea of Stoicism and the way this idea seemed to shape Marcus Aurelius' thoughts. It was from this first principle that his discipline and self-criticism seems to come.

Spirituality: We could all take this lesson and record our thoughts and beliefs on a daily basis. This reflection on one's thoughts would offer a more fruitful form of meditation than simply closing one's eyes and breathing a certain way. Meditation should be revelatory in nature- not simply a yoga exercise.

Politics: Obviously Marcus Aurelius was an emperor, and was therefore not chosen as ruler. However he felt more of a sense of duty than our elected officials do today. He was incredibly critical of himself and worried more about fulfilling his duty than by feeding his ego or searching for fame and praise.

Religion: Despite his faith in himself to overcome all odds based on the tenants of Stoicism, he had tremendous faith in the gods. This is something we see in Christianity and Judaism. All three believe in a world that has order discoverable by the human mind through the senses and guided by reason. That is the act of faith. No matter how one arrives at the belief in the logical universe, it still takes a leap of faith to think that there is order.

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After last week's show, I've decided to continue with the format that I tried last week as it seemed to go smoothly. I enjoyed hitting a topic from several angles, and I think it's an idea worth continuing, so this week I'll hit marriage from the spiritual, philosophical, political, and cultural level.

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Spiritual- This is the primary realm of marriage. It is a religious institution that signifies a spiritual act. Marriage has its origins in the spiritual and religious traditions of cultures around the world, and it is one of the oldest institutions we have.

Philosophical- Marriage is not just two people or a bride and groom, but a bond that exists between them. It is a separate entity from the two individuals bonded together by it. Like friendship, it is a bond marked by certain characteristics.

Political- Well, as a libertarian, I say it isn't the government's job at all. Under the Constitution, it should be left to the states to decide. However, it seems as a best practice to allow people to create their own marital contracts, and to simply treat it like any other contract.

Cultural- The family is the bedrock of a society, and marriage is at the center of the family. A healthy marriage will produce a healthy family, which creates healthy individuals. I think there is a potential in today's world to open our minds to new types of families without compromising the traditional values.

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We have a new format! Instead of an hour of me going on about one topic, I decided to break it up into segments about each of the main tenants that make up the Conversation of Our Generation. I will still have my quote of the week, but I will instead have a segment for politics/economics, philosophy/history, religion/spirituality, and art/music/literature. This way, I can cover an assortment of ideas and topics and keep things fresh. I will be playing around with the number of segments, but they will be labeled as the type of discussion we will be having, so you are aware of the approach I'm taking to the topic.

Would love feedback on the new format, so find me on social media or comment below on the blog to tell me more about the show and your thoughts on the topics!

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

-Khalil Gibran

Politics: We will discuss education and how we can tie the Quote of the Week into our education system, as well as some of my experiences from my education, my mom being a teacher, and my volunteering in a charter school.

Philosophy: This will be a discussion on the Objectivity of Truth (with a link to my recent post about this topic linked in the notes) and what this means for us and how we should approach discussions on truth.

Religion: The Holy Cross Brothers have an idea of "educating hearts and minds." What I would like to do is discuss my experience with religious education and why I think it deepened my love for learning as well as built character in me.

Literature: One thing that has become a hot topic in education is what literature ought to be taught. From erasing anti-slavery works like Huckleberry Finn for historically accurate language, to ignoring Shakespeare because of intersectionality, the major works of Western Literature are being forgotten or taught incorrectly.

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How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

-William Shakespeare

What can we do to brighten our world? How can we light the candle that shines a light onto the beams of our world? Can we light this room?

I think there is a chance to do better in this world and create a better, more peaceful world for all. It begins with the individual. We must look inside to fix ourselves and our hearts. Then, we must fix our thoughts, then words, actions, and habits. As we come to the point of building positive habits, we can create within ourselves a virtuous character.

As we do so, the world becomes brighter as well. It is by displaying virtue that others see the fruit of virtuousness, and converts are won.

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Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. -Ludwig van Beethoven

The man who arrives at the doors of artistic creation with none of the madness of the Muses would be convinced that technical ability alone was enough to make an artist... what that man creates by means of reason will pale before the art of inspired beings. -Plato

The philosopher is one who analyzes the world around him. He is the man who describes the order and nature of things. He thinks logically and analytically. He takes the experience of the individual and abstracts from that the universal Truths that govern the universe.

