Tag Archives: Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon

Conservatism, Culture, Philosophy, Political

The History of Political Theory

Review of The History of Political Theory by Garrett Ward Sheldon

GenZconservative, 14 March 2021

Introduction

As I’ve said before, political philosophy is something I find interesting but struggle with reading and truly comprehending it. I love reading books like The Prince, Leviathan, and The Federalist Papers, but wonder how much I’m able to glean from the complex ideas in those books. However, my eyes were opened to the value of well-written, concise discussions of political philosophy when I read Professor Sheldon’s The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson and, shortly afterward, The Political Philosophy of James Madison. Because I enjoyed those books so much, I chose to read his The History of Political Theory: Ancient Greece to Modern America.

As you should be able to guess from the title, The History of Political Theory covers how political theory has developed over the years. Beginning with Socrates and ending with Benjamin Barber, it covers some of the most influential political thinkers, generally from the West, and what their ideas were.

If you don’t have time to read the full review, just know this: The History of Political Theory is a book you need to read. To develop a better political system, we must understand the political ideas of the past, as those ideas are the concepts from which our system extends. We must understand them so that we can tweak and refine them in our quest to create the “more perfect Union” referred to in the Constitution. Read it. You won’t regret doing so.

Read the rest here…

Culture, Left, Media, Political Correctness

The Trump derangement syndrome

Revenge of the Losers

Garrett Ward Sheldon, GENZCONSERVATIVE, 15 July 2021

We know why, politically, Liberals hated (and still hate) Donald Trump. He was unraveling their world system of economic, commercial, diplomatic, criminal, and cultural domination. He had to be stopped for their financial, social, and political survival. [In America ‘Liberal’ is synonymous with the ‘left’. ]

But there is also a personal, psychological, emotional reason explaining the ferocity (“Trump Derangement Syndrome”), the virulent hatred of Trump. He “called a spade a spade.”

He told them to their faces that they were losers and fakes. Pretending to be the most righteous, wise, good reformers in the world (“Saving the Earth”; curing all diseases; caring for the downtrodden and rejected; serving as shining beacons of virtue). Trump openly declared that this was false and pretentious. Unforgiveable!

For Liberals are really very insecure deep down, knowing their unworthiness, corruption, and wretchedness. They must clothe themselves in righteousness to keep up their morale and image. Some have referred to them as “The Emperor’s New Clothes” or The False Wizard of Oz. The Truth hurts.

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Culture, Law, Political Correctness

Bubbling up from hell

Policy From HELL: A Better Name for Leftist Ideas

Garrett Ward Sheldon, GENZCONSERVATIVE, 6 August 2021

I have long thought that there must be a chamber in Hell called The Department of Absurd Ideas. 

There, day and night, dozens of demons come up with the most ridiculous, crazy ideas and send them up to earth. Some of the most award-winning (The Red Badge of Lucifer, The Dragon Medal, and Ribbon of Satan) ideas include: abolishing private property will increase prosperity (Communism); twelve-year-old children can decide their gender; an environmentally-safe pipeline that increases energy and national security should be stopped; and the best:  a senile, corrupt moron should be the most powerful person in the world.

The realization of that last one prompted a wild celebration, including champagne (albeit hot) and well-toasted croissants. Sometimes this Infernal Division even awards its earthly minions with devilish look-alike contests!

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Conservatism, History, Left, Political, radicalism

Revolution in America

Professor Sheldon wrote this piece before the election last November. It interesting to see how right his predictions have been so far after only 100 days.

Reflections on the Revolution in America of 2020

Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon

When the conservative philosopher Edmund Burke wrote REFLECTIONS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION he described, with horror, the total destruction of the ancient regime in France, and the replacement of this elegant civilized (if imperfect) Medieval Country with a barbaric, mad, chaotic Reign of Terror.

