On Virtue  

Virtue, virtus, is that strength of character from which arise the qualities indispensable for standing up to the world–courage, resolution, perseverance, control of the constantly changing emotions and impulses. If I regarded nature sentimentally, I would treat virtue with less …



On Censorship  

The word “censorship” immediately provokes a hostile reaction since traditionally it indicates the intention of authorities, whether clerical or secular, to curtail freedom. The very essence of Western technological civilization is incompatible with censorship, for the latter presupposes an authority …



On Censorship  

The word “censorship” immediately provokes a hostile reaction since traditionally it indicates the intention of authorities, whether clerical or secular, to curtail freedom. The very essence of Western technological civilization is incompatible with censorship, for the latter presupposes an authority …



On the Agony of the West  

My principle concern is the unacknowledged, barely conscious premises of my own or anyone else’s thinking. Besides faith in universal evolution, this includes an unfavorable appraisal of the direction a country, a society, a civilization is taking. It is somewhat …



Science Fiction and the Coming of the Antichrist  

The literary genreĀ called science fiction has been developing for over a hundred years, and its vitality today is surprising. In a narrower sense, a science fiction story is usually a tale of adventure in a world of tomorrow, transformed by …





A Letter to Picasso  

This open letter to Picasso originally appeared in the June, 1956 issue of Preuves and is published with permission of both its author and the editors. This letter to you, Picasso, is not a personal letter. You are a genius, …