5 Comments

Taylor AND the Bard - let's have both!

Expand full comment

Steven Schwartz, as someone who admired the Great Books program on offer at the University of Chicago (not sure if it continues), while Taylor Swift is a deft lyricist (if not up to the standard of say, Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan), it seems crazy to abandon Shakespearian foundation stones in favour of these more recent additions to the pantheon. And not only Shakespeare, but the talented poets and writers that have flourished in following centuries.

If anything, I'd want to look further back than Shakespeare - the Greek authors come to mind!

As a first year university student (in NZ), I spent one summer break working my way through the 'great books', not only English, but also French, German, Russian, American, and so on. Not sure I achieved that goal 100%, but I did enjoy my dip in a world of thought and feeling in the form of excellent writing, accumulating in the past that assists in making sense of the present.

Expand full comment

We are in the midst of an all-encompassing Metacrisis situation which is word used by Jonathan Rowson and those associateid with him. Search Jonathan Rowson/metcrisis and check out his Joyous Struggle substack. And his association with Perspectiva.

This essay by Steven doesn't come anywhere near addressing this Metacrisis situation. And the fact that every possible point of view on every possible topic is now freely available on the internet. Again, merely studying the so called Great Books of the Western Tradition doesn't come anywhere near to equipping anyone with the tools for understanding the now-time situation in 2024. Nor does or can attempts to revive so called Classical Education. Especially as universities have for a long time now been left-brained mind factories.

Iain McGilchrist describes the situation in his magnum opus The Master & His Emissary. -The Left Brain & The Making of the Western World. He also attempts to potential ways out of or transcending the spirit-killing left brained paradigm in his book The Matter With Things.

At another very gross level much/most of the now everywhere shouting match which has degraded the religious, cultural and political sphere's is driven by very toxic social media. - blatant lies and mis-information being the "order" of the day.

Needless to say a certain US Orange Haired (Maga) cult leader specializes in and is a leading-edge exponent of such. He is of course a religiously and culturally illiterate nihilistic barbarian. And a life-long grifter/conman and pathological liar.

Which is quite interesting because most/all of Steven's comrades at Quadrant think that he is a beaut bonza chap and that he is going to make a positive different to the future of the US.

Expand full comment

What a load of senseless, discriminatory, and divisive drivel.

Expand full comment

Why?

Expand full comment