The artist is one who thinks abstractly. He looks for the Truth in stories, harmonies, color and form. He takes the universal Truth and makes it relatable by expressing it through the eyes of the individual to uncover more about human nature.

The philosopher and artist are equally wise, but not in the same way. It would be hard for either to take on the other's role. There is one who can do both, however.

The sage is the highest form of wisdom. The sage can do the job of the philosopher and the artist. His writings sound like Shakespeare, with the Truth of Genesis. The sage has an understanding of self that is so clear, he can uncover the universal by looking within and understands himself by looking without.

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

-Jesus

In a time when fear and hatred seem to rule, we must find ways to love and grow the seed of goodness in ourselves to effect change in our society.

We must learn ourselves, and with love, combined with wisdom, act in the world in a way that is inarguably good. By doing so, we may not be accepted at first, but it is what is right, and with time, people will come to realize that.

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This week, I will discuss the idea of corruption. What does it mean to be corrupted? How does one become corrupted?

What is power? Why does power have this corrupting effect? How do we defend against it?

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. "

-Lord Acton

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The question of whether or not God is good came up recently in a debate on Twitter with Vin Armani and I, and it made me reevaluate my position on this. I was striving to reconcile the idea when a quote in Confessions by St. Augustine helped shed light on the idea.

But then I would ask myself once more: 'Who made me? Surely it was my God, who is not only good but Goodness itself. How, then, do I come to possess a will that can choose to do wrong and refuse to do good, thereby providing a just reason why I should be punished? Who put this will into me? Who sowed this seed of bitterness in me, when all that I am was made by my God, who is Sweetness itself? If it was the devil who put it there, who made the devil? If he was a good angel who became a devil because of his own wicked will, how did he come to possess the wicked will which made him a devil, when the Creator, who is entirely good, made him a good angel and nothing else?'

St. Augustine

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Those who know the Self become the Self. None in their family forgets the Self. Freed from the fetters of separateness, they attain to immortality.

Let this wisdom be taught only to those who obey life's unity. Let this wisdom be taught only to those who offer their lives to the Lord of Love.

Mundaka Upanishad

Watching the season 1 finale of Westworld, I realized that this dilemma was coming. I don't know the technology behind it, nor can I predict the way we will legislate it. What I am going to try today is to begin to understand humanity in a spiritual way, but also juxtaposing it to machine learning. The question is what makes us human? Can we artificially create humans? What would be the tipping point from machine to human?

This issue is as much about understanding our nature and our consciousness as it is understanding what we create.

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God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives; who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?

-Friedrich Nietzsche

In reading St. Augustine's Confessions, I was struck by the story of Faustus and the beginning of Augustine's conversion to Christianity. I think I see this at large in American society today, and want to explain that.

Also, we will discuss what a cosmogony is and why we must reestablish one in our society today.

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If you can keep your wits about you while all others are losing theirs, and blaming you. The world will be yours and everything in it, what's more, you'll be a man, my son.

-Rudyard Kipling

The jungle book it is a beautiful way to illustrate the cultivation of manhood in a young boy. These are a few lessons that reveal themselves to me more explicitly as I watched one of my favorite movies growing up now as an adult.Before I dive into the lessons, it's important to note that the premise of this story is that forces are driving Mowgli toward the village, which represents civilization, and others are pulling him back. The argument being made, in my opinion, is that his journey toward civilization is good.

Lesson 1: the truth can be deceiving

Lesson 2: don't get distracted by hedonism

Lesson 3: tools and the intellect are a gift to mankind

Lesson 4: women are the best way to point a man toward civilization

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The Declaration of Independence and Constitution are two of the most important documents in the history of governance, especially in the United States. On the 4th of July, we celebrate the day we declared ourselves a free nation. The look into both of these documents is due to the fact that the Declaration of Independence was a vision statement for our country. The Constitution was the way that we would execute that vision.

Today, I talk about them both because I think it is important to keep the vision at the top of mind this week as we remember this incredible idea and event in human history.

Quote of the Week:

Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.

-Thomas Jefferson

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Today, I am honored to welcome Dan Johnson of We Do Better to talk to me about how to help charities and organizations that provide better solutions to meeting human needs. His organization focuses on enacting charitable tax credits modeled after the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit so people can put their money into charities that are doing better than government at providing for human needs.

I have recently gotten involved in this organization in the action arm to pass one of these credits in Indianapolis to count against property taxes on an annual basis. I will be documenting my journey somewhat, or at least keeping you in the loop as I go through this.

