The guys are joined by Professor Nasser Behnegar, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Boston College. The group discuss how Strauss delves into the differences between classical political philosophy and modern political thought, with an emphasis on classical philosophers seeking to discover timeless, objective truths about justice and human nature, while modern thinkers often embrace relativism and historical contingency in their approach to politics. Also highlighted is the ...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 167
This week, Alex and Greg take over the show to speak with Shilo Brooks, Executive Director of the James Madison Program at Princeton University, about Nietzsche's essay "On the Use and Disadvantage of History for Life". The group walk through Nietzsche's argument that excessive immersion in historical knowledge can lead to a passive and unhealthy way of life, causing individuals to lose sight of the present and their own creative potential, as well as his suggestion that history should serve a l...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 166
Continuing their mini-series breaking down Shakespeare's Hamlet , the guys sit down this week to take a close look at Act II. The guys analyze every detail, from King Claudius increasing suspicion of Hamlet's erratic behavior to Hamlet's continued feigned madness and expression of his inner turmoil in a soliloquy.
Sep 20, 2023•52 min•Ep. 165
This week, the guys gather to discuss a new book written by our very own Alex Priou! The book, Musings on Plato's Symposium, is a short but powerful series of thoughts on every part of the Symposium , in lengths varying from a few sentences to a few pages. This episode doesn't go too far into the weeds, instead reamining focused on the broad themes and Alex's writing style and process.
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 164
Continuing their mini-series on Shakespeare's Hamlet , the guys move from an overview to an thorough analysis of the play's first act. An emphasis is placed on the supernatural elements of the act, as well as the creeping dark atomsphere the act opens with, especailly when compared to the superficial joviality of the second scene that is ultimately unable to fully banish the gloom.
Sep 06, 2023•59 min•Ep. 163
The guys are joined this week by Professor Jacob Howland, Dean of UATX’s Intellectual Foundations program. The group takes a closer look at higher education in America to point out what ails it, as well as identify ways to circumvent or cure it, focusing on Prof. Howland's personal experiences and projects he's working on in higher education as a starting point.
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 162
Imagine a Jetsons-esque home that attempts to meet all of your needs while also featuring a room that makes your imagination into reality. Add some behaviorally troubled children imagining bloodthirsty lions into the mix, and you have the setup for Ray Bradbury's The Veldt . In a dystopian tale that would make an excellent episode of Black Mirror , Bradbury explores the pitfalls of tech that robs humanity of purpose. The guys discuss and analyze the story's plot, characters, and more....
Aug 23, 2023•47 min•Ep. 161
In an increasingly tech-driven world, it's easy to forget the human, and what essence of technology actually is. Heidegger's essay, The Question Concerning Technology , was his attempt to examine tech and humanity. The guys break it all down and connect it to the modern day.
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 160
This week, the guys are joined for the third time by author, political commentator, and policy scholar Steven F. Hayward, who is replacing David for this episode. The group take a trip to the silver screen to review Cloud Atlas , based on a book of the same name. Discussion ranges from the unique, nested story sequence, characters, and more.
Aug 09, 2023•56 min•Ep. 159
The guys are back this week with a break from the philosophy books, opting instead for another of Shakespeare's great plays. They generally discuss the plot, characters, themes, and more in this episode. This is just the first episode on Hamlet to set the stage, so to speak. There will be deep dives into each act in the future.
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 158
This week, the guys are joined by Jacob Howland, author of Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic, among other impressive works, and the McFarlin Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Tulsa. Howland goes through his analysis and conclusion of Glaucon's fate in Plato's Republic , as well as touhch on additional points concerning the full work. Plus: Greg's (in)famous lightning round!
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 157
This week, the guys dive into the underground world of E. M. Forster's The Machine Stops . People live in pods, communication is done almost solely by instant messaging/video conferencing, and the omnipotent Machine takes care of people's bodily and spiritual needs. The guys analyze the situation and realizations that arise as the machine breaks down and people are condemned to their fate.
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 156
This week, the guys turn to Dostoevsky's story within The Brothers Karamazov : The Grand Inquisitor. Centering on two chapters within the book, discussion and analysis ranges from the idea of a benevolent God, to unanswered implications about human nature and freedom, and much more.
Jul 12, 2023•54 min•Ep. 155
This week, the guys convene a day early to bring you an analysis of the Declaration of Independence. Discussion takes the guys through the history of the Declaration, a look at its progenitors, its meaning, and how it fits with America's other important documents like the Constitution.
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 154
This week, the guys are joined once again by two esteemed guests: Dr. Hannes Kerber, Postdoctoral Fellow for the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard, & Dr. Svetozar Minkov, Professor of Philosophy at Roosevelt University. Part II focuses on Strauss' interpretation of Plato's Euthyphro , broken into sections revolving around several important questions Strauss tried to resolve for himself, guided by Kerber and Minkov's diligent analysis.
