How to Form Virtue and Narrative

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David Frum: If you want to form courage, you form it through story. He says Churchill devoured narratives and stories like Herodotus or the 300 at Thermopylae. As a young man he wrote a novel in 1890 called Sevrolla about an author who uses his powers to defeat an evil dictator. Why was Churchill so quick to intuit Hitler's evil and depravity? Because he'd already written out this script for what he was going to do," Frum asks.

In this podcast, David and Curtis return from trips around the world to give us a philosophical insight on courage. From Churchill to Lord of The Rings, stories of virtue can influence our own actions when tests cross our paths. They talk about the power of narratives and how they can build moral courage and character. Both dig into their past to bring up personal models of strength that have influenced who they are today. They wrap up with a critical look at political institutions under this moral framework.

SHOW NOTES:

-There’s a Question My Confederate Ancestors Taught Me To Ask by David French. In this April 26, 2020 Dispatch article, David writes about the incredibly powerful pull of tribe over truth.

-After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory by Alasdair MacIntyre: Alasdair MacIntyre examines the historical and conceptual roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in personal and public life, and offers a tentative proposal for its recovery.

-The Literary Churchill: Author, Reader, Actor by Jonathan Rose: Rose examines Churchill’s careers as statesman and author, revealing the profound influence of literature and theater on Churchill’s personal, carefully composed grand story and on the decisions he made throughout his political life.

-Curtis’s account of Churchill's book "Savrola" is taken from Gideon Haigh’s 2014 Sydney Morning Herald article, “Winston Churchill's literary and theatrical influences” and his account of Nuremberg can be found at Nuremberg as the "City of Nazi Party Rallies."

-A Hidden Life: Written and directed by Terrence Malick, this film depicts the true story of an Austrian farmer facing execution for refusing to fight for the Nazis during World War II.