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Author Archives: Christian Poole
How Christianity Civilized the Dark Ages
Many contemporary narratives cast the so-called “Dark Ages” as a period defined by intellectual stagnation and cultural regression, frequently attributing these trends to the influence of Christianity. Critics argue that the Church’s pervasive power stifled innovation and suppressed alternative modes of thought. However, a closer examination of the historical context reveals that the Church emergedContinue reading “How Christianity Civilized the Dark Ages”
Our Acceptance Speech for the 2024 Oswald Spengler Prize
This past October, we had the profound honor of accepting the 2024 Oswald Spengler Prize alongside co-winner Culture Critic and joining the esteemed ranks of past winners: Jordan Peterson, Walter Scheidel, and Michel Houellebecq. The prize is awarded every two years by the Oswald Spengler Society to recognize work promoting the study of culture andContinue reading “Our Acceptance Speech for the 2024 Oswald Spengler Prize”
The Great Tree of Western Civilization
By chance I was recently introduced to the ideas of Oswald Spengler – a German intellectual of the early 20th century whose claim to fame is the two-volume work The Decline of the West. The essential idea of Spengler is that civilizations may be described similarly to organisms, which either thrive, survive, or stagnate andContinue reading “The Great Tree of Western Civilization”
Leaders of the Resistance: The Barbarian Kings Who Challenged the Roman Empire
Most discussions of the Roman Empire’s wars focus on its great successes. Battles won by the barbarians are nearly universally described as tragic losses from the viewpoint of the Romans. But every loss of the Romans was a victory for the little-understood barbarians – that catchall term for the relatively uncivilized northern tribes that bringContinue reading “Leaders of the Resistance: The Barbarian Kings Who Challenged the Roman Empire”
Consequences of Leaving an Agrarian Society
The 20th century witnessed a rare and irreversible shift, not seen since the ancient nomads planted their feet and began to work the land: a societal evolution. The first societal evolution was from nomadic to agrarian. Thousands of years later, our familiar agrarian society has finally given way to a mechanized society. Up until thisContinue reading “Consequences of Leaving an Agrarian Society”
The Hidden Cost of a Robotic World
With a sense of tragic fatalism I admit that robotics and AI are our future. There seems no way to turn back the dial on technological development, even if unintended consequences loom over much of the population. Aside from the entrepreneurial spirit which propels such new technologies, it appears evident from history that technological advantageContinue reading “The Hidden Cost of a Robotic World”
A Brief Guide to the Syntopicon
When Hutchinson, Adler, and the team at Britannica undertook the work of compiling and publishing their 54 volume Great Books of the Western World (GBWW) set in 1952, they embarked on an ambitious and probably expensive undertaking to write the Syntopicon. Occupying volumes II and III of the commercially successful set of classic books, theContinue reading “A Brief Guide to the Syntopicon”
The Capacity for Good of an Ordinary Man
Mother Teresa, M.L.K. Jr., and Gandhi stand out as a few of the most influential conduits of charity to the 20th century world. Though not perfect, such philanthropic leaders, whether bringing material or spiritual or ethical goods to many people, are recognized by general consensus to have brought an outsized proportion of good to theContinue reading “The Capacity for Good of an Ordinary Man”
3 Ways to Systematically Read the Great Books
Approaching the great books of the West (or East for that matter) is a daunting task, especially for those with little experience in the arts and sciences that regularly sample this vast body of works. While there are a variety of lists of great books – all of them instructive to peruse in themselves –Continue reading “3 Ways to Systematically Read the Great Books”