Virtue

May 22, 2019

Game of Thrones and the judgment of history

This week’s episode of Acton Line features a conversation about Game of Thrones with Tyler Groenendal and me. I won’t try to make the case that the show is salutary viewing. Continue Reading...

May 22, 2019

Adam Smith shows how sympathy makes life more satisfying

The eighteenth century British economist Adam Smith helps with moral challenges, especially in work and employment, says Daniel B. Klein of the American Enterprise Institute. Smith inspires the individual to make a useful and satisfying place for himself in society by contributing. Continue Reading...

May 16, 2019

Yet another example of how the Vatican misunderstands America…and economics

After almost twenty years in Rome, I’ve learned not to insist too much on the Vatican reading the USA with any kind of accuracy, so I usually don’t feel the need to comment on every little misunderstanding coming from the Roman Curia. Continue Reading...

April 16, 2019

Advice to graduates: Reject the calls to ‘find yourself’ and ‘follow your passion’

Graduation season is upon us, and with it is sure to come a flurry of commencement addresses crammed with platitudes about self-actualization, self-indulgence, and self-fulfillment. Though accompanied by occasional urges to “change the world” and “make a difference,” all will still fit neatly within a much broader cultural aim: “finding ourselves,” “trusting ourselves,” and “being true to ourselves.” Continue Reading...

April 09, 2019

Faith, hope, and…productivity

Is it possible for people to improve their lives through hard work, or is the system rigged against you? Your answer – and your results – may depend on your faith. Continue Reading...

April 05, 2019

Review: Light-Horse Harry Lee, the Revolutionary hero and his reckless downfall

Henry Lee III, besides being the father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, may be best known for his masterful eulogy of George Washington. “To the memory of the Man, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen,” was Lee’s most memorable line about the first American president. Continue Reading...

March 26, 2019

The virtues of boredom in an anxious age

Today’s parents are fixated on setting their children on strategic paths to “success”— cramming their days with lessons, sports, clubs, camps, and so on. The goal: to enrich their kids’ lives with new knowledge and experiences. Continue Reading...

March 25, 2019

What’s behind the unhappiness epidemic in the NBA?

Recently Adam Silver, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, spoke about unhappiness among many NBA players, When I meet with them, what surprises me is that they’re truly unhappy. A lot of these men are generally unhappy. Continue Reading...

March 14, 2019

Huckleberry Finn’s moral conscience

Few authors could spin words as well as Mark Twain, but the image of the chronicler of the Mississippi is perhaps one more of style and storytelling than of depth. We don’t read Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn and expect to find great moral insights or penetrating philosophy. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2019

Who’s the true good samaritan?

Mike Weirsky, an unemployed New Jersey man, just won $273 million in the Mega Millions lottery. According to one headline he “has a Good Samaritan to thank.” Weirsky left his tickets at the store where he bought them, but someone found them and gave them to the cashier. Continue Reading...

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