Eric Scheske

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When Virtue Becomes Vice

When Virtue Becomes Vice

We can't pursue virtue without vice. Every pursuit of virtue, after all, requires us to strive to advance our happiness. Every such pursuit, in other words, is selfish, which is the root of all vice. It's a paradox. Paradox, The Hemispheres, and the TaoA basic tension

Elitism v. Snobbery

Elitism v. Snobbery

I never could "get into" Bell's Crowd Culture. This micro review kinda makes me want to try again, but only "kinda." The book falls into "snobbish conservatism," which I've never much cared for. We tend to think of liberalism as

Mint Julep: The Percy Battle?

Mint Julep: The Percy Battle?

Poet Will Percy provided this recipe for the Mint Julep in his autobiography, Lanterns on the Levee: First you needed excellent bourbon whisky; rye or Scotch would not do at all. Then you put half an inch of sugar in the bottom of the glass and merely dampened it with

A Few Great Charles Bukowski Quotes

A Few Great Charles Bukowski Quotes

His headstone features a graphic of a boxer and the Zen-inspired epitaph “Don’t try.”

Science and Magic . . . And Math

Science and Magic . . . And Math

This is a great historical tie into Part II of Existence Strikes Back and its observation that modernity's momentum began to build in the 13th century, as Western civilization's capacity for control increased. Magic and science were twins in the cradle of modernity. This essay points

The Technology Paradox

The Technology Paradox

The more efficient technology makes us, the less efficient we become. Of course, information technology saves time by doing things quickly. Or does it? Bosses save wages, but we become their new, unwilling wage slaves. Meanwhile, with the automation of more and more processes that used to take a five-minute

Asteroid City: America is a Strange Land

Asteroid City: America is a Strange Land

I didn't like the movie, but it was strange. I suppose that's positive . . . or at least, American.

Why You Should Care about Gene Wolfe

Why You Should Care about Gene Wolfe

He's the author of Book of the New Sun, which is massive but which I just finished and which is incredible, full of implicit Catholic theology, Greek philosophy, and mythology. Some of his biggest literary influences were Chesterton and Tolkien. He's also a convert, whose conversion

Big Ag is Killing Us

Big Ag is Killing Us

I Think It's Time to Go Organic, but the USDA Makes It Very Difficult by Allowing Dishonest Food Labeling . . . at the Behest of Big Ag and to the Detriment of American Citizens My doctor takes a sane approach. During consultation, he discusses nutrition, weight loss, and exercise, but

Hanging Out is a Rebuke to the Left Hemisphere

Hanging Out is a Rebuke to the Left Hemisphere

America has a crisis: Young people aren't wasting enough time with one another. The result? Depression, suicide, and general malaise are up. Happiness is down. I've long chided my kids, especially my daughters, for making "hanging out" a priority. In my left-hemispheric world, hanging