Patrick Deneen
Patrick J. Deneen teaches political theory at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of several books, most recently Why Liberalism Failed.
Articles by Patrick Deneen
Facebook and the Affairs of the Elderly
Here's an interesting essay arguing that the rise of divorce rates among the elderly is due to Facebook and other social media. The author, Sheri Kirschenbaum, points to data from…
“Caylee’s Law” and the Specter of Civil Breakdown
Alexandria, VA In the wake of the "not guilty" finding in the Casey Anthony trial, large numbers of outraged individuals have begun a campaign for the creation of various State…
Social Justice, Rightly Understood
One of the most unexamined terms in regular use among left Catholics today is "social justice." Vague and often closely aligned with support for national government social programs, "social justice"…
Biovillages
This article describes the effort of local villages in Germany to provide their own heat through local renewable resources. And, wonderfully, it stresses that the effort combines the twin achievements…
My Teacher, My Friend
Alexandria, VA Some, perhaps many readers here will know that I learned much of what I know of political philosophy - and, much of my understanding of life - from…
The Future of Democracy in America
This week I have been lecturing at the Ignatianum Academy in Krakow, Poland. It has been a marvelous experience thus far, including time spent in the classroom with bright students,…
Regret Minimization
Jeremy Grantham is paid to make people money. Among his clients is Dick Cheney, who, based on Grantham's advice, was well-positioned before the economic collapse (as I noted at the…
Wendell Berry,Wes Jackson, and some Guy named Charles at Georgetown
Late last week I received notice that jolly Prince Charles will be speaking at Georgetown on the future of food, fresh from his oldest son's nuptials. While that news was…
Spring Spheres and the Vernal Equinox Bunny
Our return to a distinctively modern form of paganism is nearly complete - a teacher at a Seattle school approved a "hunt" for round object containing sweets and surprises on…
The New Lisbon?
In the wake of a series of catastrophes in the course of recent years - the financial crisis and the Great Recession; the Gulf oil "spill" as well as a…
Between the Neo-Cons and the Libertarians
I'm a respondent in a Cato Unbound symposium devoted to a consideration of C. Bradley Thompson's recent book, Neoconservatism: An Obituary of an Idea, summarized at the Cato site in…
Shout Out
Let me recommend the latest issue - as well as really all issues - of the very fine journal "Perspectives on Political Science," edited by our friendly nemesis Peter Lawler,…