Good book on history, philosophy, and how ideas define destiny.

"How Should We Then Live?" is written by a Christian apologist but I think is relevant for everyone who wants to trace why the world is the way it is. I just started but I will try to summarize as best as I can and post links here for those who are interested.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 1: Ancient Rome

 

Finally was able to finish chapter 2. It covers the Middle Ages. It was very interesting, but very hard to organize.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 2: The Middle Ages

 

I will definitely check this out
thanks
edit
If EVER the phrase." those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it" was applicable it is 2020.
Great and scary history.
Thanks Mona

 

I encourage everyone to watch Social Dilemma on NetFlix. Eye opening.

 

iis, it is funny that this book was written in 1976 but his last chapter is about how mass media warps peoples' perception of reality. If only he lived to see Twitter and Facebook. Phew.

 

Thanks, I felt I had seen everything on NFLX I wanted to see

 

Having all this time on my hands I understand where you’re coming from JF. I have experienced a number of “what the heck is this” stuff (should say junk) on NFLX.

 

Chapter 3 is about how humanism in the Renaissance turned out. Not good, but that hasn't dissuaded our society.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 3: The Renaissance

 

Meet the Renaissance's little brother, the Reformation.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 4: The Reformation

 

So the Reformation wasn't just a theological event...

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 5: The Reformation - 2nd Order Effects

 

The Enlightenment. The name itself is propaganda. Darkness and death is more like it.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 6: The Enlightenment

 

Don’t forget West Mall.

 

Bubba. There are echo chambers all over the place. I recognize where the West Mall falls. But, this is a very small compartment of discussion compared to the vast world of political discourse on the internet.

 

Christianity is fertile soil for science.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 7: The Rise Of Modern Science

 

Materialism causes a large shift in the direction of science.


How Should We Then Live? Chapter 8: The Breakdown in Philosophy and Science, Part 1

 

The source of philosophical despair and abandonment of reason. End in violence on the streets?

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 8: The Breakdown in Philosophy and Science, Part 2

 

Existentialism in endemic in our culture and have been for at least 50 years. If you believe faith and reason are at odds, you to have been influenced by it.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 9: Modern Philosophy and Modern Theology

 

The meaning of modern art.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 10: Modern Art

 

Interesting. Makes me curious how he handles what I think has a preposterously defining effect on social cycles: music.

 

I am in the process of writing about that. The Chapter 9 articles talks a bit about it too.

 

The meaning of modern music.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 10: Modern Music And Literature

 

It is noteworthy that the nations that adopted Protestantism and its underlying ideology (England, Netherlands, Northern Germany—esp. North Rhein/Westphalia, and later the USA) became the leading nations of the world, where they had previously been far, far back in the pecking order of nations before the Reformation. Or, in the case of the US—non-existent. This didn’t just happen by accident or happenstance. It is not mere coincidence.

Not trying to re-fight the 30 Years War here, just pointing out facts.

The most medieval ideologues of all—the pre-revolutionary Russians, became and remained the most backwards of all. I find their Church the most beautiful in all of Christendom. (They also happen to be correct on the filoque IMHO). You just don’t want to build a modern society and government on a medieval mindset.

Our founding fathers had it right with the First Amendment.

 

Movies preach too.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 10: Modern Cinema

Spent a good bit of time in chapter 10.

 

I bet this guy could do a very deep dive into ‘No Country for Old Men’.

 

If only he had lived long enough to watch it. I do think McCarthy is a nihilist of sorts. But one theme at least in Blood Meridian is the reality of life and death. He didn't believe in order or purpose in life by and large. But then he would create characters that were a law unto themselves. They had purpose and morality that they abided by, usually around bringing death.

 

The sad state of our society today.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 11: Our Society

 

The Frankfurt school was a pile of concentrated feces posing as intellectualism. I actually like the real communists (USSR) better than those Frankfort school a$$holes, and I think the USSR really sucked. As bad of a murderous tyrant as he was, do you think for one second that Stalin would have put up with this woke crap. Nope—off to the gulag with those types. The woke / identity politics crowd should be thankful every day that they live in a Western democracy. The real commies would kill them—literally.

Deep down, they know this. But they’ll never admit it. Why do you think the Frankfort school players immigrated to the USA? If they were Marxists, shouldn’t they have immigrated instead to the USSR?

 

I can't believe I hadn't thought of that already. Great point.

 

Francis Schaeffer discussing the playbook our elite institutions have been running with since 1976. If you don't question the accepted narrative of just about everything, I think you are making a big mistake. We all need to think through carefully what information we are being fed on the news.

How Should We Then Live? Chapter 12: Manipulation and the New Elite

 

Missionaries.