What We’re Reading

Machiavelli, The Prince. Teaching Machiavelli’s The Prince is no easy task. For one, it is the lesser work in comparison to The Discourses on Livy which contains the true heart of Machiavelli’s philosophy. Nevertheless, it is the more famous work and also often deeply misrepresented and misappropriated. Yes, Machiavelli uttered those famous words about a Prince’s ruleship being better if feared than loved; but that statement comes with the caveat of, in an ideal world, the Prince should be both. Importantly, Machiavelli’s very dim view of human nature influences his outlook on what politics should be about. Though it is necessary to teach Machiavelli as a major progenitor of the modern project, depicting Machiavelli in a purely negative light should be refrained by any teacher. The Prince, therefore, offers a great opportunity to present the nuances, critical insights, and the problems with Machiavelli’s thought, as well as an opportunity to compare it similar (and different) sections of the Discourses to paint a fuller picture of the Florentine philosopher.

~ Paul Krause

Hans Christian Andersen, “The Fir Tree.” Recently, I read aloud with my family a remarkable story by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Fir-Tree.” Published in 1844, this is the story of a little tree that is unsatisfied with life. The Fir Tree is anxious, unable to live in the present moment. It is continually uneasy, always thinking that happiness will come in some great future event. How often, Andersen suggests, do we waste our days by forgetting that the glory of life is found in the present moment? How much of our life is wasted away in anticipation of some future happiness, only for us to realize when it is too late that we have dreamed so many years away? This story, I think, is especially appropriate for parents with young children. The best humane literature, even for children, explores the reality of our human condition. Although stories, great literature shows us something true about what it means to be human and how to live well. For those of you who are keeping your Christmas tree up until Candlemas, consider reading this story aloud before the tree goes down.

~ Darrell Falconburg

Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Bierce’s historically based-short story grapples with reality. It begs the question of the nature of dreams. And it determines absolute truth. When Peyton Farquhar finds himself hanging from a bridge, his next memory is found below, in the water, fighting for his life. As he is running away from the soldiers who dangled him from the bridge moments before, life flashes before his eyes, making him wonder if this occurrence is real. The psychological aspect Peyton encounters when fleeing the scene made him assume the adrenaline rush he received was real because he experienced this event with each of his five senses, or so he thought. As the story concludes, Peyton’s senses manipulate and alter his reality, making him believe he could experience just a few moments of life before death.

~ Sarah Tillard

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