OCTOBER | DECEMBER 2025
BY C. FRED ALFORD
Why is Spinoza experiencing a modern renaissance? In this article, C. Fred Alford explores the philosopher's radical concept of 'God or nature', his Stoic path to inner freedom, and the intricate connection between his ethical and political writings. Alford also asks why Spinoza's ideas on joy, order and human nature continue to fascinate and challenge readers.
DEGREES OF SEPARATION? MACHIAVELLI, ERASMUS, AND MORE
BY MICHAEL JACKSON AND DAMIAN GRACE
Michael Jackson and Damian Grace explore the real-life social network connecting Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas More, and Erasmus, showing they were only a few "degrees of separation" apart. By tracking their mutual friends and travels across Renaissance Europe, the authors reveal how these legendary thinkers were far more linked than history books often suggest. The essay is an essential guide for anyone interested in the hidden history of political philosophy and the famous creators of The Prince and Utopia.
THE ODD INKLING: CHARLES WILLIAMS’ NOVELS
BY JOHN PANTELEIMON MANOUSSAKIS
Often overshadowed by his fellow Inklings, Tolkien and Lewis, Charles Williams is perhaps the most enigmatic of the trio. This essay delves into his "supernatural thrillers," revealing them as profound explorations of Christian mysticism and complex theology. Discover the incantatory magic of Williams' work, where the Holy Grail, doppelgangers, and Platonic Ideas collide with the suburbs of England.
“THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT MADE GLORIOUS SUMMER…”
BY JOHN BELL
A performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in a grand Parisian church leads John Bell to consider the modern world's spiritual recession. Bell argues that the "electronic miasma" of the digital age has fractured our attention, replacing genuine awe with soul-deadening distraction. His essay suggests that resisting this tide, and turning toward the real, is the only way to reclaim the "glorious summer" of a whole, present life.
BY STEVE DAVIDSON
Steve Davidson explores how the natural concentration of talent often creates a powerful elite, risking exploitation and social instability. He argues for the revival of the ancient ideal of the paladin — a modern defender with mental toughness, compassion and wisdom — to champion fairness. In a world where power is becoming increasingly centralised, how can we cultivate this 'paladin mindset' in ourselves and others to ensure justice for all?
FOOTBALL: LOVE AND WAR MINUS THE SHOOTING
BY DAVID COMFORT
David Comfort takes up Orwell's claim that sport is "war minus the shooting," examining the hyper-commercialized spectacle of American football from its Roman military roots to its modern, testosterone-driven status. Combining Freudian and anthropological insights, Comfort exposes the game’s tribal fanaticism and psycho-sexual undertones, ultimately arguing that it serves as a vital emotional outlet for the masses.
"I AM": JEWISH IDENTITY AND WESTERN PERSONHOOD
BY MARK GLOUBERMAN
Mark Glouberman bypasses the usual discourse on culture and creed to locate a deeper, philosophical root for Jewish identity. He argues that the Hebrew Bible's radical contribution wasn't merely monotheism, but the very conception of the autonomous individual—the "I am." This profound insight, Glouberman says, defines the essence of the Jew and simultaneously forms the bedrock of Western personhood itself.
BY PAUL B. DONOVAN
Paul B. Donovan discusses the intense, lifelong romantic and intellectual bond between Martin Heidegger and his student, Hannah Arendt. This controversial relationship endured despite Heidegger's strong Third Reich affiliations, which deeply conflicted with Arendt's status as a Jewish refugee and her groundbreaking work on totalitarianism. Arendt's decision to maintain their friendship and defend his philosophical legacy continues to spark vital scholarly debate about forgiveness, moral failing, and intellectual complicity.
'Raphael and the Domus Aurea: the invention of the grotesques', at Domus Aurea (Golden House) in Rome, built by Nero.
SIX DISCOVERIES THAT REWRITE HUMAN NATURE
BY JOHN V. WYLIE
Are humans naturally aggressive, or are we built for cooperation? This deep dive into six monumental discoveries in genetics, archaeology, and evolutionary psychiatry argues that our core nature is defined by layered social bonds, not brute competition, proving that systematic warfare is a late-stage invention that followed agriculture. Find out how the human drive to seek approval caused an explosion of intelligence, and why mental illnesses like schizophrenia now reveal the secrets of our species' earliest, cooperative design.
CONVERSATIONS
ON THE PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
BY ANDREW MELNYK AND TONY SOBRADO
In this interview, philosopher Andrew Melnyk tackles the 'hard problem of consciousness,' exploring why physical brains produce rich subjective experiences. He discusses the challenges that consciousness poses to physicalism and examines competing theories like property dualism and representationalism. Melnyk explains his own position, suggesting that phenomenal experiences are a specific kind of representational property of our neural states.