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Quote of the week:

"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."

-Marcus Aurelius

This week we have seen what the media is calling an escalation of the civil unrest that has been brewing. But, is it really?

We will discuss how to act ethically in terms of freedom and where the limitations are. What is one's duty to his fellow citizens? How should we go about disagreement? How far do rights extend?

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Quote of the Week:

As a caterpillar, having come to the end of one blade of grass, draws itself together and reaches out for the next, so the Self, having come to the end of one life and dispelled all ignorance, gathers in his faculties and reaches out from the old body to a new.

-The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

I have been a fan of Jordan Peterson's for a while and listen to him in guest spots whenever possible. However, I finally took the time to dive into his podcast and wanted to share my thoughts on his ideas and the impact they have.

The 20th century and how his analysis is not purely political
Ancient myths and the Bible
Order and Chaos
The synergy between philosophy, empiricism, and religion

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Today is a special show Today, I will discuss the ideas behind the inherent value of the individual and lay out my beliefs on how the idea of the individual interacts with hot topics of today's world. I will dive deep into the topics, but attempt to stand above partisanship and try to work my way to the Truth.

The news going on around us will inform these opinions somewhat and will provide context to why I'm talking about it. I hope to provide context without glorifying tragic events that have happened recently, but I will discuss the events honestly and openly.

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Today, I would like to build off of last weeks show about bureaucracy. I touched on how businesses, like governments, will have to shed bureaucracy and become more nimble. I spoke briefly about the Industrial Revolution and how it led to the condensation of capital to a select few, but I didn't speak enough about how it will begin to spread out among the population more as our world changes.

This episode will look at a few examples of this happening and explain where I think it's going.

Uber
Air B&B
Cryptocurrency

This is a good one that you won't want to miss. Listen to the end for some inspiration.

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In this episode I take time to speak about Memorial Day and what it means. I think it is important to spend time reflecting on the sacrifices made to preserve our freedom. Also, I begin a new series and part of the Podcasts that will be a quote of the week, so I decided to discuss patriotism and what it should look like in America as I discuss a quote by Mark Twain.

Finally, the meat of the episode comes as we discuss the nature of bureaucracies and the harm that they bring. However, I see your rocker C's that have stood for a while fracturing and I believe there is a common cause between big bureaucratic corporations and governments having problems with the digital age.

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This episode we will discuss:

How to save money at college
How to make the most of your time there
How to balance work and college
How to decide if college is right for you
Alternative learning methods

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"Great Minds Discuss Ideas; Average Minds Discuss Events; Small Minds Discuss People."

This quote is often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, but its origins are unclear. The truth in it is indisputable, however. As we look around us, it is apparent that the small minds talk about people, while great minds talk about ideas. This doesn't mean that those who discuss ideas are always right or that those who discuss people are always wrong in their assessment- rather it is noble to endeavor and wish to understand ideas. We look to cultural figures and what is going on around them as they attempt to talk about ideas instead of people.

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In this episode, I dive into the divine source of love, and the effects that Love has on society starting from the individual level.

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With last week's travesty in the U.K. over Alfie, I wanted to discuss the idea of the collective and the collective good. In this, I will argue that there are no government actions that are good for the collective and that this mindset is dangerous for any society.

I will demonstrate that the collective good is nothing more than pandering to the majority at the expense of the minority in order to maintain power and approval.

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Finally to 10 episodes!! Today, I discuss what institutions are and how they come about as well as the conservative view on them. I also dive into what conservatism really means through the lens of The Meaning of Conservatism by Rodger Scruton.

What you really need to stay tuned for is my ideas on how to use these understandings to preserve and protect the important institutions- those that came about during our nation's founding.

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This episode covers the idea of Americanism from Mark Levin's new book and some of the non-political takeaways I had. One of these characteristics that is key is entrepreneurship and the solutions the private sector creates. We discuss the threats to today's American ideals of individualism, liberty, and self-governance.

As promised, here is my Brave browser affiliate link. Download it and use it for 30 days at least to help me financially and take back our freedom to access the information we please.

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Today I discuss victimless crimes and how the only victim is the person being sent to jail for their "offense."

Also, with it being my birthday, I take time to reflect on the past year, and how I look at the milestones that come throughout the year.

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Roseanne made headlines with a huge debut of her reboot, the culture of Middle America was thrusted into the realm of debate. Was this reboot prescriptive or descriptive? What implications does it have?

