Miscellaneous Rambling
Econtalk has killed it again with another great podcast. Yoram Hazony on the Virtue of Nationalism. The podcast brings it all to the table: echoes of Russell Kirk, explicit references to Edmund Burke, a healthy respect but also criticism for Austrian economics. I really want to get the man's book, but dang it, I just know I won't read it. At least I don't think I will. Or maybe I won't. . . .
Dang it! I just clicked and bought it. I couldn't resist. I'll keep y'all posted as I fit-and-start my way through it.
From a TDE reader: "Parable for Our Times: Have you read Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather? Great historical novel. Anyway, there is a short story within the novel, Legend of Fray Balthazar, which tells of a priest who takes advantage of his Indian parishioners. Should be recommended reading for all prelates these days."
Random Blurb from the Notebooks: Four schools of a priori thinking
1. Aristotelian boneheaded
2. Traditional natural law
3. Rationalism
4. Austrian
1 and 3: stupid. Aristotle not per se, but when it comes to science, boneheaded. Rationalists applied axioms that are questionable. Russell Kirk's "defecated rationality."
Austrian. Axioms aren't questionable. Very minute, modest, truly indisputable.
Natural law is similar: starts w each man as he is, combo of body and spirit, etc. Not indisputable like Austrians, but they come to similar conclusions bc natural law is true (my belief) and Austrians don't make leaps in logic, so they come to compatible conclusions.
