Peter Lawler

One point of distinction of postmodern conservatism is its critical appreciation of the controversial work of Leo Strauss to knowing how to read and think. Continue Reading »

Postmodern conservatism lives and remains ambiguously at home at First Things as a proud part of First Thoughts. Continue Reading »

So in coming up with a post for MLK Day, I can do no better than quoting from one of our super-threaders—C.J. Wolfe: Continue Reading »

big thoughts here on race, family, and . . . . Continue Reading »

My apologies for not saying anything for a couple of days.  I don’t even have a disease as an excuse this time.  But I thought I’d better say something today, if only because changes is coming to our blog.  Let me quote from ESCOFFIER in the thread:Heather’s piece is . . . . Continue Reading »

That’s the conclusion of The New Republic guys.  I’m sorry if my immediate thought is that makes the thinking of the MSM a lot like the ambitious U.S. Attorney and certain FBI agents portrayed in the award-winning movie American Hustle.It goes without saying that I . . . . Continue Reading »

There are so many reasons why not getting a Ph.D. in English is great advice.  My impression, though, is that “the market” in English (literature etc.) isn’t as bad as it is philosophy.  C.J. points to the reason:  There are fewer and fewer required courses the . . . . Continue Reading »

So here’s my weekly breakdown of readings for CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL THOUGHT, which begins next week.  Thanks to Flagg Taylor for giving me a one-book resource (THE GREAT LIE—what a perfect collection!) on ideology and totalitarianism, which, in fact, I have never taught . . . . Continue Reading »

Here I defend the autonomy of our religious institutions against traditionalist establishmentarians.  My Tocquevillian observations include with a brief comment on the film Philomena.  If you read the book on which the film is based, you can see that the facts damn Irish clericalism well . . . . Continue Reading »

big thoughts . . . . Continue Reading »