Fixing America Through Mechanical Arts | Artes Mechanicae, Ep. 18
What are the mechanical arts for? Are they simply a means of producing more things to consume, or do they point us toward a better way of living?
In this episode of Artes Mechanicae, Austin Hoffman examines the modern culture of consumption through the lens of the mechanical arts. From planned obsolescence and disposable products to endless scrolling and media saturation, he explores how modern life often encourages us to consume rather than create.
Drawing on the work of William Cavanaugh, Albert Borgmann, Joseph Pieper, Hugh of St. Victor, and Marshall McLuhan, Austin argues that the mechanical arts offer an alternative vision—one oriented toward craftsmanship, service, meaningful production, and love of neighbor.
What happens when we stop asking what we can consume and begin asking what we can make? What kind of life emerges when production is guided by service rather than profit and by stewardship rather than disposability?
Join us as we explore how the mechanical arts orient us away from endless consumption and toward the self-giving love that lies at the heart of the Christian life.