POLITICS
AMERICA TODAY: “MY OPINION, RIGHT OR WRONG”
BY JOHN BELL
'Right or wrong, it's my opinion!'—this fierce certainty, fueled by social media's abstracting power, is ripping America's political fabric apart. Forget nuanced debate; today's discourse traps us in echo chambers, where challenging our pre-set views feels impossible. Discover how this retreat from complex realities denies the vital "coincidence of opposites" essential for a unified nation.
BY JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER
In "Europe's Bleak Future," international relations scholar John J. Mearsheimer argues that the continent's stability is collapsing, and the West is primarily to blame for this outcome. He claims that America and its allies started the Ukraine war by constantly trying to expand NATO, and this costly conflict is now convincing the U.S. to pull its military focus away from Europe and toward competing with China. This shift is set to destroy NATO, removing the "American pacifier" that has kept the peace, and leaving Europe vulnerable to a chaotic and dangerous future.
THE ETERNAL HUBRIS AND NEMESIS OF PELOPONNESIAN WAR
BY TSONCHO TSONCHEV
Is international conflict an eternal error, merely poised for endless repetition? By dissecting Thucydides' account of the Peloponnesian War, this essay reveals how the escalating power struggles and broken treaties of ancient Athens and Sparta are perfectly mirrored in conflicts like today's war in Ukraine. This story of hubris and nemesis offers simple yet profound lessons on why powerful countries always seem to make the same destructive mistakes.
BY MARTIN SHUSTER
Christian White Nationalism has moved from the political shadows to become the main engine driving American policy today. The movement fuses faith with race to treat political power as a divine right that sits above democratic rules. This shift explains why traditional political arguments fail to reach a group that views its struggle as a sacred battle.
FAUST IS THE LAST TO KNOW THE DEVIL
BY ED SIMON
In 'Faust is the Last to Know the Devil,' Ed Simon uses the Faustian bargain as a metaphor for the political climate of the Trump era, arguing that many have sacrificed their principles for power. He introduces the concept of the 'Faustocene' to describe an age of immoral compromises, not just in politics, but in response to global issues like climate change. Ultimately, Simon suggests that recognizing the Faustian nature of current politics is key to resisting its dangers.
BOOKS AND REVIEWS
The Image of Christ Not Made by Hands. A fresco from the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena in Ohrid, Macedonia. Dating from the late 14th to early 15th century.
REBECCA WEST AND THE LOST WORLD OF YUGOSLAVIA
BY MARK C. JENSEN
Mark C. Jensen takes a fresh look at Rebecca West’s monumental 1941 work, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, an obsessive, thousand-page account of her travels through the volatile world of interwar Yugoslavia. West's fierce political and moral intelligence saw in the Balkans not just an exotic landscape, but a proving ground where she diagnosed the fatal, fin de siècle flaw of Western liberalism. Jensen shows how this travelogue transformed into a powerful, urgent prophecy about the choice between resistance and self-sacrificing martyrdom.
“THE PERFECT AS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD”
BY MICHAEL K. LAUNER
In this review, Michael K. Launer discusses two recent books on nuclear disarmament, exploring the difficult history of nuclear control from the end of the Cold War to Ukraine's disarmament, and showing how the pursuit of ideal, perfect solutions often undermines smaller, more achievable progress in international relations.
DOING GOOD FACE-TO-FACE OR THROUGH PHILANTHROPY?
BY ISAAC GETZ AND LAURENT MARBACHER
Do we give to far-off, global causes while ignoring the person in need right in front of us? In their book, The Caring Company, Isaac Getz and Laurent Marbacher argue that genuine care is most powerful when it happens through the face-to-face connections we share with our neighbors and colleagues. They challenge leaders to rethink charity by focusing on the well-being of the real people who make our businesses and communities run every day.
POEMS & ESSAYS
BY PETER AUSTIN
In this collection of poems, Peter Austin looks at the messy, real-life romances of famous figures like Elizabeth Taylor and Dylan Thomas. These sonnets focus on the drama and heartbreak that happened behind the scenes, from public brawls to private tragedies. Using a clear, rhyming style, Austin gives us a moving look at the people behind these well-known names.
BY ZEV SHANKEN
Zev Shanken captures the life of a father who carried the scars of WWII bombing missions into his later life as a rabbi and human rights activist. These poems connect major historical moments to intimate memories, like a spinning neon horse at a gas station that becomes a private landmark of childhood. It is a plain look at the stories our parents leave us and how we carry them through our own lives.
BY JIM TILLEY
LAWRENCE HART: THE ACTIVIST SCHOOL OF POETRY
BY JOHN HART
MONTREAL REVIEW CONTRIBUTOR'S ESSAY COLLECTION HONORED
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