In his excellent book on Maritain, The Philosopher In Society, James V. Schall comments on Maritain's theoretical critique of Niccolo Machiavelli. The Florentine master of immorality, Maritain observed, charms and seduces us. Why, or with what teaching, does Machiavelli seduce us? It is not so much when men ought to do, but what they do … Continue reading Hitler’s Reading of Machiavelli

Up From Slavery, by Booker T Washington. We probably underestimate the enormity of the task that Washington set for himself: He dedicated his life to the "uplift of our race" from the cruel depredations of slavery. Washington says that what took the white man hundreds of years to learn - the habits and conditions of … Continue reading What I’m Reading Now

In this blog, I present short reflections, tidbits of scholarship and inquiry, and passing thoughts. I shall strive to be serious-minded, that is, meditating on enduring political and social questions. And yet, I shall strive for a light touch. Everyone hates a blog that takes itself too seriously. My goal is to give my readers … Continue reading My Purpose

In my classes, we often discuss statesmanship, or leadership. When my students and I talk about leadership, we want to discover what a good leader is, so that we can become that kind of person. Now, one underrated but critically important key to transformational leadership is ambition. Ambition, or the love of glory, is like … Continue reading The Love of Glory