The very excellent Noël has kindly made available two new articles that he has written for non-English language journals. Noël is also a contributor to the Companion. a companion to michael oakeshottcivil associationLiberal educationMichael Oakeshottnoel o’sullivan
Here are more extracts from Noel Malcolm’s essay for the Oakeshott Companion: Malcolm’s recent work has been listed as one of The Economist books of the year. Oakeshott’s essay on “Rationalism in Politics” does make some attempt to locate the birth of rationalism historically. He observes that “the moment when it shows itself unmistakably” is in…
Here are some extracts from my co-editor Paul’s essay. Toward the end of his essay on “The Universities,” Oakeshott returns once more to the issue of specialization, this time in a less polemical, more thoughtful manner. Though he believes that Moberly has exaggerated the problem, he nevertheless acknowledges that the disintegration of the world of…
Excerpts from Corey Abel’s essay on aesthetics Commentators agree that “The Voice of Poetry” is important but disagree on whether Oakeshott wrote a theory of aesthetics. Most think “The Voice of Poetry” establishes poetry’s distinction from practice, as it does, forcefully. But in his remarks on childhood, friendship, and love, Oakeshott seems to rejoin poetry…
The Penn State Companion will have its official launch as part of a colloquium sponsored by The Alexander Hamilton Institute and Colgate’s Center for Freedom & Western Civilization. The colloquium format will be Liberty-style except that there will be an audience. For those able to attend, you will be most welcome. The dates: Thur, April…
Snippets from Elizabeth Corey’s essay: Perhaps what is most notable about the Tower of Babel myth, in both of Oakeshott’s essays, is the perfectionism inherent in the story. Whether one wants to contribute to a great and noble cause or to change the world through human action, pride and overestimation lie at the center of…
Here are some deep excerpts (the fifth in the series) from the dean of Oakeshott studies, Tim Fuller. In short, the practical life is constituted in efforts to alter our existence as we currently understand it or to ward off alterations that threaten what we at present take to be satisfactory. Initiating change or defending against…
Here is the programme of the Oakeshott memorial compiled by Tim Fuller and given to me by Ken Minogue. Since Oakeshott was born and died in December, this is the first posting of the month. Michael OakeshottOakeshott
Here are some extracts by the man who first set me on the road to Oakeshott some twenty years ago – Geoff Thomas. Geoff has a philosophy of history book coming out soon – and I can tell you it’s a cracker. What Oakeshott said about history—his canonical philosophical view about the nature of historical inquiry—can…
This is the first in series of extracts that caught my eye while rereading the Companion. The following is from Bob Grant’s chapter The Pursuit of Intimacy, or Rationalism in Love: But Michael was the least materialist, or materialistic, of men. He always believed in the “otherworld” and also that, like Kant’s realm of freedom, it…
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