The New Thinkery

28/08/2024

We interviewed Pano Kanelos, the founding President of the University of Austin (and my boss!), about what it's like to start a university. But we spent most of the time talking about Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

Please give it a listen! https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/32726392

26/07/2021

Great episode on Socrates' speech in the Symposium. Contd.
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19863668

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 Institut...

26/07/2021

This was a master class on Maimonides with the inestimably learned Joshua Parens
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19801004

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. 

07/07/2021

Tom Cleveland on Plato's Minos
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19714625

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 question...

07/07/2021

Our 4th of July Independence Day episode!
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19622705

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:...

07/07/2021

Plutarch's second life in the pair, Alcibiades and Coriolanus
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19541765

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. 

07/07/2021

Plutarch's account of the life of Alcibiades https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19459184

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.

07/07/2021

Leo Strauss, influential 20th Century scholar https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19394129

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 Strauss...

07/07/2021

Our most famous interviewee, Bill Kristol!
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19320158

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 politica...

07/07/2021

A short story by Conrad
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19240244

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 understa...

07/07/2021

More in our continuing Symposium saga--Socrates this time!
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19125710

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. 

07/07/2021

Ashbrook Center Exec President Jeff Sikkenga on Tocqueville
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/19070324

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.

07/07/2021

The Wise Butterworth discusses Alfarabi and religion
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18978311

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 ligh...

07/07/2021

An episode recorded with a live audience!
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18872915

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.  T...

07/07/2021

The boys venture off into Roman thought and tackle Tacitus
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18683231

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...

07/07/2021

Stoicism, explained https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18682604

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. 

07/07/2021

Greek Tragedy! Sophocles' Electra https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18592484

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 expe...

07/07/2021

Tragedy and Love
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18319052

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.

07/07/2021

One of the first episodes we recorded: Nietzsche
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18396158

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 H...

07/07/2021

Pericles' Funeral Oration. Enjoy! https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18357650

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 Pericle...

07/07/2021

A Great Woody Allen Flick! https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18223778

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....

07/07/2021

More of Plato's Symposium! https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18141194

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.

01/03/2021

Flagg Taylor stops by to chat about Walker Percy and dish a little.
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/18033179

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 do...

01/03/2021

Our interview with Prof. Steve Hayward is up! https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17959664

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. Hay...

01/03/2021

New Episode on Bacon's New Atlantis
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17857088

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.

03/02/2021

Distinguished scholar Jan Blits on Shakespeare's Coriolanus
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17778710

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. . Plus: stick around for Greg's infamous Q&A s...

03/02/2021

The boys yuck it up with the great satirist, Jonathan Swift
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17670389

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. 

03/02/2021

The boys of TNT discuss Jacob Klein's Essay on Liberal Education
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17582531

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.

03/02/2021

An episode on an essay by the American Philosopher, William James
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17506991

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 alignme...

03/02/2021

Our guest, Professor Velkley discusses Heidegger and Strauss.
https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/thenewthinkery/id/17435255

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 th...