thoughts in and out of season
James Kalb How rational is morality? Are fact and value separate affairs, with modern natural science final authority for one and personal choice for the other? Or are they inseparable aspects of a single complex world that must be understood as such?
Modern understandings of man, the world, politics and morality tend to separate fact and … More ...
The relation of religion and politics has long been a contentious issue in the West. Particularly in America, the dominant view has come to be that religion has no place in public life and should be kept strictly private. That view is extremely unusual historically, far from unanimously held in the world at large, … More ...
This page presents materials I accumulated that are related in one way or another to traditionalist conservatism, an outlook described in my Conservatism FAQ and developed in the materials on this site. If you want, there is a spoken introduction to the issues (requiring RealPlayer).
The collection … More ...
Sex is a more contentious topic than ever. The view easiest to articulate in the language of public discussion today is that the only appropriate public standards are that it should be consensual and precautions should be taken to avoid disease and unwanted pregnancy; everything else is a matter of individual choice that others should … More ...
Social policies promoting inclusiveness have great moral prestige and enjoy powerful political support, Nonetheless, some people oppose them. These questions and answers are intended to present reasons for opposition in a way that depends less on economic considerations than the usual libertarian arguments against coerced association. They concentrate instead on the social and cultural … More ...
Welcome to the Culture Wars page!
We present this page, including discussion and resources, in hopes of helping clarify issues in a battle that often seems confused.
The issues presented here can be discussed in our forum. Your participation is welcome. You can also email the author, Jim Kalb, or add a … More ...
This is the February 1, 2005 revision of a summary of questions and objections regarding conservatism. Additional questions and comments are welcome. The conservatism discussed is traditionalist American conservatism. Other varieties are touched on in section 6, and their adherents are urged to draft additional FAQs. For further discussion and relevant links, see the Traditionalist … More ...
Welcome to the Anti-Feminist Page!
“Women’s issues” are so contentious and so difficult to discuss today in a way that takes actual belief and experience into account that it often seems easier to avoid them. Nonetheless, they are basic to the lives of all of us, so open discussion is necessary and we hope … More ...
John Dewey (1859-1952) remains an extremely influential thinker whose thought sums up important trends in American life. Many oppose his thought and the trends it favors. He wrote a huge amount (his collected works run to 37 volumes) and frequently expressed himself unclearly or outright contradicted himself. Perhaps as a consequence, too many … More ...
A lawyer with mainstream liberal views on the Establishment Clause sent me a note taking issue with some of my comments on my page on the Establishment of Religion and I responded. Here’s an edited version of the exchange:
… More ...Liberal Lawyer: How can you justify the assertion that liberalism is implicitly totalitarian? A society