I explain what I think about it and how most people I know around me (in Middle America) think about the issues raised in Roseanne. Then I lament the loss of what I consider to be an honest look at the family through television.

Finally, I explore what these ideas mean for me and how these ideas have brought me to Libertarianism despite the fact that I have mostly traditional and conservative beliefs in my own life.

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What do the clear backpacks in Parkland and the Omnibus Bill have in common? Both are a misunderstanding of our system and the Constitution.

We discuss both of these issues, and my solution for the Omnibus Bills, The Jefferson Amendment. Hopefully, you enjoy what I have to say and can help me improve my plan and spread the idea! Get involved in the Conversation of Our Generation- Let's get the dialogue going!

[audio src="https://conversationofourgeneration.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/5ccfe-episode-6-clear-backpacks_big-spending_the-constitution.mp3"][/audio]

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Join me as I dive into my thoughts on Truth and Natural Law. I discuss my idea on the Truth and the idea that it's an asymptote. From that I derive my understanding of the Natural Law as the order that proceeds from the objective and absolute truth.

First, however, I talk about my story that brought me to doing this podcast and where I want to take the Conversation of Our Generation. If you want to get involved in the Conversation of Our Generation, listen in and reach out to get the dialogue going!!Join the Conversation of Our Generation!!!

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Join the Conversation of Our Generation and Vin Armani as we discuss the direction of our culture. We will talk about a range of topics from Cryptosavagery to Patriarchy and Matriarchy.

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Listen to the whole show to hear the Big Announcement at the end!!

This episode of the Conversation of Our Generation focuses on the #MeToo Movement and School Shootings in the first half. We discuss how taking responsibility as adults and teaching our young to be men and women can mitigate these problems.

In the back half, we discuss the Logos (male god) and Mother Earth. We take these ideas and apply them to the observable world and how we can use them to our advantage.

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In this episode, we will talk about a guy arrested for giving a cop the finger, Prager U's lawsuit with Google/YouTube, Jordan Peterson's interview with Cathy Newman and what the Founding Fathers have to say about Free Speech.

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Progressivism has become a huge part of American Society. But where did it come from? What are the underlying ideas? Where is it going? This podcast dives into all of those questions as well as offer the solution to slowing the spread of acceptance of Progressivism.

Below are some the notes from my podcast, and are not a complete list of the topics discussed:

Global Warming

"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make," Ehrlich confidently predicted in a 1970 issue of Mademoiselle. "The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next 10 years."

He assured readers of The Progressive in 1970 that between 1980 and 1989, 4 billion people, including 65 million Americans, would perish in the "Great Die-Off." In a 1969 essay titled "Eco-Catastrophe!" Ehrlich said "most of the people who are going to die in the greatest cataclysm in the history of man have already been born."

Progressives’ Quotes: Woodrow Wilson "All that progressives ask or desire," wrote Woodrow Wilson, "is permission -- in an era when development, evolution, is a scientific word -- to interpret the Constitution according to the Darwinian principle; all they ask is recognition of the fact that a nation is a living thing and not a machine."

John Dewey: "something that individuals have as a ready-made possession." It is "something to be achieved." In this view, freedom is not a gift of God or nature. It is a product of human making, a gift of the state. Man is a product of his own history, through which he collectively creates himself. He is a social construct. Since human beings are not naturally free, there can be no natural rights or natural law. Therefore, Dewey also writes, "Natural rights and natural liberties exist only in the kingdom of mythological social zoology."

"the state has the responsibility for creating institutions under which individuals can effectively realize the potentialities that are theirs." So although "it is true that social arrangements, laws, institutions are made for man, rather than that man is made for them," these laws and institutions "are not means for obtaining something for individuals, not even happiness. They are means of creating individuals…. Individuality in a social and moral sense is something to be wrought out."

Elected Senators The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

Income Tax “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” -The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

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For the first episode of he Conversation of Our Generation podcast we will look at Trump-Russia collusion and Fusion GPS's role from a new angle. We will dive into Bill Browder's book, Red Notice, to understand the background of Fusion GPS's involvement in American politics. We'll talk about the Maginesky Act and Russian Adoption.

Then, we will use the lessons Machiavelli brought to us in The Prince to understand why this is important, and how this campaign is being used.

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Conversation of Our Generation: Recent Episodes

Nick Jamell