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Friday, February 8, 2013, 4:47 AM

I took these words from a response to a fine post by Carl Scott, and decided to make them into a not so fine post of mine here–

A long time ago Peter Lawler mentioned doing the most unconservative thing, i.e., writing some kind of postmodern conservative manifesto. It would at least help to explain what this blog is NOT about. Whatever happened to that idea? If it were ever to happen, I promise that I would restrain my hyped up rhetorical self–insofar as that is possible!

Manifesto is probably the wrong term here. Whatever it were to be called, it would still have to take into account as a central question Peter Lawler’s deep understanding of who we are as relational beings (including the theotropic triune relation) and his fascinating forays into popular culture like his analyses of Girls. It would also take into consideration Carl Scott’s cultural (primarily musical) knowledge and how the decades since the ’60s (and the popular attitudes regarding the political and sexual revolution) have played themselves out in terms of love, pride, and the consequent viability of institutions that make such passions find proper formation. No doubt, it would require a serious examination of the politically strategic knowledge that Pete Spiliakos offers, especially when he couples such strategies of persuasion with a mastery of the facts of the fiscal crisis (and other important issues) that the debate regarding public policy means for the general welfare. In such a light, Kate Pitrone would be able to offer her typically intelligent thoughts on local and national issues, and Jason (or is it Jonathan?) could offer his insights regarding TV and movies (like his piece on the TV series American Horror Story). I guess that would leave the few angry polemics–those which may be necessary–to me (with a few movie reviews on occasion–I’ll see Soderbergh’s Side Effects tomorrow, and may have some words to say afterwards).

Of course, the rigorous “Ralphism” of Ralph Hancock regarding philosophy’s relationship to the requirements of political choice (insofar as choice is possible) must have its voice. And the “Ceaserism” of James Ceaser, in fine explanation and defense of such choices regarding what is best in the American political tradition in terms of “political development,” needs to be evident too (as well as Ceaser’s entertaining stories about crabs on the beach and the use of kitchen cooking devices acquired during bouts of insomnia).

Mr. Postmodern Conservative himself–James Poulos–needs to throw in his ideas in terms of his interesting and successful career of insightful analysis, of which he and we can be so proud.

Regular commenters like Paul Seaton, Pseudoplotinus, Bob Cheeks, C.J. Wolfe, and other important persons ought to be there too.

Mr. Lewis may say that this has something to do with intellectual property–copyrite or copyright–but being only a lawyer’s son, I must admit that I never understood what the hell Mr. Lewis was talking about anyway. Kant and Hegel make more sense to me. That said, he apparently has something to say about postmodern conservatism too. So welcome aboard!

This postmodern conservative explanation needs to be done. “Making Manifest the Postmodern Conservative Persuasion”–I agree it’s too wordy. It is simply a proposal. Or “The Pomocon Persuasion.”

That said, given the diversity of concerns evident on this blog the title may be easier than the explanation, and I would not want to destroy that diversity (rightly understood)!

4 Comments

    A Pomocon Persuasion? | CATHOLIC FEAST
    February 8th, 2013 | 6:20 am

    [...] I took these words from a response to a fine post by Carl Scott, and decided to make them into a not so fine post of mine here– A long time ago Peter Lawler mentioned doing the most unconservative thing, i.e., writing some kind of postmodern conservative manifesto. It would at Source: Postmodern Conservative   [...]

    Carl Eric Scott
    February 8th, 2013 | 10:30 am

    my response to this is in the original thread…

    Corey
    February 8th, 2013 | 4:00 pm

    I do wish you would have somebody comment a little more deeply on the phenomenological character of the philosophical side of PoMoConism. It seems kind of crucial to me, inasmuch as our epoch has been so affected by individualism and liberal democracy, to explain how a political science can be evident not only to the philosopher, but to the citizen as well. Different hermeneutical methods, or different reductions, will of course result in more powerful tools of explanation, but dignity and the “higher goods” should have some way of being made manifest to everyone without making idols of any particular concept. So why not lean a little harder on the “post-modern” side of PoMoConism, and give a more rigorous account of the way the things we can’t not know about ourselves, maybe despite our history of ideas and the sedimentation of Cartesian metaphysics, make our dignity manifest? And then, from this beginning on what we can’t not know- where philosophy is silent- you could show the need, at the bottom of things, for a revealed Christian theology.

    But maybe this is Ralphism, in other words?

    CJ Wolfe
    February 9th, 2013 | 3:12 pm

    To kick-start the manifesto John, here’s a question that I’ve been wondering about the POMOCON persuasion ever since I started reading and posting on this blog:

    Is there a rhyme or reason behind the various bloggers’ use of ALL CAPITAL LETTERS?

    Most of the other blogs I read don’t use caps the way that the pomocon posters do. As far as I can tell, the capital letters are used mainly for 1) keywords, 2) emphasis, 3)humor. I think it’s a nice invenzione, even if Pomocon wasn’t the first blog that used caps this way. Not all the posters on here use them, but Lawler usually does and sometimes Carl does I think; as a commenter I sometimes do too in order to fit in. But I was wondering if there were additional unspoken rules to their usage on POMOCON


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