Aristotle 37

Friendship is a fulfillment of our nature: the recognition that loving another for their own sake is, paradoxically, itself essential to our own flourishing.

Politics, at its best, requires those willing to risk greatness.

We do not need reminding of how bitter, partisan, and polarized American politics is today. In order to have a community, people need to hold some things in common. America…

The age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever.--Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France On…

It's already an amazon dot hell best-seller in political theory.

"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…

“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…

My piece at Ethika Politika: Aristotle's Key to Christmas

“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…

“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…

“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…

“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…

“He who intends to practice economy aright ought to be fully acquainted with the places in which his labor lies…” Aristotle, Economics Aristotle often provides us with simple, practical insights.…

“… but the soul of the hearer must be prepared by good habits to rejoice in the good and hate the evil, just as the soil must be well tilled…

Modern persons have a problem with limits, three in fact. They want every good thing to be unlimitedly available for their desires, and scarcity is taken for a cause of…

“But among barbarians no distinction is made between women and slaves…” Aristotle, Politics Barbarians can be accused of a number of things, but presumably they cannot be accused of considering…

“For the begetter is the ruler by reason of love and age…” Aristotle, Politics Perhaps we do not normally think of parents as rulers. Aristotle did. He seems to think…

This last September, the Future Symphony Institute invited me to address its first annual conference on some of the philosophical problems in our age that make it difficult for the…

“The real nature of things is accustomed to hide itself.” Heraclitus Heraclitus seems to imply that reality strives to veil itself. Is there a latent cruelty in reality—that it recedes…

“Now nature makes nothing incomplete, and nothing in vain…” Aristotle, Politics Sometimes we might wonder about Aristotle. Was he observing the same world we are? One thing is clear: Aristotle…

“Nature like a good householder throws away nothing of which anything useful can be made.” Aristotle, On the Generation of Animals It is delightful to think that nature already does…

“…and when anything needs doing it ought not to be left undone, whether it be day or night. There are occasions when a householder should rise while it is still…

“Seeing, then, that such care is lavished on the body’s food, surely every care should be taken on behalf of our own children’s mother and nurse, in whom is implanted…

Hidden Springs Lane. Rod Dreher has recently been pointing out (for example here) the various ways that those who voice public opposition to certain positions (especially gay marriage) are routinely…