Many people associate the virtue of temperance with the control of one’s appetite. A temperate person does not eat or drink in excess. This perception is undoubtedly true but temperance involves much more. Temperance involves the control of one’s appetites, sentiments, passions and instincts according to light of reason. It is the virtue that keeps … Read more
Excerpt from the talk, “Wisdom: The Foundation of an Organic Christian Society” given by John Horvat II at the 2013 TFP National Conference on October 26, 2013 As I said before, wisdom is to know the highest cause. I like very much the explanation of wisdom of German philosopher Josef Pieper. He says: “To know … Read more
By Haven Bradford Gow. In his work Return to Order, Catholic scholar John Horvat II provides a critique of the atomistic individualism that ruptures the social bonds that make civilized social life possible; he says this destructive kind of individualism sets forth “a philosophy of life that declares self-preservation and its corollary self-interest to be … Read more
Members of today’s families are more isolated than ever before. The reason is not because of large distances between them. Rather new technology makes this isolation possible. Ironically, we adopt new technologies to save time and effort. Indeed our new devices are faster and more efficient. However, they are also more demanding; they consume more … Read more
It was not by chance that the Middle Ages was the first civilization in history to abolish slavery. Nor was it by chance that the Church ennobled and facilitated manual labor to the point that the Benedictine Order claimed prayer and work were complementary. There was a reason why this happened. As Lynn White explains: … Read more
Some time ago, I received a very kind letter from a mother of eight who found a novel way to apply the principles of Return to Order. She suggested a study of the Book of Proverbs from the Bible as “Step One in Implementing Return to Order in Your Life.” It is a very interesting … Read more
There are certain things that each of us can do personally to return to order. Our core denunciation is that of a reckless spirit of frenetic intemperance which is constantly throwing our economy out of balance by seeking to be rid of restraints and gratify disordered passions. We have likened this spirit to that of … Read more
So often it is heard that the public good is obtained when men look after their own interests. While there might be some degree of truth in the idea, the real change was one of focus. The modern view shifted the whole perception of the public good. It is no longer an end but merely … Read more
A very tragic aspect of modern life is the decline of music as a popular art form. We are not saying that there is a lack of music. There is certainly plenty of music in all of its many forms, whether it be classical, country or rock. We are not referring to the pop music … Read more
“This is a timely and important book as our nation faces one of the most critical challenges in its history. Overcoming the economic disaster America is facing cannot be solved simply through economic policy. Americans and their leaders must put in place policy that will restore values, work ethics, and, as the author points out … Read more
