Letter 1
From: M
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2019 10:53 PM
Subject: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/neo-thomism-virtue-reasonableness
Letter 2
On Wed, Nov 6, 2019, 16:46 Walter Block <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear M:
Thanks. Interesting.
Best regards,
Walter
Letter 3
From: M
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2019 8:46 PM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
You’re welcome. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you pay attention to a man named Edward Feser. He is a Thomistic philosophy professor out of Pasadena City College and has a book out on metaphysics that I believe has generated quite a bit of interest in Catholic philosophical circles.
It is looking like Thomistic Scholasticism is making a comeback and Feser has been a proponent of it or spearheading the effort.
https://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2015/12/in-defence-of-scholasticism.html?m=1
Letter 4
On Wed, Nov 6, 2019, 19:50 Walter Block <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear M:
I’m not a big fan of Feser’s:
Block, Walter E. 2017. “Abortion Once Again; a response to Feser, Goodwin, Mosquito, Sadowsky, Vance and Watkins.” Journal of Constitutional Research (Brazil); Vol 4, No. 1, pp. 11-41; http://revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/article/view/50328; http://revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/issue/view/2292/showToc
http://revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/article/view/50328/31673
Block, Walter E. 2016. “Response to Feser on libertarianism.” Journal Etica e Politica / Ethics & Politics; Vol. XVIII, No. 3, pp. 547-572; http://www2.units.it/etica/2016_3/BLOCK.pdf
Block, Walter E. 2010. “Libertarianism is unique; it belongs neither to the right nor the left: a critique of the views of Long, Holcombe, and Baden on the left, Hoppe, Feser and Paul on the right.” Journal of Libertarian Studies; Vol. 22: 127–70; http://mises.org/journals/jls/22_1/22_1_8.pdf;
http://mises.org/journals/scholar/block15.pdf; http://www.mises.org/journals/scholar/block15.pdf; https://mises.org/library/libertarianism-unique-and-belongs-neither-right-nor-left-critique-views-long-holcombe-and
Best regards,
Walter
Letter 5
From: M
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2019 11:42 AM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. Do you disagree with Feser because of his writings on abortion or because he isn’t consistent enough? Please help me understand what you’re referring to.
Letter 6
On 11/7/2019 2:48 PM, Walter Block wrote:
Dear M:
Both. Read the first page of each of these articles of mine for the overall view of the paper.
Best regards,
Walter
Letter 7
From: M
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2019 6:13 PM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
Dear Walter,
I read the first page of each of the documents and came to one conclusion: WHO THE F**K CARES??!!! No one, but you, gives a damn about this and all this is is delving into the utopianism that holds back the libertarian movement and the organization you are affiliated with. Seriously, Edward Feser is a Thomist philosopher, is widely read and respected in many Catholic circles. You would do well to get over your insistence on people being ideologically pure since such utopian perfectionism is an ethic of the Left and the perfect is the enemy of the good (including in the Aristotelian sense).
Even Ayn Rand received help from Leftists during her writing career and they were willing to help her and even edit her works despite their disagreements with her views. In my political experience (which is extensive) I have had to make alliances with people I didn’t always agree with but we were united on a specific goal or cause. You can get your point across better with honey than you can with vinegar. Or do you prefer to make alliances with the Left like Murray Rothbard did? If recent events with the Left and the death and destruction wrought by the Communists who took over Vietnam thanks to the help their American allies in groups like SDS goes to show what these bastards have in store for us, including their allies as evidenced by Che Guevara’s executions. Rothbard’s alliances with the Left were a huge mistake and that may have contributed to the libertarian movement’s demise.
Now please stop acting like a collectivist and make amends or build a relationship with Feser. Heck even Doug Rasmussen (another Thomist) would be a good person to contact too.
Letter 8
On 11/7/2019 5:14 PM, Walter Block wrote:
Dear M:
Thanks for your advice.
Best regards,
Walter
Letter 9
From: M
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2019 6:30 PM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
I mean have you or anyone at the Mises Institute made any effort to contact either of these gents? If not, why? You know Feser published a book on Friedrich Hayek, right?
Letter 10
On 11/7/2019 5:36 PM, Walter Block wrote:
I only continue correspondence with people who deal with me politely.
Walter E. Block, Ph.D.
Letter 11
From: M
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2019 6:47 PM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
I’ve been nothing but polite with you 99% of the time since we have exchanged emails many times over the years. I used a curse word and was blunt in my last email to drive home a point in which I tied my overall point using the example of Ayn Rand and even dropped another name you could contact to interact with. I’ve was involved in the LP and libertarian movement since 1998 and you and I briefly talked during the 2008 LP National Convention in which you were kind enough to autograph my copy of Defending the Undefendable.
Now please get over the fact that I was abrasive and assertive since I have had to put up with it many times in my email exchanges and dealings with people in life since even the biggest jerks or people who raked me over the coals over the years turned out to give the best advice I have ever had. Sorry, Walter, but the fact is, in the end, no one really cares if you chose to remain ideologically pure since all it ends up being ultimately a reason to limit yourself from being able to make headway or influence a field of knowledge you may not have had access to before.
I believe Prof Mises made the same mistake meanwhile Milton Friedman accepted almost every chance he got to speak at colleges and universities around the country. Consequently, it set knowledge of Austrian theory behind quite a bit. Don’t make the same mistake.
Letter 12
From: Walter Block [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2019 10:42 AM
To: M
Subject: RE: Neo-Thomism and the Virtue of Reasonableness
Dear M:
Ok, let’s forget about the abrasiveness. Politeness, from now on. Both ways.
I’d rather be ideologically pure even though, you’re probably right, it limits me from being able to make headway or influence a field of knowledge, at least at present.
I’ll choose the Mises Rothbard path vis a vis the Milton Friedman Hayek path of compromising principle. Yes, the latter had more effect on public opinion, at least in the short run. I’m betting on the former for the long run.
I oppose the “utopian perfectionism is an ethic of the Left” and of the right, too. I’m a libertarian. I favor libertarian perfectionism, even though, alas, in this vale of tears, it is all too often out of reach.
I have never said a harsh word about Feser. As far as I’m concerned, I have a cordial relationship with him. I see him as a fellow seeker after truth. I only wish he’d respond to some of my criticisms of him, so that, together, we could get that proverbial one millionth of an inch closer to the Truth.
Is it ok with you if I share this correspondence with Ed Feser?
Best regards,
Walter
3:05 am on November 29, 2019
