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This is the first time in a long time that I’ve read a book that was truly outstanding. Chesterton really does exist in a class of his own as a writer and thinker.
I don’t agree with Chesterton on everything, but no one can argue he was a deep thinker and had an amazing skill as a writer.
Many issues that Chesterton identified in his day as a bad for family and by extension society that we see today. Worse, we see the consequences of family and society not heeding his warnings.
Some of his conclusions will be seen as archaic, but that is kind of his point. There are things for the sake of appearing modern that have been abandoned, and we are paying the price.
Some of his positions need to be carefully considered because they are not what they at first appear. For example, he didn’t agree with all women getting the vote. Not because he didn’t believe women are good enough or worthy, but because they are too good and too worthy to vote. That may sound like an odd line of reasoning, but you’ll have to read the book to fully understand his position.
He did not look down on women, in fact, he praises them highly and sees a distinctiveness and preciousness about them that should be recognized.
I’m not saying I agree that women shouldn’t vote, I believe they should. However, there is a greater philosophical position to understand.
Something that becomes apparent is that he believed strongly, in modern terms, that men should be men and women should be women. That we have distinct strengths and weaknesses that should not be ignored, fought against, or homogenized, but recognized and used to everyone’s advantage.
More than the fact the men should be men and women should be women, he argues that we should LET men be women and LET women be women. We live in a world where what he observed in the home, society, education etc is exponentially worse than what he observed, but I think to some degree saw coming.
Chesterton makes some statements which on the surface seem wrong, but actually carry a powerful and obvious truth, such as the fact that if something is worth doing it is worth doing badly. That ties in to a much broader point of praise for women and mothers that it really takes the entire book to fully appreciate.
I highly recommend this book.