Category: Essays

Modernism: Creation Through the Eyes of Apostate Men

February 26, 2025

Modernism is best understood through comparison with its two predecessors, Romanticism and Neoclassicism. The Neoclassical era began in the 18th century and emphasized the importance of the Greco-Roman ideals of logic and order, combined with the proper decorum of Europe and the Renaissance’s idea of effortlessness, i.e., sprezzatura. But by the 19th century, the Neoclassical … More Modernism: Creation Through the Eyes of Apostate Men

The German Kulturkampf

February 6, 2025

In short, the German Kulturkamp of the 1870s was a cultural schism between the Catholic Church and the State within the Prussian-dominated territories in Western Europe. With the rise of nationalism and imperialism across the West, nations looked skeptically towards foreign influences. To Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, arguably the most powerful man in Prussia, the … More The German Kulturkampf

A Place for Mark Twain

February 4, 2025

A Place for Twain After going through multiple of Mark Twain’s stories for Dr. Gary North’s English class, I have discovered where Twain lies in the catalogue of American authors and whether there is a place for his humorous writings or not. Surely the vast majority of literate Americans—which, in fairness, are far and few … More A Place for Mark Twain

German Unification

January 30, 2025

If anything, it was the idea of personal superiority that consumed Prussian thought during the late-19th century, and Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) was the foremost follower of Prussian nationalism. Throughout his political career, all of his actions seemed to stem from a universal hatred of all things Austrian and a personal belief that Prussia stood … More German Unification

Italian Unification

January 30, 2025

Italian Unification With a revolutionary fervor spreading across Western Europe in 1848, the Italian states found themselves in a precarious situation. All of the Western powers had hoped to retain centralized control around the monarchies through the Congress of Vienna, but the West’s impassioned voices could not be silenced.  During this period, Guiseppe Mazzini gained … More Italian Unification

Lincoln Mastered the Sound of the King James Bible

January 28, 2025

Despite its short brevity, the Gettysburg Address has come down as one of the most influential speeches given in American history. It was only three paragraphs long, but it became the North’s creed for the rest of the Civil War. Today, selections from that creed are still remembered and exonerated as the mission statement of … More Lincoln Mastered the Sound of the King James Bible

Shattering Marxism

January 22, 2025

If the capitalist West wishes to vanquish any legacy of Karl Marx, it must attack the foundation he built on. If his underlying assumptions are thwarted, the entire socialist dogma will crumble. But that will only happen if socialism is recognized as not only impractical but also deeply immoral and if its foundation is shattered.  … More Shattering Marxism

The Revolutions of 1848

January 2, 2025

France With the dawn of Louis Philippe’s reign, France would go on to experience economic prosperity unseen since the days before the French Revolution. However, the citizens were still fervently waiting for governmental reform, and the revolutionary spirit still gripped the nation tightly.  While Louis Philippe’s moderate rule may have appeased Americans, the revolution-struck French … More The Revolutions of 1848