This week, David is away, which means Alex and Greg are getting right to the point. They discuss chapter seven of The Prince , which focuses primarily on Cesare Borgia and his political career. Machiavelli seems to put ample praise on Borgia while also noting the stumbling block he would succumb to. Plus: a quick analysis of where the famous line, "the ends justifies the means" comes from.
This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Spencer Klavan, David's coworker and author of multiple books on philosophy and saving the West. The group take a quick look at stoicism and ancient life before diving into an insightful and funny analysis of The Life of Zeno .
This week the guys are joined for the fourth time by Dr. Michael P. Zuckert, the Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. The group convene early this week in observation of President's Day and discuss some of Lincoln's speeches, other writings, and thoughts surrounding dicoveries and inventions, and their purpose in the young republic. Plus: the guys discuss a little bit of fun presidential trivia.
Happy Valentine's Day from The New Thinkery! On this special episode, the guys each selcted poems that they found particularly worth reading and thinking about on Valentine's Day. From Plato, to Machiavelli, to Shakespeare, and even Christopher Wallace, the guys have you covered with a reading and discussion of a wide swath of poetic content to help you get into the Valentine's Day mindset.
This week, the guys take a break from philosophy, and instead disucss Churchill's short work on how best to spend leisure time and retaining mental acuity with age, Painting as a Pastime . The guys discuss the merits of painting and why Churchill points to it as a great way to stay sharp. Plus: Alex makes David and Greg play a guessing game.
This week, the guys are back together again to talk about some meat and potatoes in Western philosophy: Aristotle's Politics 3.4. After some good old-fashioned analysis, the guys draw connections to interesting comparisons, like how it is to be a citizen in North Korea.
This week, Greg and Alex have once again replaced David with Dr. Eric Adler, Professor and Chair of Classics at the Unviersity of Maryland. Together, the group analyze another excerpt of Plutarch's Parallel Lives . This time, the emphasis is on Camillus, a Roman soldier and statesman of the patrician class. The group draw comparisons between Camillus and Themistocles and whst useful lessons can be gleaned from their lives.
This week, the guys put down the philosophy books and pick up a favorite of David's, Eugene O'Neill's tragic play, The Emperor Jones . The guys analyze the play's plot, themes, and important historical context as they discuss their interpretations of the play.
Thie week, with David away at IHOP, Greg and Alex welcome Assumption Univeristy's Dr. Samuel J. Stoner to the show. Stoner is an expert on Kantian philosophy and helps the guys break down Kant's essay for the masses, What Is Enlightenment? They analyze the essay's meaning and the connections it has to both the Age of Enlightenment and to other works that came before it.
This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Bernard J. Dobski, Professor of Political Science at Assumption University. Together, the group discuss the overarching themes of Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, as well as getting into the history surrounding some key Greek battles and how those events contributed to future developments.
As The New Thinkery welcomes in the new year, the guys are spending their time chaining David to a wall so he can spend New Year's looking at shadows while an AI script replaces him on the show. In seriousness, the guys take a close look at what is likely the most famous piece of Plato's works, the Allegory of the Cave, what makes it tick, whether we're stuck in caves of our own, and more!
It's Christmastime once again, and the guys are getting into the spirit with a closer look at the history, lessons, and contextualization of It's a Wonderful Life . They are joined by Greg's colleague Dr. John Moser, Chair of the History and Political Science Department at Ashland University.
This week, the guys, though sick, sit down to analyze Locke's views on property. They further discuss the extent to which Locke's principles have gone on to influence the world (Greg even makes a bold claim), and the history of Locke's ideas, including some likely influences on his ideas.
This week, the guys are joined by Associate Professor of Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy at Michigan State University's James Madison College, Dr. Waseem El-Rayes. The group discuss Ibn Khaldun's sweeping historical work, Muqaddimah . Topics include theocracy, the origins of political power, history, and more!
