The Heart of Virtue brings to life in an inspirational and memorable way what is at the core of every true moral virtue, namely, love. It presents twenty-eight different virtues, and reveals, through stories that personify these virtues, how love is expressed through care, courage, compassion, faith, hope, justice, prudence, temperance, wisdom, etc... It is a treatment of virtue that is both unique and original. It is unique in that twenty-eight distinct virtues are both illustrated in story form and explained through philosophical analysis. It is original in that many of the stories have never before appeared in print. The Heart of Virtue is a veritable liberal education in itself, bringing together in a carefully balanced and readable manner, distinguished personalities from diverse enterprises and periods of history. It literally sparkles with celebrities recruited from science and the arts, philosophy and theology, medicine and religion, stage and screen, sports and entertainment. But the book does not ignore the relatively unknown who provide several human interest stories that are both moving and unforgettable. The reader will be both astonished and edified by the determination of Winston Churchill, the compassion of Simone Weil, the courage of Edith Piaf, the humility of Charles Steinmetz, the patience of Walker Percy, the modesty of Flannery O'Connor, and the integrity of Jacques and Raissa Maritain.

The Heart of Virtue: Lessons from Life and Literature on the Beauty of Moral Character

History

Demarco, Ph.D. Donald

World

Ignatius Press

“The disease afflicting the modern world,” wrote Jacques Maritain, “is above all a disease of the intellect.” How serious is this disease? Scripture has adequately warned us: “If your eye is worthless, your whole body will be in darkness” (Matt. 6:23; Luke 11:34). The mind provides light so that we can see where we are going and know what we are doing. Who would drive an automobile with his eyes shut? Driving while under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offense, underscoring the importance of a clear head and a sound mind. Yet, it is all too common for people in our generation to live under the influence of a culture that disdains clear thinking and sound judgment, a culture that puts appetite before understanding, desire ahead of thinking, and impulse over reason. A certain primacy naturally belongs to the intellect according to the common sense maxim that we should think before we act. Reason’s place of primacy must be re-instated. David Hume, a philosopher known for his intractable skepticism, stated in his Treatise on Human Nature, that “Reason is, and only ought to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.” He saw reason as primarily an effective way of securing pleasure. Thus, he made pleasure paramount. Hume passed away in the year 1776, a year better remembered for the birth of a nation. Did Hume bequeath to America his skepticism together with his inversion of the natural order of reason and will? It is a tempting thought. Nonetheless, if passions are in the driver’s seat, how can we avoid catastrophe? The sane man cherishes the blessings of reason. He utilizes language, thought, and common sense to his advantage. He honors the great institutions of marriage and the Church. He refuses to be at the mercy of his biology. At the same time, his life is not devoid of pleasure. “Nobody,” St. Thomas Aquinas comments, following Aristotle, “can do without delectation for long.” But pleasure should not cause dissipation, a condition that is hardly beneficial to the human being. Reason accepts pleasure in its rightful place and safeguards it from crossing over into pain. A little wine is fine, but too much can create a problem. The reasonable use of pleasure helps to ensure the enjoyment of additional pleasures. It is better to be sane than to be mad. This is an incontrovertible truism. It is preposterous (prae + posterius), in the original meaning of the word, to place appetite before reason. It is akin to putting the cart before the horse, or trying to put one’s shoes on prior to putting on one’s socks. We should take care to avoid putting first what should come second, or putting what is “posterior” before what should be “prior”. It belongs to the wise man to place things in their proper order. The light of reason illuminates the path of life. This modest work is one man’s plea for restoring reason to its place of primacy.

How to Remain Sane in a World That Is Going Mad

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

This bright book of 35 light-versus-dark verses by Canadian philosopher, Don DeMarco is perhaps a little unusual insofar as it articulates the interplay of thought and emotion before they have passed into poetic expression. Each poem is introduced by an explanatory lead-in intended to supply a context so that each poem is more easily grasped and appreciated, thus evoking in the reader something close to a remembrance of his or her own personal feelings and experiences. Poetic expression has great value, and, sadly, it is severely undervalued in today’s highly mobile and materialistic society. St. Robert Southwell, 16th century Jesuit priest and poet, remarked that, “What thought can think, another thought can mend.” The same can be said for words. Words can either hurt or heal. The sweet sounds of soothing words can go a long way in bringing cheer to anyone who sits in darkness.

Poetry That Enters the Mind and Warms the Heart: A Collection of Poems by Donald DeMarco

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

The phrase, "the Culture of Death", is bandied about as a catch-all term that covers abortion, euthanasia and other attacks on the sanctity of life. In Architects of the Culture of Death, authors Donald DeMarco and Benjamin Wiker expose the Culture of Death as an intentional and malevolent ideology promoted by influential thinkers who specifically attack Christian morality's core belief in the sanctity of human life and the existence of man's immortal soul. In scholarly, yet reader-friendly prose, DeMarco and Wiker examine the roots of the Culture of Death by introducing 23 of its architects, including Ayn Rand, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alfred Kinsey, Margaret Sanger, Jack Kevorkian, and Peter Singer. 
Still, this is not a book without hope. If the Culture of Death rests on a fragmented view of the person and an eclipse of God, the future of the Culture of Life relies on an understanding and restoration of the human being as a person, and the rediscovery of a benevolent God. The personalism of John Paul II is an illuminating thread that runs through Architects, serving as a hopeful antidote.

Architects of the Culture of Death

Wiker, Benjamin

Social Sciences

Glimmers of Hope in a Darkening World

Independently published

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