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Culture

War and Peace is rooted in Tolstoy’s longing for the infinite and universal. Yet, it reveals our need to focus on the concrete and mundane.
("The Battle of Austerlitz" by François Gérard, 1810)
Culture Essays 

History Isn’t Made by Great Men

August 12, 2021December 27, 2021 14 min read Henriikka Hannula Essential Reading, History, Literature

War and Peace is rooted in Tolstoy’s longing for the infinite and universal. Yet, it reveals our need to focus on the concrete and mundane.

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Garry Gergich is the true Stoic on Parks and Rec, exemplifying Stoicism.
Parks and Rec expounds a great deal upon the teachings of Stoicism, but it is Garry Gergich—not Ron Swanson—who embodies the Stoic ideals. (Image: NBC)
Culture Essays 

Garry Gergich the Stoic

June 28, 2021January 1, 2022 15 min read Matthew Downhour Ancient Wisdom, Friendship, Stoicism

Parks and Rec expounds a great deal upon the teachings of Stoicism, but it is Garry Gergich—not Ron Swanson—who embodies the Stoic ideals.

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Sacred Consecrated Spaces Waiting Rooms Places Erraticus
(Martin Lostak)
Culture Essays 

Consecrated Waiting Rooms

April 19, 2021December 27, 2021 12 min read Derek Parsons Architecture, Emotional Well-being, Essential Reading

Whether we are religious or claim no sense of the spiritual, sacred spaces help us to better confront the transient nature of existence.

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Letters to You Melanie Han Erraticus Korean American Identity
(Jeffrey Howard)
Culture Essays 

Letters to You

May 7, 2020May 19, 2021 8 min read Melanie Han Family, Identity, Racism

In this epistolary, Melanie Han reflects on her experiences with racism, intergenerational family dynamics, and tensions surrounding identity.

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Existentialism in Children's Film Erraticus Jean-Paul Sartre Batman Begins Lego Movie Babe
(Jeffrey Howard)
Culture Essays 

Existentialism in Children’s Film

May 6, 2020April 28, 2021 12 min read Matthew Downhour Essential Reading, Existentialism, Film

Children’s films tend to emphasize the role of destiny or chance, but existential themes can be found in a few that highlight the importance of agency and defining the meaning of one’s own life.

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Hope in the time of corona COVID-19 Melanie Han Erraticus
(Lei Jiang)
Culture Essays 

‘Corona, Corona’: In the Cycle of Grief

April 23, 2020May 19, 2021 14 min read Melanie Han Emotions, Family, Racism, Travel

Finding herself abroad during the early days of corona, a traveler recounts the uncertainties and grief that followed her home.

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A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas

An online publication focused on human flourishing, taking a pragmatic approach to ideas. We care about ideas that help us to live well together, focusing on their practical consequences.

 

“Pragmatism, on the other hand, asks its usual question. ‘Grant an idea or belief to be true,’ it says, ‘what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone’s actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth’s cash-value in experiential terms?'” — William James

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