One of the problems of modern economy is that it often ignores the fact that economy should be an authentic expression of the culture of a people. Lose that element and something of the heart and soul of economy is lost. When there is a close interrelationship between producers, inhabitants, and the locality, an economy … Read more
Excerpt from the talk, “Representative Characters:Our Hope for Reestablishing Order in Society” given by Michael Whitcraft at the 2013 TFP National Conference on October 27, 2013 Where these things are best symbolized is in people. When a person truly embodies these virtues, ideals and principles, he becomes a man-symbol who represents society’s best aspects. He … Read more
To call someone a dreamer is the equivalent of saying “get your head out of the clouds.” Those guilty of such treatment deny an essential aspect of human nature: all men have a tendency to dream. This propensity encompasses every aspect of our daily lives and is ultimately a desire for a world that is … Read more
Historians like to point out that the Renaissance was a period of great growth and development. It was a “rebirth” that took Europe out of the backward darkness of the Middle Ages. Such a vision of the Middle Ages does not correspond to reality – at least from an economic perspective. The Middle Ages was … Read more
How many times have you seen products being promoted as “local” and yet it seems just as industrial as any other product? The label “local” has become just another marketing tool to sell you more. Some people define local rather arbitrarily as products within a fifty or sixty-mile radius from where they live. What really … Read more
The book, Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society—Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go, criticizes the mass standardization of products by claiming it tends to sacrifice quality and taste for a rough equivalent. This leads to mass markets and bland products. Sometimes a … Read more
Throughout the history of modern economy from the late eighteenth century onward, we find the mad rush to throw off legitimate restraints and gratify passions which we call frenetic intemperance. This frenetic intemperance is so prevalent that a whole literature arose which describes this “irrational exuberance” in all sorts of dramatic words and expressions. Charles … Read more
By Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza The following article was taken from the keynote speech delivered by Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza on October 27 at the American TFP’s 2013 National Conference in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. The theme of the event was centered around the book, Return to Order. The book, Return to Order, tells us that … Read more
So many of the things we take for granted had their origins not only in the Middle Ages but from the early Middle Ages. One of the most important developments was the development of protections against cold and inclement weather. Joel Mokyr reports that, “European society learned gradually to protect itself better from cold temperatures, … Read more
If there is any common experience where one feels the inhuman aspect of modern economy, it is the ubiquitous phone messaging systems. There is nothing more frustrating than having a concrete problem that need resolving only to have a mechanical voice list the options that do not correspond to your needs. I had this happen … Read more
