On the Religious Foundation of Society

Freud’s “Future of an Illusion” is not usually treated as a seminal work of political philosophy. It is usually treated as a text which raises questions concerning God’s existence. However, his theory concerning the origin of humankind’s ideas of God are closely intertwined with his theory of the origin of society. Further, his ideas concerning…

Joseph de Maistre: On Suffering and Sacrifice

In his book titled St. Petersburg Dialogues, the Roman Catholic philosopher and stark defendant of the Roman Church in the age of the Enlightenment, Joseph de Maistre, sets out to explain and provide answers to the age-old complaint concerning “the happiness of the wicked and the misfortune of the just.”[1] This complaint, which is raised either to God…