Josef Pieper and the Recovery of Leisure
The Catholic German philosopher, Josef Pieper, wrote Leisure: the Basis of Culture in 1947, in the aftermath of the Second World War when Germany was rebuilding materially,…
Can the Humanities Save Us?
I was recently asked by a student group at my university to participate in a panel discussion about the humanities. Having been asked the rather loaded question,…
The Misuse and Abuse of Words: Reflecting on Misology with Plato and Josef Pieper
Introduction: The Corruption of Words Concerning the apparent abuse of the word “eternity,” Romano Guardini observes: “A word is not merely a sign to convey a meaning. …
Learning Through Stories: How to Start Teaching the Truth
Teaching and Learning[1] In Guide to Thomas Aquinas, Josef Pieper points out that Aquinas was attracted to the Order of Preachers, in good part, because of his…
From Philosopher Kings to Philosopher Professors: Against the Relativists
Famously, Socrates caps off his preliminary account of the beautiful city in the Republic with a description of the primary condition – by his own admission a…
The Shock of Philosophy: On Josef Pieper
From images of moral depravity on television and online to the perpetually bad-news news cycle to the blunders, improprieties, and worse of celebrities and politicians, the vile…