5.1 The Roots of American Order | An Introduction with Dr. Bradley J. Birzer
Release Date: 10/12/2021
Vital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary reflects back on all of the ground covered this season and offers his closing reflections. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming, focused on studying Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th century work, "Democracy in America." Long considered a...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey is joined by author Amy H. Sturgis, faculty member at Signum University with a Ph.D. in Intellectual History who specializes in Gothic and Indigenous America Studies. Together they explore Tocqueville's stand-alone work, A Fortnight in the Wilderness. ...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey is joined by Dr. Sara Henary from Missouri State University to explore the final sections of Tocqueville’s work. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming, focused on studying Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey, explores the themes of honor, patriotism & pugnacity within Tocqueville’s work while examining the ways in which America has changed since the 19th Century and the many ways in which things have stayed consistent. "Tocqueville's America - and...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey, welcomes McConnell Scholar Kathleen Price to join him for a discussion exploring how Tocqueville observed the roles of women inside and apart from the function of family in 19th century America. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary'explores Tocqueville's feelings towards the ideas of sanity and mental health, along with the intersection of religion and politics in America. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming, focused on studying Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey, welcomes , the Executive Director of the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, to join him for a discussion exploring how Tocqueville felt towards the ideas of spiritualism and work in America. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey, welcomes McConnell Scholar Riley Maddox to join him for a discussion exploring how Tocqueville felt towards the ideas of association and self-interest in America. "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming,...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary's co-host, Dr. John Wilsey, explores the theme of what Tocqueville believed defined a mindset as specifically "American." "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming, focused on studying Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th century work,...
info_outlineVital Remnants
Vital Remnants, a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, walks you through great texts in human history. This season, join your host - the Center’s Director, Dr. Gary L. Gregg - as he leads an exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. For this episode, Gary explores the theme of "prescient mind." "Tocqueville's America - and Ours" is the McConnell Center's 2023-2024 programming, focused on studying Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th century work, "Democracy in America." Long considered a classic consideration of the origins, evolution,...
info_outlineIn this episode, McConnell Center Director Dr. Gary Gregg is joined by Dr. Bradley J. Birzer, Professor of History and Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, for a conversation on Russell Kirk’s The Roots of American Order. The two discuss the McConnell Center’s new book in common project and Kirk’s inspiration for the book.
This season of Vital Remnants uses Russell Kirk’s The Roots of American Order to explore the historical roots from which America has grown. Rather than focusing on one defining moment, episodes explore America’s inheritance from thousands of years of human history grounded in five key cities—Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and Philadelphia. Each episode relates to a corresponding chapter and includes a conversation with a guest expert that goes beyond the text.
Important Links
- Purchase a copy of Russell Kirk’s The Roots of American Order
- Download the corresponding reading guide to The Roots of American Order here
- Learn more about this year-long project at https://louisville.edu/mcconnellcenter/programs-events/bic
- Subscribe to our newsletter and receive McConnell Center updates directly in your mailbox
- Share any thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns with us via email at connor.tracy@louisville.edu
This podcast is a production of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. For more information, including upcoming events, please visit us online at mcconnellcenter.org or on social media at:
- Facebook: @mcconnellcenter
- Instagram: @ulmcenter
- Twitter: @ULmCenter
Contributors
- Host: Dr. Gary L. Gregg II, McConnell Center Director
- Guest: Dr. Bradley J. Birzer, Professor of History and Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College
- Producer and Editor: Connor Tracy, McConnell Center SBS Coordinator
- Co-Editor: Will Randolph, McConnell Scholar