If the Democrats prevail in this election, America will suffer a similar fate: Obamaism on steroids: floods of illegal immigrants; Drug Cartel money and destruction; human slave trafficking; return to Globalist Control with China, EU, and Iran. Total censorship by Big Tech, politicized and weaponized federal agencies and education. Use of medicinal lockdowns to control the population. Persecution of the Church, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia of the sick and elderly. Every perversion known to humanity: trans, pedophilia, sadism.

The end of America as ever known, as the French Revolution was of old France. 

Of course, this is a “worse case scenario.” Personally, I think the voter fraud that would bring this disaster will be exposed and corrected. Trumpism with four more years will practically drain the entire Swamp, American values and practice (Faith, Family, Country, Work, Prosperity) will largely return, by the Grace of God. 

But, even if the Biden/Harris regime assumes power, realities may blunt its effort. 

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Conservatism, History, Philosophy, Political

Review of Professor sheldon’s book on political theory

Recent reviewers have celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of emeritus Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon’s book on political theory: THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL THEORY. The review below is of the book in anticipation of a new updated edition.

*****

Review by GEN Z CONSERVATIVE

Introduction

As I’ve said before, political philosophy is something I find interesting but struggle with reading and truly comprehending it. I love reading books like The Prince, Leviathan, and The Federalist Papers, but wonder how much I’m able to glean from the complex ideas in those books. However, my eyes were opened to the value of well-written, concise discussions of political philosophy when I read Professor Sheldon’s The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson and, shortly afterward, The Political Philosophy of James Madison. Because I enjoyed those books so much, I chose to read his The History of Political Theory: Ancient Greece to Modern America.

As you should be able to guess from the title, The History of Political Theory covers how political theory has developed over the years. Beginning with Socrates and ending with Benjamin Barber, it covers some of the most influential political thinkers, generally from the West, and what their ideas were.

If you don’t have time to read the full review, just know this: The History of Political Theory is a book you need to read. To develop a better political system, we must understand the political ideas of the past, as those ideas are the concepts from which our system extends. We must understand them so that we can tweak and refine them in our quest to create the “more perfect Union” referred to in the Constitution. Read it. You won’t regret doing so.

Read the rest here…

Conservatism, Culture, History, Philosophy, Political

The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson

The world’s attention has been on American politics and American government for the last few months. The reference to the American Constitution and its founders has been constant. Indeed, understanding the impeachment process and the choice of a supreme court judge requires some knowledge of the constitution and its contributors. Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon has written a book about Thomas Jefferson, one of the most influential of the founding fathers. His book, The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson, is favourably reviewed below.

*****

Summary of The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson by Garrett Ward Sheldon

To show what elements of what theories comprised Jefferson’s political philosophy, Sheldon traces the development of his political thoughts alongside the development of America, showing how Jefferson’s thoughts changed as America evolved throughout The Political Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson.

First, before delving into the relationship between Jefferson’s thoughts and America’s evolving national character, Sheldon describes the combination of Lockean liberalism and classical republicanism that primarily contributed to Jefferson’s political philosophy, hinting at how Jefferson was able to blend “many philosophical concepts into a comprehensive and coherent political philosophy, the essence of which [might] be closer to classical republicanism than to Lockean liberalism.”

Then, after delving into the attributes of and differences between the two, Sheldon begins his history-based approach, starting, as should be expected, with America as a colony. In this chapter, Sheldon discusses how “the position that the American colonists found themselves in…accounted for much of their feelings of both affection for, and resentment of, the royal British Empire.”

Read the rest here…

Conservatism, Culture, History, Philosophy, Political

The political philosophy of James Madison

The world’s attention has been on American politics and American government for the last few months. The reference to the American Constitution and its founders has been constant. Indeed, understanding the impeachment process and the choice of a supreme court judge requires some knowledge of the constitution and its contributors. Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon has written a book about James Madison, one of the writers of the constitution. His book, The Political Philosophy of James Madison, is favourably reviewed below.

