Building on the Cultural Frontier
A light lunch and panel discussion featuring grassroots cultural and educational leaders on the afternoon of the final Thiel Antichrist lecture in Nashville.
A cultural and educational revival is underway. It is happening largely offline, outside of mainstream academic and political institutions, and far from New York, Washington D.C., and Silicon Valley.
Across the heartland, philosophers, artists, entrepreneurs, tradesmen, outdoorsmen, and ordinary citizens are forming small coalitions and building:
Online schools to revitalize the Western canon
Local civic organizations to promote self-mastery and active citizenship
Boys’ schools to properly educate the next generation of American men
Conference circuits to facilitate robust intellectual discourse, especially on issues neglected or suppressed in academia
Outdoor groups hosting retreats to combat the ills of modern technology
Fourth places to connect online groups in person
These grassroots efforts are gaining momentum. Groups are forming, events fill the calendar, and people are planning ambitious projects. Nick Gallo has been documenting this movement on The Piraeus. He will be leading a discussion that will introduce you to some of the leaders behind these projects, discuss their visions for reviving Western culture and education, and show you how to get involved.
The following group leaders will be joining us for the discussion:
From Nashville:
Davis Hunt, founder of The Pamphleteer, "Nashville's Alt-Daily," that aims to combat corporate and progressive media domination, and, through its regularly hosted in-person events, connect and inform Nashville's citizen activists. Davis will discuss his vision for building grassroots coalitions, facilitating civic engagement, and inspiring citizen activists in other cities.
Warren Steury, founder of the Meriwether Academy, who will discuss his vision for reviving the ideal of the American man. Currently, Meriwether operates as a men's civic organization that hosts outdoor retreats, great books dialogues, and formal-dressed philosophy dinners. It ultimately aspires to build a boys' school centered around classical and outdoor education.
(The Pamphleteer and Meriwether are co-hosting the ongoing Thiel lectures that have brought thousands of people to town and attracted international media attention.)
From out of state:
Michael Millerman, founder of the Millerman School, an online school of political philosophy that teaches Leo Strauss, Martin Heidegger, Plato, Aristotle, and other great thinkers, ancient and modern. Michael will discuss his vision for reviving authentic philosophical inquiry and enriching political discourse outside of academia.
Paul McNeil, founder of The Wagon Box Inn in Story, Wyoming. The Wagon Box is “something between a college campus, a cherished vacation home in the mountains, and the tea houses and taverns that were once the seedbeds of philosophical and political discourse.” Paul will discuss the project’s vision of connecting online groups for in-person events, building strong community, and facilitating the development of culturally impactful art and intellectual work, such as through the recently launched Wagon Box residency program.
Tyler Mathews, founder of Oyarsa, a men's group in St. Louis that hosts monthly salons and other events. Before starting Oyarsa, he ran an entrepreneurial community that brought 500 founders together each week. He will talk about building Oyarsa and how to connect grassroots efforts with business owners and entrepreneurs. His vision is to make St. Louis a home for intellectual and cultural life again and to inspire others in heartland cities to do the same.
Light lunch will be served before the panel, which will be followed by a social hour to connect with others before the Thiel event.
Oyarsa members and paid subscribers to The Piraeus get a 20% off discount code.