The New Thinkery

This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Nick Buccola, professor and Elizabeth & Morris Glickman Chair in Political Science at Linfield University to discuss the life and philosophy of Frederick Douglass. The group analyze several key writings of Douglass and how his view of government shifted as he aged. Plus: an overview of Douglass' experience as a public speaker. Shoutout to the Ancient Language Institute for sponsoring!

In this Constitution Day special edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Ben Kleinerman, the R.W. Morrison Chair of Political Science at Baylor University and board member of the Jack Miller Center. Together, the group discuss several of the Federalist Papers and what their respective authors thought the U.S. regime need be wary of as it progressed.

In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys are overthrown and replaced by a distinguished, all-female panel of four guests: Lisa Leibowitz, Linda Rabieh, Carly Herold, and Anna Mansfield. The panel discuss Aristophanes' play where, fittingly for the situation the guys find themselves in this week, women are installed as rulers of Athens and start instituting major reforms.

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Laurence Cooper of Carleton College. Together, the group discuss Plato's Symposium in TNT's penultimate episode on the subject, this time focusing on Aristophanes' speech on Eros (and Socrates). Shoutout to Davenant Hall for sponsoring!

In this edition of The New Thinkery Alex and Greg visit the Jack Miller Center where they are joined by Professor Steven Smith. The group discuss Michael Oakeshott's famous work, "Political Education". Plus: don't miss out on the quickest response times we've seen yet on lightning round questions! Shoutout to Davenant Hall for sponsoring!

In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys analyze a frequent read of David's: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. A tome by one of the great Russian authors, Leo Tolstoy, the crew have much to discuss as they reflect on the key theme of the book, mortality.

In this week's installment of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Arlene Saxonhouse, Professor of Political Science and Women's Studies and a former chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan. The group discuss how Plato and Socrates thought of women and their role in greater society. Plus: a brief discussion of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Shoutout to the Ancient Language Institute for supporting the show!

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Michael Grenke, a tutor (professor) at St. John's College to discuss Warspeak: Nietzsche's Victory Over Nihilism, a book by Lise Van Boxel. The group analyze key points of Nietzsche's philosophy, the characteristics of a philosopher in Nietzsche's eyes, and the dangers of nihilism. Special thanks to the Ancient Language Institute for supporting the show!

The New Thinkery is officially a year old! To celebrate a year of podcasting, the guys analyze the comic play from which TNT gets its name: Aristophanes' The Clouds. Topics discussed include the value of comedy vs. philosophy, the nature of comedy, and more. Plus: a thought-provoking series of mailbag questions. Shoutout to the Ancient Language Institute for supporting us!

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys return to Plato's Symposium for their penultimate episode on the book. This time around, they continue their discussion of Socrates' Speech on Eros. Plus: the guys have some funny middle school stories to tell. Shoutout to the Ancient Language Institute for supporting the show!

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Joshua Parens, Dean of the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts and Professor of Philosophy and Politics, to discuss the philosophy of Maimonides from law to politics.

In this edition of The New Thinkery, Alex and Greg are joined by Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Academics Program Officer for the Jack Miller Center. They discuss the very nature of law using Plato's Minos as a backdrop to delve into the topic. Plus: don't miss an extended series of lightning round questions!

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.

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.

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.

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?

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, and his podcast Conversations to learn more.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 great work they do by visiting www.coretexts.org.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys take a look at perhaps the greatest individual of the 20th century: Winston Churchill. Specifically, the guys analyze Churchill's 1931 essay "Mass Effects in Modern Life." The essay poses two core questions. First, whether we can escape mass systems and their effects. Second, whether mass systems are in the interest of the greater good. Tune in to see the guys break it down.

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are back from stuffing themselves with turkey last week, and are joined by Dr. Robert Faulkner, a research professor at Boston College focusing on modern political philosophy and American political and legal thought. They expand upon episode sixteen's look at Francis Bacon's works. In addition to a philosophy and history lesson, stick around for the ever-fun lightning round Q&A at the end!

In this short bonus episode of TNT, Alex, David, and Greg go around the digital table discussing what they're thankful for. Alex also poses lightning round questions. Stick around to hear about Greg's literally smoking truck.

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys talk about life in Sparta through the lens of Plutarch's writings on Lycurgus. You might be asking yourself what an ostensible history text is doing on a philosophy podcast. Rest assured, looking at Spartan life raises several philosophical questions.

This week, the guys return to Plato and Socrates. In the third installment of this ongoing series analyzing Plato's Symposium, the guys break down Pausanias' speech. This includes a discussion of ancient Greek pederasty. Plus: stick around until the end for a lightning round Q&A.

In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys tackle Francis Bacon. Specifically, the guys reveal Bacon's idea of who should rule us. Plus: is Bacon Machiavellian?

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by James Ceaser, professor of politics at the University of Virginia. Together, the group discuss the nature of foundings. From ancient Greece on up to the founding of America, there are a few common elements that define a founding, and Professor Ceaser reveals them for you. Plus: stick around until the end for a series of very interesting lightning round Q&A!

Shakespeare's Macbeth is among his most famous plays. it is "read" far and wide in high school classrooms, where the teacher promptly puts students to sleep by making such an interesting play boring. The guys are back this week to set the record straight and talk about Macbeth in a thought-provoking way, highlighting the crucial philosophical underpinnings of the play. Plus: Greg is definitely a witch/warlock, but you didn't hear that from the producer.