In this first of three presentations delivered to the Renaissance or Dark Age Symposium on September 7, 2025 in Toronto Ontario, Matt Ehret introduces the concept of Renaissances and Dark Ages as the effects of principles (or the defiance) of Universal Principles of Natural Law applicable to ALL societies across ALL ages. What are those…
Tag: Philosophy
Education as the Cause of Political Freedom – The Brethren of the Common Life
We all know that human society is littered with dark ages, renaissances, fallen empires, and brilliant revolutionary bursts of progress, increased liberty and creative freedom. But what is the ‘secret sauce’ that allows a fallen society to rise and generate such powerful artistic, scientific and political minds capable of leading humanity into greater harmony with…
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
By Cynthia Chung What say of it? what say CONSCIENCE grim, That spectre in my path? – Chamberlayne’s Pharonnida There has always been a fascination with “horror” since time immemorial, such that much of what functions to thrill us today is not much different from the sort of folk tales told hundreds if not thousands…
Schiller’s Ghost Seer, Intelligence Methods and a Global Citizenry
A Study of Schiller’s The Ghost Seer By Cynthia Chung [The audio version of this article can be listened to here.] The Ghost Seer first appeared in several instalments in Schiller’s publication journal Thalia from 1787 to 1789, and was later published as a three-volume book. It was one of the most popular works of…
How To Conquer Tyranny and Avoid Tragedy: A Lesson on Defeating Systems of Empire
By Cynthia Chung This is a transcription of a lecture, which can be found here, given as part of the RTF series “Art, Science and Civilization: The Renaissance Principles Across the Ages.“ It is common today to be confronted with the belief that any country, any civilization that gains a certain degree of power, will…
Plato’s Fight Against Apollo’s Temple of Delphi and the Cult of Democracy
By Cynthia Chung Homer’s great poems that are left to us today, The Iliad and The Odyssey, describe the events of the Trojan War and its immediate aftermath, events which marked the descent of Greece into a Dark Age. Following the Trojan War, c.1190 BCE, the civilization of mainland Greece collapsed, written language was lost, and cities disappeared….
Clarity vs. Obscurity I: The Essences of Classicism and Modernism Compared
By Adam Sedia Classical and modern poetry are inarguably different. Indeed, modernism’s chief boast is its break with classicism and tradition more broadly. The difference is palpable in even the most cursory reading of a classical poem alongside a modernist one. Yet in what does the difference lie? It might be tempting to follow Justice…
Clarity vs. Obscurity II: The Essences of Classicism and Modernism Compared
By Adam Sedia For Part I to this series click here. In my last essay, I discussed the difference between classical and modernist poetry as a difference of worldviews. Classicism views the art as a vehicle to reveal universal truths, while modernism denies such truths and instead views the primary purpose of poetry as inducing…
The Poetic Principle as a Force of Universal History
In this Rising Tide Foundation lecture, Gerald Therrien addresses the question of morality’s relationship with creative genius and how this uniquely human power allows us to translate discoveries of human nature and the universe into new forms of action and artistry that both elevates our culture while extending the influence of a mortal life infinitely…
Symposium: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Statecraft
To view all past symposiums click here. To register for future class series email info@risingtidefoundation.net 1st Movement: The Ancients Date: Sunday May 9 at 4pm ESTTitle: Plato and Confucius, Spiritual Brothers and Philosopher Kings Living at the Two Ends of the World Island Lecturer: Dr. Quan LeBio: Dr. Le is a practicing psychiatrist and geopolitical…