Category: Culture

Beauty in Philosophy, Ethics, and Art: A Conversation with David Fideler

4/19/2023

In this engaging conversation, David Fideler and I delve into the rich history of ancient Greek philosophy to explore the concept of beauty as an objective quality of nature.

We discuss the ideas of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Stoics, and the ideas they held about beauty. In this highly illustrated video, we also explore the importance of harmony and proportion in nature and art, and how they were used to enhance beauty in ancient architecture and Renaissance paintings.

The conversation also touches on the connections between beauty, truth, and goodness, and the timeless wisdom of ancient philosophy that can still inspire us today.

Links: https://livingideasjournal.com/
https://therenaissanceprogram.com/the-renaissance-program-in-florence-italy/

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5 Ways to Counterbalance an Ugly and Barren Cultural Landscape

1/20/2023

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In 1962, French philosopher René Guénon suggested that we live in "degenerate times", at the end of a long age during which important spiritual truths have been forgotten, ancient centers of wisdom have been destroyed and the guardians of that wisdom dispersed.

In my opinion, many modern people are hurting from a lack of beauty, meaning and wisdom in their lives. I myself sometimes get stuck in the cultural doldrums and begin to forget what is important. Beautiful things lift the spirit. Meaning gives our lives true purpose. Wisdom helps us to live well.

Our current situation is not always helped by popular culture, which with some exceptions, isn't particularly beautiful, meaningful or wise. If we want independence from the toxic values of popular culture, there are things we can do to counterbalance those toxic values. Here are 5 suggestions for counterbalancing today's barren cultural landscape:

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Virtue Begins at Home With Intentional Family Culture

4/1/2021

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Brendan Malone, of Left Foot Media, a father of 5, gives wonderful tips on how to teach and model virtue to our children at home. One way to do this is to create an intentional family culture based on our specific moral values, that will act as a counterweight to the negative aspects of the culture that we find ourselves in.

How do we teach our children virtue? This issue was being discussed in a similar context back as far as the Enlightenment by thinkers like Locke and Rousseau. Rousseau thought that a parent's primary role is to be a buffer between their child and culture, rather than simply being an agent of the dominant culture. Rousseau described the insular and affectionate family that educated its own children as “the best counterpoison for bad morals.”

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Is Honest Journalism Dead?

11/2/2020

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Why is there such lack of professionalism and ethics in journalism in recent years? My guest Brendan Malone of Left Foot Media and Monday Night live and I discuss the many problems with contemporary journalism and what can be done about them.

To be clear, there are some excellent journalists who try to adhear to time-honored standards of objectivity still doing great investigative work. However we focus on the general negative trends that we see occurring in media - bias, clickbait, dishonesty, illiberal cancel culture, and lack of humility, backed up by references to hard data where possible.

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Would You Risk Your Life For Philosophy?

2/12/2020

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That's exactly what philosopher Sir Roger Scruton did when he went behind the Iron Curtain in the 1970s and 1980s. Scruton believed in public philosophy and free association so strongly that he taught - at great personal risk to himself - secretive groups of dissident students who were denied knowledge of Western philosophy by their respective Communist regimes.

Scruton was a one of a kind iconoclastic thinker. Though a Burkean and a Traditionalist, he frequently wrote about bohemian subjects like art, sex and drinking. Courageous, funny, humble, and a tireless advocate for "the true, the good and the beautiful," the world lost something very special when he died of cancer January 12 of this year.

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38 Life Lessons in 38 Years

4/13/2019

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I just celebrated my birthday, so I thought it would be a fun change of pace to write a post about what I have learned in almost 4 decades of life.

I don't want this to read as a list of regrets. Really a more positive take is that I'm hoping these 38 life lessons can help others!

1. Don't Waste So Much Time

Speaking of regrets, this is my biggest one. I wish I had spent more time on languages, musical instruments, and generally applying myself than on wasting time with friends, watching TV, etc. Life is short. Use your time wisely. You'll have less time when you start working, and even less for quite a while if you have children!

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Why Is Politics so Divisive?

