St. Benedicts Needed? MacIntyre and the New Dark Ages (After Virtue, 9, Conclusions)

In this conclusion to the series on Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue I think about the significance of MacIntyr'e's views on modern liberalism/capitalism (neoliberalism) and his ideas for the elements of stronger community. MacIntyre argues that we have entered a new Dark Ages without recognizing it, and that we need new, and probably very different, St. Benedicts to create ways of life to rebuild and preserve community in difficult times. The new Dark Age, as MacIntyre sees it, is a product of the amoral hyper-bureaucratization, technical rationality and fragmented responsibility characteristic of our times. After Virtue does not have all the answers about how to get past these problems, but his views on the elements involved in stronger community are definitely a start.

I am Professor of Political Science/Political Philosophy at Kansas State University, and the author of seven books, including the latest, Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right: The Political Thought of Carl Jung (2019). Much of my work has revolved around a critique of neoliberalism as corrosive to community, honor and moral obligation, humane economics and environmental health. The task, as I see it, is to re-invent community in the modern context to withstand the challenges we are facing now and in the future.

[hannalin]

I'm from Taiwan and I find the way you expound After Virtue very illuminating and even encouraging. I just want to leave a message to say thank you!

[petergelman]

Another helpful lecture — thank you for all your hard work.

[wilkiebunkers]

Excellent thoughts and input. Thanks for sharing it!

[robertflury]

I've decided I like the new look. I wasn't sure at first if your background wasn't a little busy but it's grown on me.

Over all your stuff has been looking much better. Great way to go into the next current year.

[andydavis]

Wow, a grand slam home run lecture! Very helpful!!

[MindbodyMedic]

“What if some future historian is scandalized at the fact that in order to get into Yale a hundred years ago you had to know Greek and Latin. If you look at what those gentlemen C students had to study, or were responsible for, in say, 1925, it’s extraordinary. It’s not very impressive in the sciences, but the decline of the humanities, if by decline we mean things like knowledge of classical literature, is stunning.

Somebody may decide in a few hundred years that the Dark Ages began in about 1950. And that those pathetic people in, say, 2011 impressed with their little technological toys, nonetheless didn’t know anything. Now I don’t actually believe that. There are some people who do. There’s a philosopher at Notre Dame named Alasdair MacIntyre who really believes that the Dark Ages began a long time ago, and we simply don’t know. We simply refuse to recognize this.”



pinning this decline on neoliberalism is incredibly lame. western societies were imploded by political activists who were very stupid but incredibly determined. Getting women into academia/professions poured fuel on the embers left from WW2 that completely drove a dagger through the heart and soul of European peoples. Ignoring the role of race is what every intellectual today specialises in, even though the tomes of evidence we have pointing to it being quite important for the continuation of a culture.

The scale and breadth of the cowardice is hard to fathom

[MrDzoni]

Would it be alright to see abortion and such as symptoms of this vast problem he is talking about?