David has run away from the crew this week, so Alex and Greg replaced him with Tom Cleveland this time. The group are joined by Dr. Lorraine Pangle, Professor at UT Austin and Co-Director at the Thomas Jefferson Center. Together, they discuss Aristotle's views on natural rights and whether, as the West crumbles under its own weight, Aristotle's ideas are a sufficient groundwork to rebuild it.
Happy Thanksgiving from the crew at The New Thinkery! This week, the guys delve into one of the more popular sections of Aristotle's writing, Nicomachean Ethics IV.3 . While none of the crew here qualify as a great souled man, that won't stop them from analyzing the required characteristics of one, as well as providing some real world examples of great souled men.
This week, the guys convene to discuss the first dozen chapters In the second volume of Democracy in America . The guys analyze Alexis de Tocqueville's intended audience, possible intentions, and the extent to which his writing proved true. Plus: a brief comparison of the US before and after the events of WWII.
This week the guys are joined by Dr. Gary J. Schmitt, a senior fellow in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies program at AEI. Together, the group discuss the 1952 film High Noon . They analyze the film and its cinematography as a springboard to elaborate on its many themes and how it fits in with other films of its genre. Plus: what did John Wayne think of High Noon ?
This week, Alex and Greg are joined once again by none other than Dr. Charles Butterworth, Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. The trio discuss Al-Razi's Book of the Philosophic Life , how it relates to Greek philosophers, and what important lessons we should take away from reading Al-Razi.
From all of here at The New Thinekry, we wish you a Happy Halloween! To celebrate, Alex has prepared a special treat: a dramatic reading of Edgar Allen Poe's classic poem, "The Raven" from memory.
This week the guys visit one of America's greatest poets: Edgar Allen Poe. With Halloween right around the corner, what better time to dig into some of Poe's greatest hits, from The Tell-Tale Heart to The Cask of Amontillado. Plus: a reading of The Raven by Alex, from memory.
This week, the guys are on their own as they tackle one of Rousseau's shorter discourses focusing on the most essential characteristic for a hero to have. Plus: Rousseau was a bit of an oddball. Alex and David recount a couple of stories to illustrate the point.
This week, the guys are joined by Devin Stauffer, Professor and Associate Chair at UT Austin. The group take a look at several of Hobbes' most pivotal works to get at Hobbes' true arguments about human nature, with Professor Stauffer leading the analysis.
This week, the guys are back to the three man band format. They discuss the opening of Strauss' most read work and highlight patterns of thought that continue throughout Natural Right and History .
n this edition of The New Thinkery , Alex and Greg are joined for a second time by Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Academics Program Officer for the Jack Miller Center. The group take a look at a very short text that could be read in an hour, but to understand thoroughly could take years.
This week, the guys are joined by Assumption University's own BJ Dobski. The group discuss Thucydides as a source of ancient history, the extent to which he is reliable, and the archaeology surrounding him personally.
In this episode of The New Thinkery , David and Alex have temporarily replaced Greg with Alex's mother, Fereshteh, who is an expert on Marcel Proust's mammoth 4,000+ page text, In Search of Lost Time . In the episode, the group discuss the first volume of the text, Swann's Way , analyzing the circuitous structure and style of writing utilized, as well as how it contributes to the text's overall message.
This week, the guys are joined by Damian Jungerman, a former US serviceman turned intellectual with a seriously impressive résumé. Jungerman details how great books saved him and how those great books continue to be a source of immense value, as well as sharing candid stories from the battlefield.
As school kicks into gear as summer is winding down, the guys take the opportunity to talk about the extent to which the common man can be benefitted or harmed by liberal education, using Herbert Storing's famous essay as a starting point.
In this week's installment of The New Thinkery , the guys are joined by Michigan State's distinguished professor emeritus Jerry Weinberger. The group discuss Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, its importance, and whether and to what extent Fraknlin is an esoteric writer.
