by W.D. James Each of us, whether we fully realize it or not, are probably in a battle with Nihilism. Nihilism is the philosophical stance that holds that life is inherently meaningless and that objective values don’t exist. There have been people who consciously held this belief (the rationale for why they continued to get … Continue reading The Option for Meaningful Freedom
by W.D. James “To be attached to the subdivision, to love the little platoon we belong to in society, is the first principle (the germ as it were) of public affections. It is the first link in the series by which we proceed towards a love to our country, and to mankind.” - Edmund Burke … Continue reading Affection, ownership and belonging
by W.D. James Simple stories are often the best stories. The Christmas story itself is quite simple and about simple characters: a young mother, her baby, some shepherds and angels and a manger. Most of the good stories it has inspired are likewise simple, dealing with a few human essentials. Christmas seems to be a … Continue reading The Grinch: False Philosopher
W.D. James reviews Paul Kingsnorth's new book. Paul Kingsnorth’s Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity (Thesis, 2025), is one of the books we’ve been needing. The book is the record of a personal journey toward a reckoning with Western modernity and the polycrisis it has engendered. Kingsnorth adopts the term, ‘The Machine,’ to identify the origin of … Continue reading Doomsday is Such a Relief!
W.D. James continues his Faded Republic series with a seasonal film recommendation There is a stealth republic. For aficionados of low budget horror movies such as myself, Night of the Living Dead has to be among the best of the best. (Note: this essay contains spoilers throughout). George A. Romero’s 1968 cult classic was made for a … Continue reading Hobbes, Zombies, and the Sheriff
by W.D. James What is the US South? In 1930, a group of ‘Twelve Southerners’ published a manifesto in defense of Southern culture. They called the anthology of twelve essays “I’ll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition.” The contributors were primarily literary folks, most of whom had connections to Vanderbilt University. They … Continue reading Of Causes Lost and Lost Again
by W.D. James In this series of reflections on America and ‘the faded republic,’ which I believe lies, now obscured, at its heart, pride of place should go to Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). ‘The Sage of Concord’ is arguably our most original genius and called us forth to realize who we really were, as he … Continue reading A Nation of Individuals
by W.D. James I’m obviously an American, so I ought to at least know what that is, right? Yet it’s a question I’ve struggled to come to adequate terms with for a very long time. Americans, and America itself, have always had something of an identity crisis. I think we do constitute an ethnos, a people, … Continue reading The Faded Republic
by W.D. James Heroes are willing to give their lives, and in the old tales usually do, to protect their homes and loved ones. Their deaths are literally salvific. Beowulf suffering his mortal wounds acquired in destroying the dragon saves the people of his homeland. Of course, the archetype here is Jesus Christ whose death … Continue reading Death and Poetry (The Myth of Philosophy 7)
by W.D. James Socrates had a demon. Or, to avoid misunderstanding, he had a daemon, to stick to the Greek which does not have the negative connotation that the English word derived from it carries. Socrates and the divine In this series we have been tracking how Socrates, as the representative of philosophy, is portrayed … Continue reading Socrates’ Demon (The Myth of Philosophy 6)
winter oak 