CATEGORY: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (12 min)
 

43 Timely Quotes by Edmund Burke That Reveal the Instincts Driving Radicalism

Many conservatives blame Marx for bad ideas and even worse influence.

And although that’s not entirely wrong . . . it’s not completely right either.

Why not?

Because it turns out that radical impulses are much older than Marx.

A Tale as Old as Time

Daniel Klein and Dominic Pino, a professor-student duo, bring you an unusual listicle: a collection of quotations by the great 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke so coherent that it reads like an essay.

Each quote shows how perceptive Burke was in diagnosing the origins of radical ideas and impulses.

Taken together, these quotes present a rich analysis of the deepest, darkest sides of human nature.

Bonus: they make great posts for your social media feed, too.

CATEGORY: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (13 min)
 

Freedom vs. Force: The Individual and the State

Give me liberty or give me death.

Those are the immortal words of Patrick Henry, spoken not long before he would, indeed, be put to death.

Can you imagine dying rather than losing your freedom?

How many Americans appreciate Henry’s bold words today?

The Faustian Bargain

As Academy of Ideas reminds us in this excellent video, humans cannot flourish in a caged existence, no matter how lavish the meal plan.

We need freedom. It’s the foundation of many things, including progress.

This video is worth watching for the variety of thinkers cited alone. You can also read the transcript here.

CATEGORY: POLITICS (4 min)
 

Is Civility Futile in the Face of Injustice?

This summer has seen some pretty scary demonstrations, raising the question, What’s the point of being civil when you’re confronted with vitriol?

Alexandra Hudson offers insight into this difficult problem.

Her ideas take inspiration from the behavior of men like Frederick Douglass, who experienced true injustice.