In this Fourth of July edition of The New Thinkery , the guys are joined by Dr. Michael P. Zuckert, the Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. Together, the group discuss both Abraham Lincoln's and Henry Clay's achievements in American politics. Plus: a sneak peek at the forthcoming book A Nation so Conceived: Lincoln & Democratic Sovereignty .
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 49
In this episode of The New Thinkery , the guys follow up last week's episode on Alcibiades with Plutarch's paired work on the life of Coriolanus. The guys discuss the similarities and key differences between the two men as Plutarch sees them.
Jun 23, 2021•50 min•Ep. 48
In this edition of The New Thinkery , the guys begin an analysis of Plutarch's Parallel Lives , specifically diving into the life of Alcibiades. The guys discuss Alcibiades' life, philosophy, and why everyone seemed to have great affection for him, even Socrates.
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 47
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery , the guys dive into the work of Leo Strauss, one of the foremost political philosophy professors of the twentieth century. Strauss was and continues to be so influential that Straussianism is a common phrase in academic circles. So, what exactly is Straussianism?
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 46
In this edition of The New Thinkery , the guys are joined by William Kristol, founder and editor-at-large of The Weekly Standard and now editor-at-large of The Bulwark. Hear about his upbringing and education, during which he encountered and studied with some of the greats of contemporary political thought, including Allan Bloom and Harvey Mansfield. We also discuss his initiatives to preserve and promote the serious study of political philosophy. Check out Contemporary Thinkers , Great Thinkers...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 45
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery the guys break away from philosophy to take a deep dive into Joseph Conrad's Typhoon . The group discuss everything from the text's themes to its literary devices. Finally, they close with discussion on why one would read literary works to better understand philosophy.
May 26, 2021•56 min•Ep. 44
In the seventh installment of an ongoing series breaking down Plato's Symposium , the guys begin to dissect Socrates' speech on love, how Socrates attempted to subvert the format of the speeches, and analyze the details surrounding the speeches preceding Socrates.
May 19, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 43
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Professor Jeff Sikkenga, Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center (Greg's boss) and a professor of political science. Together, the group analyze Tocqueville's view of democracy as a form of government and the nuances in his position.
May 12, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 42
In this episode of The New Thinkery , the guys interview Dr. Charles Butterworth, Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Who better to discuss Alfarabi's Book of Religion than the very person to translate it to English‽ Plus: Dr. Butterworth lightly touches on another of Alfarabi's works: Enumeration of the Sciences.
May 05, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 41
This week's episode is a recording of a live conversation at the Association for Core Texts and Courses (ACTC). The guys discuss Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "Discourse on the Sciences and Arts," also known as the "First Discourse," and podcasting great texts in the history of political philosophy. They also take live questions from the audience. Many thanks to Charlotte Thomas, Executive Director of the ACTC and Professor of Philosophy at Mercer University, for having us! Be sure to check out the gr...
Apr 28, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 40
In this week's episode, the guys dive into Tacitus' Agricola , a text recounting the life of his father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola. The text has much more to it than simply a retelling of Agricola's life though. The guys tease out the deeper philosophic messages and political commentary contained within.
Apr 21, 2021•52 min•Ep. 39
Tragedy, or calamity, is inevitable in life. How we deal with those events can be thought of as defining moments in our character. Many have sought to find the "best" way to endure calamities, and that's where the guys pick up this week, with Epictetus' brief text on stoicism, The Handbook .
Apr 14, 2021•43 min•Ep. 38
In case you ever wanted to see the shiny dome that is Alex's head or the beard of his hair planted on Greg's chin, now you can! This Wednesday, April 14, the guys will be recording an episode of The New Thinkery LIVE at ACTC. They'll discuss Rousseau's First Discourse and conduct a Q&A session. Zoom registration is free and we hope to see you there!
Apr 12, 2021•3 min
This week, Professor Michael Davis of Sarah Lawrence College joins us to discuss Sophocles' Electra . Prof. Davis is the author of numerous books on the history of philosophy; he's currently at work on a book on the Electra plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. He also discusses his experiences learning from Allan Bloom, Richard Kennington, and Seth Benardete. Plus: the fastest lightning round questions to date!
