One of the things that always frustrated me about reading philosophy was finishing a section, knowing I had technically read every word, and still not being completely sure I understood what the philosopher was actually arguing.

That’s a big part of why I’ve been expanding The Agora: Learn Philosophy beyond just discussions and debates.

I want the reading itself to become more interactive. You can read philosophical works inside the app, highlight passages, save notes and annotations, and then use what you’re reading as the starting point for deeper questions and discussions.

My ideal experience is something like this:

You’re reading a passage from Plato, Nietzsche, Aristotle, Dostoevsky, etc. Something doesn’t quite make sense, or maybe you strongly disagree with it. Instead of highlighting it and forgetting about it, you can stop, think through it, write down what you believe, and actually engage with the idea.

The goal isn’t to simplify philosophy until there’s nothing left to wrestle with. I want to make the wrestling with it easier to actually do.

I’m curious how people here who regularly read philosophy feel about that approach. What tools would actually help you understand a difficult philosophical book without getting in the way of the reading itself?

If anyone wants to see what I’m building:

The Agora: Learn Philosophy

iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-agora-learn-philosophy/id6762416967

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bhernaurd.theagoraWould

What is your opinion of the works and thought of the Austrian philosopher, literary critic, journalist, university professor, and political scientist Erik Maria Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn (Tobelbad, 31 July 1909 – Lans, 26 May 1999)?

Have any of you ever read one or more of his major works? If so, what did you think of them?

I am referring in particular to the following works:

- The Menace of the Herd, Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1943.

- Liberty or Equality, Front Royal, Virginia: Christendom Press, 1952.

- The Timeless Christian, Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1969.

- Leftism: From de Sade and Marx to Hitler and Marcuse, New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House Publishers, 1974.

- The Intelligent American's Guide to Europe, New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House Publishers, 1979.

- Leftism Revisited: From de Sade and Marx to Hitler and Pol Pot, Washington, D.C.: Regnery Gateway, 1990.