John A. Cuddeback is a professor and chairman of the Philosophy Department at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, where he has taught since 1995. He received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Catholic University of America under the direction of F. Russell Hittinger. He has lectured on various topics including virtue, culture, natural law, friendship, and household. His book Friendship: The Art of Happiness was republished in 2010 as True Friendship: Where Virtue Becomes Happiness. His writings have appeared in Nova et Vetera, The Thomist, and The Review of Metaphysics, as well as in several volumes published by the American Maritain Association. Though raised in what he calls an ‘archetypical suburb,’ Columbia, Maryland, he and his wife Sofia consider themselves blessed to be raising their six children in the shadow of the Blue Ridge on the banks of the Shenandoah. At the material center of their homesteading projects are heritage breed pigs, which like the pigs of Eumaeus are fattened on acorns, yielding a bacon that too few people ever enjoy. His website dedicated to the philosophy of family and household is baconfromacorns.com.
John Cuddeback
Articles by John Cuddeback
Sitting on the Porch
“I cannot separate it [watching the world go by] from the porch where it occurs. The action and the space are indivisible. The action is supported by this kind of…
Living These Relationships, Every Day
"Therefore, it is clear that the care of the household concerns human beings more than material property..." Aristotle, Politics "Here Aristotle infers that the chief aim of [parents] concerns these…
Making a Castle, This Time of Year
"At this time of the year--the Christmas and New Year time--I am seldom out of my Castle. For the associations of the season seem to hold me there, and the…
This is Our Story
“For the man that is truly good and wise, we think, bears all the chances of life becomingly and always makes the best of circumstances...as a good shoemaker makes the…
A Space for Children in the Home
“If children do not have space to release a tremendous amount of energy when they need to, they will drive themselves and everybody else in the family up the wall.”…
The Craft of Education
“Then education is the craft concerned with doing this very thing, this turning around, and with how the soul can most easily and effectively be made to do it.” Plato,…
Learning to Wait
"Through delayed fulfillment, good desires grow stronger." Gregory the Great Almost fifty years ago the famous marshmallow experiment suggested the importance of being able to wait. There are many troubling…
My Wife Has What I Need
“Men and women, however, live together not only to procreate children but also to have whatever is needed for life. Indeed, from the beginning, family duties are distinct; some are…
Laying Waste Our Fields
“That day when Turnus raised the flag of war… The high commanders… From every quarter drew repeated levies And laid the wide fields waste of their field hands.” Virgil, The…
Asking for Direction in Baffling Times
"All Italians, all the Oenotrian land, Resorted to this place in baffling times, Asking direction; here a priest brought gifts..." Virgil, The Aeneid What do I do now? I often…
When a Child Leaves Home
“Darling, haven’t you ever heard of a delightful little thing called boarding school?” So Baroness Schraeder responds to Max’s inquiry how she will deal with seven children upon wedding Captain…
One Good Politician
It can be discouraging watching people vie for political power. That they are motivated by a concern for our good is often hard to believe. A man like Aristides is…
Belloc on the New Year
"On New Year's Eve, at about quarter to twelve o'clock at night, the master of the house and all that are with him go about from room to room opening…
What Aristotle Says about Christmas
My piece at Ethika Politika: Aristotle's Key to Christmas
Aristotle on Talking to Yourself
“The virtuous man wishes to converse with himself.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, IX Conversations with oneself. They could be a sign that something is wrong. But done well, they are a…
Surfing into Forgetfulness
“And wicked men seek for people with whom to spend their days, and shun themselves; for they remember many a grievous deed when they are by themselves, but when they…
You, Child, are Our Bond
“And children seem to be a bond of union.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Moved by these words of Aristotle, I write here... An Open Letter to My Child Even your father can…
Living with Former Friends
“Surely he should keep a remembrance of their former intimacy…” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Sometimes it feels like Aristotle foresaw all the vicissitudes of my life. He muses regarding the issue…
Leisure Starts at Home
If leisure is the basis of culture, it must first be the basis of home life. So I argue over at Ethika Politika: Leisure as the Basis of Home Life
The Festivity of the Just
“Men whose justice is straight know neither hunger nor ruin, but amid feasts enjoy the yield of their labors.” Hesiod, Works and Days Festivity. The word brings longing to the…
When Children Resemble Their Fathers
“Fleecy sheep are weighed down with wool, and women bear children who resemble their fathers.” Hesiod, Works and Days In describing “a city that prospers,” Hesiod points to something rather…
When Scoundrels are Honored
“The man who keeps his oath, or is just and good, will not be favored, but the evildoers and scoundrels will be honored…” Hesiod, Works and Days Whom do we…
When Hospitality Vanishes
“…and there will be no affection between guest and host.” Hesiod, Works and Days Ancient Greek literature reveals a striking practice of hospitality. We would do well to consider what…
When Shame Vanishes
“… shame will vanish.” Hesiod, Works and Days Hesiod gives a remarkable description of a degenerate culture by pointing to several of its hallmark characteristics. This one is particularly chilling.…