Breakeven Quarterly is primarily a magazine of the humanities, one that seeks to promote all that is good about human thought, art, and literature. Within we present writings -- fiction and non-fiction, poetry and otherwise. These writings are bound by a core belief that taking time for oneself to read and think enriches a life, and through this promotes a healthier appreciation of the world at large. In a world where most journalism and literary media has retreated to the nebulous confines of the internet, we believe that allowing for a slower, more material medium to take at least temporary precedence over the cacophony of ephemera and stimulation is a rejuvenating act in itself.
Like any magazine aspiring to catholic appeal, Breakeven Quarterly declaims affiliation with any "Party or Clique." But as we shall often address politics, let us state here that the principles guiding our political thought are the same as those which guide our aesthetic, moral, and social thought, viz.:
The principle of Conservatism: Comes first by nature. The burden of proof is upon anybody who suggests a change, to demonstrate desirability of such change beyond a reasonable doubt.
The principle of Progressivism: Is the animating principle. By direct observation we know our world to be unjust, and by all cultural and natural virtues we feel compelled to promote justice.
The principle of Liberalism: The most important. In it we maintain humility, acknowledging that our faculties are limited, and that the comparison of the widest possible range of ideas is how we might pursue truth, in as much as these ideas are presented in good faith.
We believe the exercise of the principles of Conservatism and Progressivism will strengthen the Liberal mind against any truly dangerous idea, and that a defense of strength is inherently superior to one of evasion. While it is true that sometimes these explorations may lead us temporarily astray, it is only in seeking them out in the first place that we may make any sort of headway. Doing so often requires a suspension of our implicitly held values, or at least a tempering of our instinctual reactiveness.
Of course, not all things in this magazine are explicitly political in the sense that they invoke references to current events. We welcome all sorts of writings, humorous or informative, historical or creative, as well as visual art of all sorts. It is within these three principles that we are interested in promoting and publishing all kinds of creative activity -- too narrow of a focus on the political and cultural happenings of the world results only in a kind of malaise. The world is not as single minded as it may sometimes appear, and there is (and rightly should) be room for not only serious critique but also for absurdity and nonsense.
Furthermore, let us state explicitly our belief that none of these principles negates any other, but that instead each is necessary to the temperance and proper use of the others. In the wise application of all three to our thought, our actions, and our words, we hope that we will indeed break even.
Email submissions to submit@breakeven.org