Apr 07, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 37
In the sixth installment of an ongoing series breaking down Plato's Symposium , the guys reconvene to analyze Agathon's speech on Eros, emphasizing what Agathon claims Eros is and what it is the cause of.
Mar 31, 2021•53 min•Ep. 34
Nietzsche is a controversial person to say the least. His works are easily misinterpreted, and with such lines as "God is dead", it's no surprise. Fortunately, the guys are back this week to break down the last work he submitted to a publisher, Twilight of the Idols: or How to Philosophize with a Hammer, with an emphasis on his discussion on Socrates. Producer's note: Greg does not have syphilis.
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 35
Death is always a difficult subject, and having to give a eulogy, as Greg notes, is extremely difficult. Pericles gave one of the most memorable funeral orations in history. So good, in fact, that Abraham Lincoln might've used it for inspiration. But it's not flawless, and the guys dive into Pericles' Funeral Oration to discuss its deeper meaning and themes.
Mar 17, 2021•56 min•Ep. 34
This week the guys turn to cinema instead of their bookshelves to analyze Woody Allen's movie, Love and Death . A step removed from the slapstick comedy and parody Allen is known for, Love and Death contains deeper philosophic themes in addition to the former elements that the guys tease out through discussion.
Mar 10, 2021•46 min•Ep. 33
This week the guys return to Plato’s Symposium to analyze the philosophical messages contained within individual speeches. This time, the guys delve into Aristophanes’ speech, which deals with the nature and function of love. Plus: a little mythology aside on Zeus.
Mar 03, 2021•49 min•Ep. 32
In this week's edition of TNT, the guys are joined by Flagg Taylor, professor of political theory at Skidmore College. The group analyze Walker Percy's essay, "The Loss of the Creature," and focus especially on the idea of not having everything spelled out for you as a primer and to learn through doing. Plus: Stick around for Greg's Q&A!
Feb 24, 2021•57 min•Ep. 31
In this President's Day edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Professor Steve Hayward, senior resident scholar at the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, and a visiting lecturer at Berkeley's Boalt Hall Law School. The group discuss executive power, pulling from Prof. Hayward's extensive knowledge on the subject. Plus: you seriously will not guess what alternative job Prof. Hayward would've chosen, but you'll have to wait until the end of the episode for that!...
Feb 17, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 30
This week the guys are back to discuss another of Francis Bacon's works: New Atlantis . This short work might be presented to readers as incomplete, but Bacon includes several interesting philosophic points meritorious of a closer analysis.
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 29
In this week's installment of The New Thinkery , the guys are joined by Jan Blits, Professor Emeritus in the University Honors Faculty at the University of Delaware. Together, they analyze the underlying philosophical themes of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. His edition is available from Hackett Press . Plus: stick around for Greg's infamous Q&A session!
Feb 03, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 28
This week the guys are back to discuss Jonathan Swift. Everyone has heard of Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal , but he has another work worth looking at: The Battle of the Books . Plus: the audience has voted on who the funniest co-host is.
Jan 27, 2021•55 min•Ep. 27
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss Jacob Klein's The Idea of Liberal Education . Specifically, they delve into the questions raised by Klein's analysis of education and whether a liberal education is even possible today.
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 26
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss William James, one of the leading proponents of American pragmatism, on the question of whether our warlike passions can have a peaceful political outlet. Stay tuned to see which 2020 presidential candidate had a policy proposal in alignment with some of James' thoughts.
Jan 13, 2021•48 min•Ep. 25
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are back to help bring in the new year, and are joined by Dr. Richard Velkley, the Celia Scott Weatherhead Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University. They discuss Heidegger, Leo Strauss, and the underlying premises of philosophy. After you've heard the serious stuff, stick around for the lightning round Q&A at the end!
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 24
Join the guys this week as they continue to break Plato's Symposium into sections and analyze the philosophical messages contained within. This week the guys take on Eryximachus' speech on love from the scientific perspective.
Dec 30, 2020•58 min•Ep. 23
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss the Christmas classic: A Christmas Carol . They go through the book's plot, themes, underlying philosophical points, and talk about the cultural impact the book has had since its publication in the nineteenth century.
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 22
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss another of Aristotle's works, this time focusing on Aristotle's account of virtue in the second book of the Nicomachean Ethics. Plus: the guys read some of your reviews, and now Alex needs a paternity test?
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 21
