Charles Butterworth on Al-Farabi's Book of Letters
The New Thinkery
This week, the guys are joined once again by Dr. Charles Butterworth, emeritus professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. The group convene to discuss Butterworth's newest book, a of Al-Farabi's Book of Letters, discussing how the book came to be, Al-Farabi's backstory to the extent we know it, and the substance of the text itself.
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Patrick Deneen on Strauss' Three Waves of Modernity
The New Thinkery
This week, Alex and Greg temporarily replace David with friend of the show Professor Patrick Deneen, who teaches at the University of Notre Dame. The group dive right into Strauss' Three Waves of Modernity, dissecting its arguments and unpacking relevant backstory. Plus, if you can't get enough of Strauss, apply for UATX's upcoming and/or register for a virtual !
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An Overview of Homer's Odyssey
The New Thinkery
A full complement of hosts are back this week and primed to deliver an overview of Homer's Odyssey. In addition to a plot synopsis, the guys dispel common myths about Odysseus, take a closer look at Penelope, discuss the appropriate time for a person to read the Odyssey in their lives, talk translations, and more!
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Jonathan Swift's Battle of the Books
The New Thinkery
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.
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Sabrina Little on Athletics and Virtue
The New Thinkery
This week, the guys are joined by Sabrina Little, assistant professor in the department of Leadership and American Studies at Christopher Newport University. The group discuss athletics, especially running, and how virtue can boost athletic performance. Little's new book, , and her accomplishments in ultramarathons serve as helpful points of ingress into a more thorough exploration of the relationship.
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Leo Strauss' "On the Interpretation of Genesis"
The New Thinkery
This week, the guys return once again to the prophetic teachings of Leo Strauss. This time, the focus is on Strauss' understanding of Genesis, which the guys dissect in an effort to disentangle the Ancient Greek and biblical influences that went into Strauss' interpretation.
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Lincoln and the Founding
The New Thinkery
This week, in observance of Constitution Day, the guys wax poetic about the virtues of the Founding... is what you probably expected this to say. Instead, Greg wrote an entire academic paper about Lincoln's hushed critique of the Founding, so the guys sit down to unpack the paper's core arguments, as well as how Lincoln was, and wasn't, successful at bringing Christianity into the political ethos of his time.
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Eric Adler on Livy's History of Rome, Book I Ch. 1-16
The New Thinkery
This week, the guys are joined once again by Dr. Eric Adler, Professor and Chair of Classics at the University of Maryland, to talk about the beginning of Livy's History of Rome. Given Rome's impressively long history, it's no surprise that it took Livy over 140 books to recount it just up to the beginning of the Roman Empire. The group tackle Livy's telling of the founding of Rome, as well as its monarchy. Plus: a comparison between Roman and Greek history, and why Rome's first historians wrote their books in Greek, not Latin.
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Walter Sterling on T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"
The New Thinkery
This week, the guys are joined by Walter Sterling, the freshly minted president of St. John's College in Santa Fe to discuss one of the twentieth century's most important poems, T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land." The group work their way through the work's oppressive density and prose to get at the crucial themes and messages underlying it all. Plus: a tangential discussion about Saint John's College and Sterling's background with the college.
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Pano Kanelos on Hamlet and the University of Austin
The New Thinkery
It's back to school season, and to mark the occasion, the full host complement is joined by Dr. Pano Kanelos, founding president of the University of Austin. Together, the ensemble dissect key moments in Hamlet. That includes a potential recontextualization of the best-known soliloquy in the world, Hamlet's “To be or not to be” speech. Plus: a look at the University of Austin as it prepares to welcome its inaugural class.
info_outlineIn 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.