Ecclesia et Civitas

Lenten Thoughts on Politics

April 2, 2019 James Kalb 11

Lent is a time of retreat and reflection. That can mean very different things for different people at different times in their lives. But it always means stepping back from daily preoccupations and looking at […]

Columns

Can We Turn Back the Clock?

March 19, 2019 James Kalb 9

Recently I’ve been complaining about technocratic society. I’ve also emphasized how deeply rooted its problems are. But if I’m right on the latter point, what good does complaining do? Can we really repeal the modern […]

Columns

Technology or Tradition?

December 6, 2018 James Kalb 1

In the last couple of months I’ve discussed problems arising from over-reliance on technological ways of thinking, and suggested that our response as Catholics should emphasize things that such ways of thinking leave out—the Faith, […]

Columns

Overcoming the Rule of Technology

November 20, 2018 James Kalb 6

In my previous column I discussed the modern tendency to identify rationality with observation, measurement, and technically-rational organization, all designed to achieve the goals of the actor. That is the technological approach to reason that’s […]

Columns

The Conundrum of Progressivism

September 30, 2018 James Kalb 8

Progressivism, the view that modern political tendencies should continually be extended, has deep roots. Its beginnings are closely connected to the rise of modern natural science, which rejects the contemplative ideal of knowledge in favor […]

Columns

Political Life and the Church

September 26, 2018 James Kalb 4

The relation between the Church and political life depends on her position in society generally. In the best situation, Catholicism would be generally recognized as a guide to action and belief, and that situation would […]

Columns

The ABC of Liberal Failure

July 1, 2018 James Kalb 6

Patrick J. Deneen’s much-discussed book rightly points out that liberalism comes down to an individualism and subjectivism that divorce us from nature and make each of […]