Hedonism

July 30, 2019

Viktor Frankl on the error of the pleasure principle

Aristotle asked what made the good life? Was it pleasure, material wealth, honor, or virtue? He argued that while pleasure, wealth, and honor were a part of a good life and human happiness, they could not constitute it. Continue Reading...

February 14, 2017

The myth of ‘economic man’: How love holds society together

Despite the predictable flurry of sugary clichés and hedonistic consumerism, Valentine’s Day is as good an opportunity as any to reflect on the nature of human love and consider how we might further it across society. Continue Reading...

December 17, 2015

Joy for the World: Restoring the Joy of God to Cultural Witness

Over the last century, Christianity has declined in social influence across much of the Western world, leading many to believe it has little place or purpose in public life. In response, Christian reactions have varied, with the more typical approaches being fortification (“hide!” Continue Reading...

December 14, 2015

Children Are a Gift to Civilization

With our newfound economic prosperity and the political liberalization of the West, we have transitioned into an era of hyper consumerism and choice. This involves all sorts of blessings, to be sure, but it brings its own distinct risks. Continue Reading...

August 12, 2015

Marriage as Cornerstone: How the Family Is a Foundation for Flourishing

With the expansion of economic freedom and the resulting prosperity, we’ve reached an unprecedented position of personal empowerment and vocational choice. This is a welcome development, and it can be seized for good in any number of ways. Continue Reading...

June 17, 2014

A Cultural Case for Capitalism: Part 4 of 12 — The Crunchy Con Critique

[Part 1 is here.] The free economy frees entrepreneurs to create new wealth for themselves and others, which brings us to the issue of consumption. In his book Crunchy Cons, conservative author Rod Dreher describes consumerism this way: “Consumerism fetishizes individual choice, and sees its expansion as unambiguous progress. Continue Reading...

June 13, 2014

A Cultural Case for Capitalism: Part 1 of 12

The West has made some remarkable steps forward culturally in the past several generations, as, for instance, in the areas of civil rights (the unborn being a notable exception), race relations, and cooperation among Christians of different traditions. Continue Reading...