Advancing the cultural foundations of a free society
Polyhymnia advances American culture through engagement with the aesthetic and philosophical foundations of Western society.
Edward B. Tylor wrote in 1871 that “Culture or Civilization…is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”It changes over time, heretofore glacially, offering us a relatively smooth, even predictable trajectory.
But now it changes quickly, and usually not for the better.
To change anything, that change must be made at the cultural level. That is what we aim to do at Polyhymnia.
Essays, conversations, and cultural criticism shaped by enduring questions.
2026-10-16
First France, Then America. George Will Points Out the Obvious
George Will cautions Americans against gloating over France’s debt crisis. The United States faces serious fiscal troubles of its own, and neither party seems willing to address them.
Read more2026-10-15
Remembering October 8
Three years after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, historian Andrew Roberts examines the celebrations that followed and what they reveal about a wider crisis in Western culture and the arts.
Read more2026-10-14
Jefferson Lives! Comes to Life for the First Time
See Jefferson Lives! in its first complete performance on October 29 in Tucson, ahead of next month’s world premiere at The Flea Theater in New York City.
Read more2026-10-12
Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle: Calling Us to Our Highest Selves
Each autumn, Brad Birzer teaches Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to incoming freshmen. Their work still leaves him humbled and astonished.
Read more2026-10-07
Nature Has a Normative Standard? | Ep. 526 Words & Numbers
James and guest co-host Tom Krannawitter try to figure out (and explain) what the normative standard of nature is.
Read more2026-10-06
Below the Hat: What is Art
Polyhymnia Board member Wes Westmoreland takes on the very question that we ourselves asked recently: What is art? Can a broken vacuum cleaner count? Should a broken vacuum cleaner count?
Read moreExplore essays, commentary, conversations, and more in our Reading Room.
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Polyhymnia publishes essays, commentary, and conversations on culture, philosophy, beauty, and public life—written for readers who want more than headlines and noise.
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