*****

Summary of The Political Philosophy of James Madison by Garrett Ward Sheldon

Admin, Gen Z Conservative, 11 February 2021

The Political Philosophy of James Madison is, as you might expect, about Madison’s political beliefs and how he came to them. Given that he was a Founding Father, the author of the Constitution, an author of The Federalist Papers, and one of the pre-eminent Virginians from the early American time period, understanding how he thought and what he envisioned for America is singularly important.

To help the reader understand Madison’s political thoughts, Sheldon begins with a brief introduction to it and the ideas that will be discussed. According to him, Madison’s political views changed over time, shifting between aspects of American nationalism, Lockean liberalism, and Classical Republicanism, yet were held together and coherent because of their grounding in Protestant Christianity, specifically Calvinist culture and theology.

Additionally, although being associated with Jefferson, who had, at times, radical views on liberty, and being a key opponent of the Federalist Party, Madison was no anarchist; while his views on what measure of national control was acceptable, he never shifted away from the basic premise that the national government should remain, to some degree, supreme.

After that brief introduction to Madison and his political ideas, Sheldon shifts to the first real chapter of The Political Philosophy of James Madison, which is on the intellectual underpinnings of James Madison’s political thoughts. To Sheldon, the root of many of those thoughts was Calvinist theology and his belief that it and reason complemented each other. For example, Madison’s writings, even later in life, reflected his Calvinist upbringing; they lacked the rhetorical flair of Jefferson and were instead well-grounded and ordered.

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Conservatism, Culture, Political

The way ahead for Trump

Professor Sheldon covers President Trump’s considerable achievements before sketching what he hopes the former president will do. His description of the unrelenting attack by the American left through a corrupt media should remind Australians of the bastardry to which the contemptible media in this country subjected former prime minister Tony Abbott. Conservatives have to come to a clear understanding of the extent to which the political process has become a tool of a traitor class, a class that works to subvert everything about traditional western society.

What Should Trump Do Now?

Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon, Gen Z Conservative

Neither I nor anyone else should presume to tell Donald Trump what to do. He is quite capable of deciding for himself, which I’m sure he will do. I am writing only what I HOPE he will do, for himself, our country, and the world.

President Donald Trump will go down in history as the greatest victim of political abuse and harassment, in spite of (or perhaps because of!) his popularity, extraordinary accomplishments, and personal character.

Since BEFORE his bid for the Presidency, he has been maligned, slandered, falsely accused, attacked in every way, ridiculed, misrepresented, and finally cheated out of the greatest landslide victory of any American Presidential election. Throughout all this, he has shown remarkable restraint, discretion, respect, and professionalism. He is a Real Hero.

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Australia, Conservatism, Culture, History, Political Correctness, Politics, radicalism

Has the Owl of Minerva taken flight?

Professor Sheldon’s description of the collapse of the political order in America applies just as much to Australia. The disgusting cultural self-loathing of the dominant political class on display on Australia Day (26 January) is enough to fill ordinary Australians with despair. If the Owl of Minerva does represent wisdom, knowledge and thought, she has certainly taken flight out of Australia.

*****

The Owl of Minerva and the Night of America

Professor Garrett Ward Sheldon, Gen Z Conservative

The German philosopher Hegel famously said of political history “The Owl of Minerva takes Flight at Dusk.”

From Greek mythology, this Owl represented Wisdom, Knowledge, Thought, the Ideology of a Social System. When that political order was finished, about to end, its Thought System had reached its zenith. The Ideology justifying an era reached full development just as that order collapsed.

The thought system of the seemingly predominant order of Liberalism, Globalism, Radicalism now seems predominant. It has just established total power in the government by means of manipulation and intrigue, corruption and censorship. But these are not methods of a young, strong, healthy regime, but of an old, weak, desperate, dying system. Medieval ideology and “show” reached its zenith just as feudalism, monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings collapsed and was supplanted by industry, trade, and republican government.

          The triumph of Democratic Globalism and its Ideology of Diversity, Perversity, and Relativism ascends just as a new system of technology, living and working, more compatible with traditional American ideals of individualism with community, freedom, and rights (see my book, THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON) emerges.

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