Panel: Leo Strauss on Plato's Symposium, Part I
The New Thinkery
This week, Greg and David take a break and let Alex do the talking, joined by multiple respected academics as the group gather to discuss Strauss' views on Plato's symposium, in part informed by panelist Rasoul Namazi and Svetozar Minkov's latest book, Leo Strauss on Religion: Writings and Interpretations. This episode includes an homage to Christopher Bruell, who passed away just prior to the panel taking place, the opening talks of the panelists, and the beginning of back and forth discussion with moderator Hannes Kerber. Next week's episode will be focused on Christmas, but the...
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Roosevelt Montás on the Virtues of a Liberal Education
The New Thinkery
Is the ideal of a liberal education still achievable in the modern era? Roosevelt Montás, celebrated author and scholar at Columbia University, joins Greg and Alex to examine both its enduring virtues and its shortcomings. Together, the group discuss how a liberal education fosters critical thinking and civic engagement, why it faces resistance, and how it might grow to better serve today’s learners. Check out ACTC's in 2025! If you want to meet all three of this episode's personalities in person, they'll all be at the upcoming in April. Greg might buy you a coffee if you find him...
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Thomas Powers on the Civil Rights Movement
The New Thinkery
Join the guys, minus David who has inexplicably gone missing, for an empassioned conversation with Carthus College's Professor Thomas Powers of Carthus College, and author of , as he explores both the successes and challenges of the new civil rights regime. From promoting equality to navigating unintended societal shifts, we unpack how this framework shapes modern multiculturalism, identity, and justice in America. This episode invites listeners to rethink the evolving ideals of civil rights and their impact on our society today.
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Samuel Stoner on Kant’s Conjectural Beginnings and the Story of Genesis
The New Thinkery
This week, Professor Samuel Stoner steps in for David and helps guide Alex and Greg through Immanuel Kant's thought-provoking short essay Conjectural Beginnings of Human History, where philosophy and religious thought intersect in a speculative retelling of Genesis. The group explore Kant's imaginative account of humanity's emergence from instinct to reason, the birth of moral consciousness, and the challenges of freedom in the earliest stages of civilization.
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Giovanni Ferrari on Plato the Writer
The New Thinkery
This week all the guys are back in the saddle, and joined by Prof. Giovanni R. F. (John) Ferrari, the Melpomene Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Literature and a professor of Classics at UC Berkeley. Over the course of the episode, Prof. Ferrari unpacks his unique approach to Plato with the guys, highlighting things you don't see highlighted frequently when analyzing his works. Plus: does Prof. Ferrari's first car live up to the automotive prestige of his namesake? Find out in the lightning round!
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Damian Jungerman on Hannah Arendt's "Philosophy and Politics"
The New Thinkery
David and Greg dive into Hannah Arendt's influential essay "Philosophy and Politics" this week alongside returning guest Damien Jungerman, exploring Arendt's insights on the complex relationship between philosophical thought and political action. Together, the group unpacks Arendt's arguments on how thinkers shape—and are shaped by—the political landscapes they inhabit. Plus: some details on the conflict between Strauss and Arendt.
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John Ford's The Sun Shines Bright
The New Thinkery
While you are either celebrating or lamenting who appears to be the victor of the 2024 election, the guys are showing their election season spirits, taking a look at John Ford's The Sun Shines Bright. With a backdrop of the Old West, old timey Southern ways lead to the formation of a lynch mob, and a candidate for office must step in to save the masses from themselves. The guys break the film down in detail, unpacking the subtle messages in the film. Plus: Greg tells his story about the one and only time he ever ran for an elected office!
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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!
info_outlineThis 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.