The Ark Project

A thought experiment to salvage what remains of the West

To anyone who reads the news, even if only occasionally, it would be hard to come away with the idea that Western civilization is striding towards a bright future. Though the news shamelessly peddles in negative information with all the tenacity of a used car salesman, at a certain level, the sentiment and major events of the past few years leaves me with an inescapable feeling that most of the Western world is barreling towards darker times, to say the least. If by chance you feel the same, consider the Ark Project a place of discussion with the aim of preserving the very best of what Western civilization has brought forth. Put differently, the Ark Project is an ongoing thought experiment that seeks to discern clever ways we children of the West may carry the fire we were blessed to receive into the future; that there may yet be a generation willing and able to receive and carry it onward.

Here I will ruminate on the classic works that served as the foundation of Western civilization and the United States. My goal is to facilitate a dialogue where we can reopen the discourses that shaped the West in the light of the events which followed, and the present circumstances we now find ourselves in. The old debates of how societies should be governed, how markets and capital should be managed, and the best way to order society to serve the betterment of mankind are all up for discussion. I will also consider ways we can create little “arks” within Western society for the sake of building a better future. But in order for these posts to be interesting, they should be a discussion, which is why I’m hoping for a lively comments section for each post. Likewise, I’m also hoping for guests who share a passion for these subjects to author posts here alongside me. Given the vast sea of substacks, this may be a tall order, but as a devoted Christian I’ll pray for God’s favor in this endeavor.

In fact, I should lay my cards down on the table face up so that you don’t feel deceived. Though a name like The Ark Project would seem to strongly suggest that this is a blog featuring Judeo-Christian themes, you should know that I am a devout Catholic. I chose the name quite obviously on the basis of the flood story from Genesis, because the Western world seems to be racing towards a similarly destructive fate, and I hope to put my skills to their best use in finding ways of preserving the good amidst a growing sea of bad. Books are my treasure because I value knowledge and wisdom, and I have loved discussion and debate on politics, philosophy, history, and religion for as long as I have lived. But more than that, I love writing, and sharing knowledge with others, which I hope to do often here.

As such I hope you will join me in this endeavor, and I wish you well!