Eric Scheske

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Distributism is the Economic Sphere Revolt Against Modernity and Left-Hemispheric Hegemony

Distributism is the Economic Sphere Revolt Against Modernity and Left-Hemispheric Hegemony

Unfortunately, it doesn't work in the modern world without big government, and big government is the celebration of the left hemisphere. Still, it's worth pondering, just as I think it's worth pondering anarchism. Neither will be attained in my lifetime, but I think such

William Bonner and Lila Rajiva, Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets: A Micro-Review

William Bonner and Lila Rajiva, Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets: A Micro-Review

Bonner is either the most frustrating or most entertaining non-fiction writer I’ve ran across. He loves anecdotes and detours. He loves making a larger point by illustrating with an even larger story. At times, I want to scream, “Get to the point!” At other times, I’m saying, “Take

Stream of Consciousness

Stream of Consciousness

William James' stream of consciousness addresses that fundamental fact of our mental world: thinking cannot be stopped. We "think" like we breathe. James' observation, says Jacques Barzunm "explains without moralizing what that wonderful self-observer Montaigne found as the chief mark of man: he is [diverse

Why It's Rude to Stare

Why It's Rude to Stare

Staring is a special kind of vision, in itself predatory: left hemisphere attention gets locked onto its target. The Matter with Things

On Working without Working. Or St. Terese's Little Way. Or Zen Work.

On Working without Working. Or St. Terese's Little Way. Or Zen Work.

"There is no greater pleasure in ordinary life, so-called, than to see a bus-conductor, a teacher, anybody, really engrossed in his work, with no thought of its relative or absolute value, with no thought of its interest or profit to himself or others." R.H. Blyth, Zen in

Libertarian Biographies

Libertarian Biographies

Brad Birzer reviews a new book about major figures in the libertarian tradition. Needless to say, I now want to buy it, but I'm holding back. I had a drink with one of Birzer's friends a few weeks ago. I think he's probably less

Joseph Epstein's Four Volumes of Mini-Biographies

Joseph Epstein's Four Volumes of Mini-Biographies

Joseph Epstein's four volumes of literary mini-biographies: Plausible Prejudices: Essays on American Writing (1985) Partial Payments: Essays on Writers and Their Lives (1989) Pertinent Players: Essays on the Literary Life (1993) Life Sentences: Literary Essays (1997)

Jean-Paul Sartre: In Brief

Jean-Paul Sartre: In Brief

Sartre denied that we have any natural traits (i.e., essences, characteristics). Instead of such essences, Sartre said, we have existence, and that’s it. Our essences don’t really exist. At best, they have a secondary reality because we first exist, then select our essences. In his words: “[M]

The ESB Project at 100,000

The ESB Project at 100,000

I don't count the number of essays in the Project, much less the number of words, but I realized this morning that the Project probably stands at 100,000ish words. It's nearing the finish.

About the One-Thing Files

About the One-Thing Files

“The One-Thing File” is a practice I learned from Econtalk. It's the practice of writing just one thing (okay, maybe more than one) that I learn from a book, essay, documentary, podcast, whatever. For younger TDE readers, think of it as Reddit's “Today I Learned” feature.