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 153
This week, the guys are joined by not one, but two esteemed guests: Dr. Hannes Kerber, Postdoctoral Fellow for the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard, & Dr. Svetozar Minkov, Professor of Philosophy at Roosevelt University. The group discuss Kerber & Minkov's new, groundbreaking edited work: Leo Strauss on Plato’s 'Euthyphro': The 1948 Notebook, with Lectures and Critical Writings . Part I focuses on the history surrounding the creation of the book, preliminary thoughts on th...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 152
This week, the guys are on their own as they dive into Book III of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics . Discussion focuses primarily on an assessment of Aristotle's views on how we ought to evaluate people's actions under different circumstances. Further analysis covers the source of virtue and vice, and how humans tend to frame decisions when deemed good or bad, as well as problems with Aristotle's theory.
Jun 14, 2023•58 min•Ep. 151
This week, the guys are joined once more by Dr. Eric Adler, Professor and Chair of Classics at the University of Maryland. The group turn to the silver screen as they analyze the cult classic, The Big Lebowski . Amid the antics of the characters throughout the film, the guys analyze whether there is a coherent message lying underneath the calls to just "chill out, man."
Jun 07, 2023•47 min•Ep. 150
This week, the guys are joined by a bonafide artist and Greg's colleague, Daniel McDonald, Chair of the Department of Art + Design and professor of art. The group discuss Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset's essay, The Dehumanization of Art , which sought to understand why modern art was moving in a nonrepresentational direction. McDonald offer's an artist's perspective on Ortega y Gasset's thinking and points out where it might be flawed, while the guys bring the layman's perspective....
May 31, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 149
This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Charlotte Thomas, Professor of Philosophy among several other titles at Mercer Unviersity and executive director of ACTC. The group discuss Dr. Thomas' book The Female Drama: The Philosophical Feminine in the Soul of Plato's Republic . The discussion roughly follows books V-VII of the Republic and its arguments around justice and what is needed to bring it about.
May 24, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 148
This week, the guys are joined once again by Dr. Eric Adler, Professor and Chair of Classics at the University of Maryland. The group discuss most of the contents of Germania from the traits of the people and land, to their practices, culminating in Tacitus' thoughts on their value to the Romans. Plus: Dr. Adler ties in one of Tacitus' other works, the Annals , into the discussion.
May 17, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 147
This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Director of Academic Programs at the Jack Miller Center. The group discuss what it means to understand, to know, and to gain wisdom. They then discuss what people may do in search of knowledge, and the distinction between wisdom and knowledge.
May 11, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 146
This week, the guys return to Ancient Greece as they gather to discuss Socrates' personal life as a family man. They analyze whether philosophers can even have families, whether Socrates' family was serious or ironic, whether his intellectual or biological progeny are his real family, and more. Plus: a special announcement from Greg!
May 03, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 145
This week, the guys are joined by David's colleague and friend, Spencer Klavan. Together, the group discuss the overarchiing themes, influence, and historical context of Euripides' The Bacchae . Plus: an analysis of uniquely feminine power.
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 144
This week, the guys take a look at the introductory section of Allan Bloom's The Closing of the American Mind . In their analysis, the guys cover the significance of Bloom's writings in the context of American political thought as well as the merits of his argument in his introduction.
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 143
This week, the guys are joined for a second time by Dr. Justin Gottschalk to talk about the prologue to Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra . The group analyze the history, themes, value, and modern interpretations of what is arguably Nietzsche's hardest to grasp text.
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 142
Returning to the Ancients this week, the guys are here to discuss Xenophon's Hunting with Dogs . Using an edition put together by Michael Ehrmantraut and The New Thinkery 's own Greg McBrayer, the guys dive into the text, analyzing the underlying themes of the work, as well as some hidden intentions put in by Xenophon that have confused scholars for quite some time.
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 142
This week, the guys return to Leo Strauss' crucially important book, Natural Right and History . A discussion of the history of the work moves naturally to an analysis of the themes of chapter one, how thoroughly it expands on the concept of historicism before ripping into it, as well as some contextualization of the chapter when compared to other thinkers of Strauss' time. Plus: a brief note for your feedback.
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 141
This week, the guys take another trip down to the silver screen to analyze Jean Renoir's 1937 movie, The Grand Illusion . Hidden underneath the POW escape plot of the movie are deep and serious themes about the role of what was at the time Europe's dying aristocracy, among others. The guys break it all down.
Mar 22, 2023•55 min•Ep. 140
With the gang back together this week, the guys jump into a short essay on a punchy topic, the problem of freedom, using Jacob Klein's essay by the same name as a starting point. They discuss the framing of freedom, its types, and to what extent freedom itself is a good or bad thing. Plus: an announcement toward the end of the show!
Mar 15, 2023•59 min•Ep. 139
