Socrates in the City
The Unexamined Life is not Worth Living.
Socrates in the City
Show overview
Socrates in the City has been publishing since 2019, and across the 7 years since has built a catalogue of 112 episodes. That works out to roughly 120 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 1h 1m and 1h 19m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 3 weeks ago, with 12 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2019, with 45 episodes published.
From the publisher
Socrates in the City is the acclaimed series of conversations on “life, God, and other small topics,” hosted by Eric Metaxas. Starting with the philosopher Socrates’s famous words that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” Metaxas thought it would be valuable to create a forum that might encourage busy New Yorkers in thinking about the bigger questions in life. He founded Socrates in the City in 2000. Metaxas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of MARTIN LUTHER, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT, BONHOEFFER, AMAZING GRACE, and MIRACLES. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, and Metaxas has appeared as a cultural commentator on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. He is the host of The Eric Metaxas Radio Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program heard in more than 120 cities around the U.S. and via podcast in over 80 countries.
Latest Episodes
View all 112 episodesJames Orr and Mary Harrington: Why Aristotle Would Disagree With Modern Politics
Mary Eberstadt: The Dark Side of the Sexual Revolution
Tom Holland and Mary Harrington: The Rise and Reach of Rome
Eric Metaxas and Jonathan Leaf: Decades of Chimp Propaganda
Louise Perry and Mary Harrington: The Feminization of Society
Eric Metaxas and Hugh Ross: An Astrophysicist Explores the Science of the Bible
Jonathan Pageau and Mary Harrington: Reality in a Disenchanted Age
Nina Power and Mary Harrington: The Ponzi Scheme of Modern Institutions
Eric Metaxas and Martin Shaw: Discovering the True Myth
Mary Harrington and Justin Brierley: The Quiet Revival of Christianity
Roger Kimball and Heather Mac Donald: How Political Correctness Hijacked the Arts
Peter Kreeft and Eric Metaxas: Charlie Kirk, Martyrdom, and Dying for the Truth
Massimo Pigliucci: What is Stoicism?
<p>What is the history of Stoicism and how does one practice it today? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with professor and philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, author of the popular How to be a Stoic and Beyond Stoicism, to discuss the history and development of Stoicism, and the line between emotion, reason, and virtue. They discuss the influence […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/massimo-pigliucci-what-is-stoicism/">Massimo Pigliucci: What is Stoicism?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
Paul Kingsnorth: Against the Machine
<p>Is there an unnamed force ― which we all feel ― reshaping what it means to be human? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas is joined by the furiously gifted writer, Paul Kingsnorth, to discuss his newest book, Against The Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity. Throughout the compelling ― and at times chilling […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/paul-kingsnorth-against-the-machine/">Paul Kingsnorth: Against the Machine</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
Joe Loconte: The War for Middle – Earth
<p>“Evil labors with vast power and perpetual success – in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.” —J.R.R. Tolkien What does it mean to cling to truth, beauty, and goodness in the shadow of history’s darkest hours? Can goodness truly spring forth from evil? These questions lie at the heart […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/joe-loconte-the-war-for-middle-earth/">Joe Loconte: The War for Middle – Earth</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
Arthur Brooks: What is Happiness?
<p>What is happiness? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with Dr. Arthur Brooks to discuss one of the most prevalent questions in our society: What is happiness? The question behind his newest book, The Happiness Files. Based on his long career and his lived experience as a Professor and scholar, Dr. Brooks shares not […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/arthur-brooks-what-is-happiness/">Arthur Brooks: What is Happiness?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
William Lane Craig: Is the Existence of God Provable?
<p>Can we prove the existence of God? In this Socrates in the City conversation, host Eric Metaxas speaks with William Lane Craig—Emeritus Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, renowned Christian apologist, and one of today’s most influential philosophers. Drawing from his new book, Systematic Philosophical Theology, and more than four decades of […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/william-lane-craig-is-the-existence-of-god-provable/">William Lane Craig: Is the Existence of God Provable?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
Robert P. George: We Need Free Speech the Way the Body Needs Oxygen to Survive
<p>Is there an innate human knowledge of Truth? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with Robert P. George, Princeton University Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program, to discuss his new book, Seeking Truth and Speaking Truth. Their conversation delves into the nature of humanity, examining how our understanding […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/robert-p-george-we-need-free-speech-the-way-the-body-needs-oxygen-to-survive/">Robert P. George: We Need Free Speech the Way the Body Needs Oxygen to Survive</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
Olivia Reingold: What Political Polarization Means for America
<p>How did Socialism become mainstream in New York City? In this timely and insightful conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas speaks with NYC-based journalist Olivia Reingold about her coverage of the 2026 NYC Mayoral race’s front runner, Zohran Mamdani. Reingold unpacks the shifting tide in the political and economic thought of Gen Z, […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/olivia-reingold-what-political-polarization-means-for-america/">Olivia Reingold: What Political Polarization Means for America</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>
Melanie Phillips: How Jews and Christians Built the West—and Why Only They Can Save It
<p>What are the Jewish and Christian foundations of Western society—and why do they matter today? In this insightful conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas speaks with journalist and author Melanie Phillips about her newest book, The Builder’s Stone. Phillips explores Jewish identity, the history of Israel, and the spiritual roots that have shaped […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com/listen/melanie-phillips-how-jews-and-christians-built-the-west-and-why-only-they-can-save-it/">Melanie Phillips: How Jews and Christians Built the West—and Why Only They Can Save It</a> first appeared on <a href="https://socratesinthecity.com">Socrates in the City</a>.</p>