Nature and the Nation

In this episode, we look at Why Liberalism Failed by Patrick Deneen. In particular, we examine Deneen's claim that fundamental to liberalism is a rejection of the constraints imposed upon us by nature, and the attempt to overcome those constraints through science, technology, and the destruction of culture's symbiosis with nature. We also examine Deneen's ideas about what comes after liberalism.more at www.neofusionist.com

In 'The Virtue of Nationalism' Yoram Hazony describes the benefits of a political order based on a multiplicity of nation-states. This order is compared to the state of anarchy and the imperial drive toward conquest. We look at those components of Hazony's theory that most closely support a philosophically naturalistic approach to nationalism.more at www.neofusionist.com

Edited by Joseph Scotchie, The Paleoconservatives: A New Voice for the Old Right is a collection of essays that explores many aspects of paleoconservatism, as envisioned by writers from both the old right era and the 1990s paleoconservative revival. I discuss Russell Kirk's essay on traditionalism, William Hawkins on protectionism, Clyde Wilson on populism, and Sam Francis on nationalism.more at www.neofusionist.com

In this episode we look deeper into the political environment of the first half of the 20th century, from the populist movement to the start of the Cold War, through Bill Kauffman's book, America First! Its History, Culture, and Politics. We look at such figures as Amos Pinchot, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, and Jack Kerouac. We look at the politicians of that era and dip into what it means to be an American.More at www.neofusionist.com

In this episode I explore Tucker Carlson's best-selling book, 'Ship of Fools.' Carlson lays out the case that the American elites have been completely derelict in their management of the nation. I pay particular attention to the rending of our social fabric by infatuation with multiculturalism at the expense of cultural integrity.More at www.neofusionist.com

In this episode I look toward the thinkers of the pre-WWII American right wing, commonly referred to as the Old Right, and the usurpation of the conservative movement by successive waves of neoconservatives. Raimondo weighs the prospects of the libertarians and paleoconservatives, and explores the notion of a new fusionism between the two. I contrast this with my own vision of neofusionism.More at www.neofusionist.com

In this episode I look at the origins of the concept of fusionism, from which neofusionism takes its cue. In 'In Defense of Freedom and Related Essays' Frank Meyer lays out the 1960s fusionist vision of merging libertarianism with traditionalism to create what we now call conservatism. I examine the relation between freedom, reason, virtue, and tradition, as well as the associated different roles of the state and the culture in maintaining a society that is both free and virtuous.More at www.neofusionist.com

In this episode I dive into Richard Weaver's vast array of essays contained in the collection 'In Defense of Tradition.' Weaver covers such topics as dialectic vs rhetoric, the existence of human nature, and the effect of technology on the human condition.More at www.neofusionist.com

In this episode I examine the fundamental principles of Heidegger's existentialism, seeking the ways in which he describes Being from the experiential perspective of dasein, or the human being. This examination explores thrownness and facticity, and the striving toward authenticity that we can utilize in building a naturalistic foundation for paleoconservatism.More at www.neofusionist.om

In this episode I look at the conflict between modernity and tradition from a pre-Christian, spriritually Traditionalist perspective in Julius Evola's Revolt Against the Modern World. I explore how we can look at time cyclically, and embrace the past though the notion of home. I begin to explore the similarities between ancient pagan thought and modern conservatism.More at neofusionist.com