Thinking ... A Revolution In Process

In the current time we have a great crisis in thinking. People are not doing enough of it and they are not doing it at all rigorously. If there is anything that annoys more than most things it is the idea that seems to have taken hold that just holding an opinion about something makes you a player. I mean by that term "player" someone with a serious contribution to the discourse. An opinion is worthless unless it is supported or based on something. There is a great example of this in C.S. Lewis's autobiography Surprise by Joy when he encountered The Great Knock for the first time.

For improvements to happen it is essential that we restore:
- Philosophy of Reason
- Individual Responsibility
- Productive Work
- Life-Oriented Values

I stole this list from HERE and while it is focused on the reform of the black community it no less describes what is needed in the community at large.  You can't get there without work and work specifically on thinking so when I was at the Christendom College Summer Institute this past Saturday I ran into the Institute of Catholic Culture which has a wonderful collection of on-line teaching materials.  SEE HERE  Regardless of whether you're a Catholic or not this is a tremendous resource.  They have a long list of audio and video resources:  LIST HERE

I'm currently listening to a series on Chesterton's The Everlasting Man.  But although you could get wonderful insights from the audios and videos here they are incidental to the wider reality which is that we have entered a new age when people can continue their education under their own control with wonderful on-line resources, most of them free.  As I run into particularly interesting examples I'll try to remember to share them with you.