"Liberty, or the Lawn Chair"

The American Film Institute recently released their list of the 100 greatest films.  A subjective exercise, to be sure.

Edward Cline took note of the list, and penned a guest editorial which is posted at The Dougout.

The title of Cline’s editorial is Rick vs. The Godfather, and it is well worth a read.

A philosophy that remains uneradicated, or is left submerged but intact, will resurrect itself, and take unexpected forms of expression. This is true of a rational philosophy as well of an irrational one. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, reason all but vanished from men’s lives as a norm. It began to rise again a thousand years later during the Renaissance. In the ensuing Enlightenment it gradually displaced faith and other forms of irrationality as a philosophical guide for living on earth.

But not entirely. Irrationality in its many forms remained on the periphery of especially 19th century Western culture and its political and intellectual life. It received a boost of energy to re-insinuate itself into men’s thinking and lives and policies because reason had no consistent advocates and defenders. The irrational gained more and more ground in Western culture in the 20th century and has certainly infected the 21st.

Read the whole thing.

Posted by on 06/27 at 05:56 AM

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