The capture of the minds of intellectuals under Stalinism is portrayed by the Polish author Czeslaw Milosz in The Captive Mind published in 1951. In our erstwhile “free” democracies we are suffering from a capture of the mind that shares some of the same intellectual roots as the totalitarian system under which Misosz had lived […]
Category: Philosophy
The Cognitive Dualism of Roger Scruton and the Disappearance of God
The fascinating paradox of Roger Scruton’s thought lies in his commitment to scientific naturalism together with his appreciation for continental thought with its sensitivity to the human condition. Many philosophers that share his analytical background have distanced themselves from religious, or even existential, ways of thinking. It is a reflection of his deep grasp of […]
A response to questions about the Christianity of Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. He has recently gained some notoriety as a result of his stance on free speech and trans-gender pronouns in Canada. However it is his thought in general that is of greater interest and significance. His Maps of […]
Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four and Hate Speech
I’ve just finished George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four, a dystopian vision of a totalitarian society. There are many connections that could be developed between Orwell’s portrayal and contemporary politics. I was struck however by the central role the language “Newspeak” plays in the story. We’re all familiar with the deceptive reversals of meanings employed by […]