According to the evolutionary thesis of progress, capitalism not only represented progress compared to feudalism but also marked the revolutionary victory of the bourgeoisie over the landowning aristocracy. We argue that the image of a capitalist system triumphant due to the overthrow of the aristocracy by the progressive bourgeoisie is false. In...
The concept most strongly associated with our modern world is the idea of progress. Throughout history, not everyone has believed in this notion.
The worst thing that happened to Thomas Aquinas during his career was not his death on March 7, 1274, at the age of just 49, even though he was so obese that the monks could barely carry his body down the stairs. Nor was it the list of heretical doctrines issued three years after his death, which included twenty of...
Everything we eat is a matter of power. The hungry person feels a void within, and they conquer it by eating well. There are groups of people who view the hungriest among them as their leader. As long as he can eat his fill, they are assured that they won't suffer from hunger either. This clearly shows the connection between...
People in high positions are servants three times over: servants of the prince or the state; servants of fame; and servants of their duties. Thus, they are not free—neither in their person, nor in their actions, nor in their time. It is a strange desire that drives one to gain power and lose freedom—specifically, to gain power over others and...
I cannot find a better word for wealth than the burden of virtue. It cannot be neglected or left behind, yet it hinders progress and is a burden that sometimes delays or even prevents victory. Great wealth has no real benefit except for what is distributed from it; the rest is mere vanity. No one can feel truly rich from...
The idea of God in Western philosophies can be traced back to two historical roots: the Bible and Greek philosophy.
How was the Chinese people able to survive political catastrophes and not be submerged by them? What is this racial strength, this ability to absorb foreign blood? The so-called racial strength and vitality are partly constitutional and partly cultural in nature.