1/26/2019

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"Socrates was about getting to the bottom of an argument. About not giving up on it. About facing his own ignorance and confronting his own prejudices. Most of all, he was about having a real conversation." - Classicist Mary Beard

I'm just going to come out and say it. Contemporary politics is unbearable, petty and divisive. So how did things get this way? Why has the political sphere become so divsive in recent years? I'll take a stab answering that question here.

I am optimistic that there will be a return to a more Socratic way of doing things; a return to some sembalance of civility and reason. Perhaps if we are willing to look critically at why things have gotten so divisive, we may find some solutions to bring the sanity back to politics.

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Fearless Parent: How to Raise Kids Using Stoic Philosophy

8/12/2018

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Wondering how to be less stressed as a parent? Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that teaches us how to focus on what we can control in life. Brittany Polat of Apparent Stoic and I discuss how to apply Stoic philosophy to parenting, and how it can make both parents and kids happier.

We discuss:

Overcoming worry and parenting anxiety. Not worrying about what other people think of how you raise your children.
US culture being oriented towards adult lifestyles and careers and not very child friendly.
Thinking that you can control everything and being goal oriented does not work with kids because while you can influence them, you can't control what they do.
You will be happier as a parent/family if you focus on what you can control - the environment, how you respond, getting prepared in advance, etc.
The Golden Rule and other ways to teach kids the value of kindness.

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Creating Your Ideal Family Culture

12/19/2017

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With the holidays coming up, many of us are focused on family. My recent post Why You Should Create Your Own Culture to Be Happier prompted a discussion on the Stoic Parents Facebook group about how to create a family culture. Family culture, (defined as the way that a group of people think, feel, act and achieve common goals) is tremendously influential. Creating an ideal culture for your family is something that must be done intentionally. Otherwise you will probably operate in default mode just trying to get things done each day since life with kids tends to be busy:

"Parents must decide what quality of family life they will have and then use the necessary discipline to accomplish this. Otherwise life will push the family in diverse directions...Those parents who have carefully examined their values and their view of life are going to be those whose influence on their children is most consistent. Why? Because what they believe is important to them...Our priorities are determined by our values." - Gladys Hunt, Honey for a Child's Heart.

You don't get a second chance at raising your children. Brainstorm what you ideally want for your family life, write it down, and then be disciplined enough to implement it. Build the various aspects of your ideal family culture into your routine and they will come naturally. It may help to think about your ideal family culture in terms of these four broad categories:

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Why You Should Create Your Own Culture to Be Happier

10/23/2017

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It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the nonsense bombarding us daily. Sometimes I think that mainstream American culture leaves a lot to be desired. Whenever I get disgusted, I'm reminded of Terrance McKenna's instructions:

“Culture is not your friend. Culture is for other people’s convenience and the convenience of various institutions, churches, companies, tax collection schemes, what have you. Culture insults you. It uses and abuses you. None of us are treated well by culture...We have to create culture, don’t watch TV, don’t read magazines, don’t even listen to NPR. Create your own roadshow.”

McKenna is saying that if you don't consciously build your own meaningful culture in your life, it will be determined for you by dominant personalities, media, propaganda, peers, advertising, and all kinds of other capricious influences who have no business being in your head and determining your preferences and actions.

Life is short, and progress towards virtue is often time consuming and hard won. You should be very selective about what you devote your precious and limited time to. If you want to be happier, cut out expressions of culture that sabotage your happiness and personal growth, and deliberately create your own personal culture of beauty and meaning based on your values, rather than on other peoples'.

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<<Previous

Beauty in Philosophy, Ethics, and Art: A Conversation with David Fideler

5 Ways to Counterbalance an Ugly and Barren Cultural Landscape

Virtue Begins at Home With Intentional Family Culture

Is Honest Journalism Dead?

Would You Risk Your Life For Philosophy?

38 Life Lessons in 38 Years

Why Is Politics so Divisive?

Fearless Parent: How to Raise Kids Using Stoic Philosophy

Creating Your Ideal Family Culture

Why You Should Create Your Own Culture to Be Happier

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Understanding and Applying Stoic Ethics In Modern Life:

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​Join the Stoic Parents Facebook Group:

Book of the Month: Journal Like a Stoic by Brittany Polat

Personal Growth Resources:

Follow Common Sense Ethics on Pinterest:

Join the Stoic Parents Facebook Group: