History
History, Politics & Rights
“Gifts from Heaven”: The Meaning of the American Victory over Japan, 1945
John David Lewis November 20, 2007
Identifies the ideology of sacrifice behind the Japanese aggression that culminated in World War II; documents America’s recognition of this ideology as the fundamental cause of the Japanese assault on the West; explains how America targeted, dismantled, and discredited this ideology, replacing it with the ideas, values, and institutions necessary for the establishment of a free society; and defends America’s use of the atomic bomb as a profoundly moral way to end the war.
Economics, History
The Morality of Moneylending: A Short History
Yaron Brook August 20, 2007
Presents an essentialized history of usury, showing that, just as moneylenders are being damned and blamed for today's "sub-prime mortgage crisis," so they have been condemned and castigated for alleged wrongdoing from the beginning of Western civilization. Brook zeros in on the economic and moral premises that give rise to contempt for this profession; he identifies the moral-practical dichotomy inherent in these ideas; and he discusses a unified set of principles that must be understood and embraced if moneylending is to be seen as the noble business that it actually is.
History, Politics & Rights
“The Balm for a Guilty Conscience”: Moral Paralysis, Appeasement, and the Causes of World War II
John David Lewis May 20, 2007
Shows how altruism and egalitarianism—combined with guilt caused by these same factors in regard to World War I—led to British appeasement and compromise in the late 1930s, which, in turn, enabled the rise of Nazi Germany and necessitated World War II.
History, Philosophy
The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greek Justice: Homer to the Sermon on the Mount
Robert Mayhew February 20, 2007
Surveys the ancient Greek conception of justice and shows how this relatively healthy idea is later twisted into utter malignancy by Christianity.
History, Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Letter from TOS Reader Burgess Laughlin
TOS Admin January 9, 2007
To the Editor: Various TOS articles by Dr. John Lewis have helped me identify the essential nature of the current "War on Terrorism." One shouldn't be surprised that an entity's actions follow from the entity's nature. As a political entity, the USA is a welfare state. It is taking various…
History, Philosophy, Politics & Rights
“No Substitute for Victory”: The Defeat of Islamic Totalitarianism
John David Lewis November 20, 2006
Consults historical precedent to evaluate America’s response to the attacks of 9/11. Considering key historical attacks against America, along with her responses to those attacks, Lewis highlights the moral and practical issues involved, and draws vital lessons that Americans must grasp and apply in the current war—if we want to win it.
History, Philosophy
The Tragedy of Theology: How Religion Caused and Extended the Dark Ages
Andrew Bernstein November 20, 2006
Critiques Rodney Stark’s best-selling book The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success. Bernstein’s analysis proves Stark’s thesis to be historically false and philosophically impossible. The fundamental factor that led to freedom, capitalism, and Western success, Bernstein shows, was not the Christian, scripture-based approach of applying “reason” to the goal of understanding “super-nature,” but rather the Aristotelian, observation-based method of applying reason to the goal of understanding actual nature.
History, Politics & Rights
Why I Will Not Vote for Any Republican
John David Lewis October 29, 2006
In the upcoming election, I will not vote for any Republican. My reasons are based on those offered by philosopher Leonard Peikoff, and I agree with him completely. A straight Democratic vote in this election is the only rational choice I can make. I would not, however, vote Republican today…
History, Reviews
Solon the Thinker: Political Thought in Archaic Athens
TOS Admin September 28, 2006
A new book, Solon the Thinker: Political Thought in Archaic Athens (London: Duckworth, 2006) deals with the poetry of perhaps the earliest political thinker in history, Solon of Athens. Selected as Chief Official in Athens in 594 BC, he is often credited with laying the groundwork for the political constitution…
History, Politics & Rights
A Talk by Dr. John Lewis
TOS Admin September 19, 2006
When: Wednesday, September 20, 2006, 7:30pm–10pm Where: New York University, Kimmel Center, Room 914, 60 Washington Square South NY, NY 10012 Five years after Manhattan was viciously attacked by Islamic holy warriors, the world is still held hostage to their rants and their bombs. Iraq is in turmoil, Syria is…