Old School with Shilo Brooks Living Through the Fall of a Regime
Dominic Green is a historian, author, and columnist known for his insights on history and politics. In this discussion, he explores the themes of decline in today's American and British establishments, drawing parallels to Lampedusa's novel, The Leopard. Green delves into the consequences of a failing regime, discussing aristocratic decay and the elitism that breeds contempt for the populace. He also warns that ignoring societal decline could lead to a loss of legitimacy for today's leaders, urging a need for active adaptation to preserve core values and stability.
01:04:35
Teen Discovery That Changed A Career
- Dominic Green found The Leopard in a London secondhand bookstore as a teenager and it changed his reading life.
- The novel and its 1963 film adaptation pushed him to reread and recommend it widely.
Living Inside History
- Lampedusa's novel is less a historical novel than a novel about living inside history and understanding your place in time.
- Dominic Green says that realization gives the book its lasting power and personal resonance.
Sicily On The Eve Of Unification
- The novel is set in 1860 Sicily during Garibaldi's invasion and Italian unification.
- Don Fabrizio, the aging prince, faces a collapsing feudal order as new forces like Tancredi and Garibaldi rise.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
How Dominic Found The Leopard
01:22 • 37sec
Lampedusa's Life and Publication Struggles
01:59 • 3min
Setting: Sicily and 1860 Unification
04:52 • 1min
Characters: Don Fabrizio, Tancredi, Angelica
06:17 • 2min
Tancredi's Famous Line Explained
08:23 • 2min
Change to Preserve What's Valuable
10:09 • 2min
Obituary for the Old Order
12:04 • 2min
New Money Meets Old Aristocracy
14:30 • 3min
Aristocratic Vice and Private Cruelty
17:37 • 5min
Noblesse Oblige and Purpose
22:40 • 2min
Ad break
24:17 • 27sec
Is The Leopard Anti-Modern?
24:44 • 3min
Role of the Church and Religious Hypocrisy
27:20 • 4min
A Notable Passage: Dona Fugata Gallery
30:55 • 2min
Regime Decline: Lessons for Today
33:17 • 2min
Symptoms of Modern Decay
35:19 • 3min
Who Are Today's Elites and Their Corruption?
38:10 • 5min
Warning: Recognize Decay or Be Overthrown
43:35 • 3min
Media, Image, and the 1960 Turning Point
46:20 • 42sec
Fight Decline or Accept Cycles?
47:02 • 3min
Tune-Up vs. Regime Change
50:31 • 3min
Can Digital Information Sustain Rights?
53:47 • 13sec
Recommended Reading on Decline
53:59 • 5min
Lightning Round: Books and Opinions
59:22 • 4min
Outro
01:03:36 • 0sec
#41676
The Garden of the Finzi Continis
Giorgio Bassani
string
#1041
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Civilization and its discontents
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud's "Civilization and Its Discontents" delves into the inherent conflict between individual desires and societal demands.
Freud explores the tension between the pleasure principle and the reality principle, arguing that civilization's restrictions on instinctual gratification lead to widespread unhappiness.
He examines the role of aggression and the development of the superego in shaping human behavior.
The book also touches upon the influence of religion and the search for meaning in human life.
Ultimately, Freud suggests that a degree of discontent is inevitable in a civilized society.
#2325
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Brideshead revisited
Evelyn Waugh
Published in 1945, 'Brideshead Revisited' is a satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh that chronicles the lives of the aristocratic Flyte family from the 1920s through to the Second World War. The story is narrated by Captain Charles Ryder, who forms a deep friendship with Sebastian Flyte at Oxford University.
The novel delves into the complexities of relationships, the pervasive influence of the Catholic Church on the Flyte family, and the gradual decay of the aristocratic way of life.
It explores themes of faith, love, and the search for meaning in a world undergoing significant change.
Waugh's work is noted for its elegant prose, witty dialogue, and a profound exploration of the human condition.
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The bonfire of the vanities
Tom Wolfe
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a drama that centers on three main characters: Sherman McCoy, a WASP bond trader; Larry Kramer, a Jewish assistant district attorney; and Peter Fallow, a British expatriate journalist.
The novel explores the complexities of New York City in the 1980s, delving into themes of ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed.
It was originally conceived as a serial in the style of Charles Dickens and ran in 27 installments in Rolling Stone before being published in book form.
The story follows the characters through their interactions and conflicts, highlighting the superficial values and hypocrisies of the city's elite and the underlying social tensions of the time.
#2478
• Mentioned in 15 episodes
The leopard
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Leopard, originally titled 'Il Gattopardo', is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that explores the transformation of Sicilian society during the Italian unification in the 19th century.
The story centers around Don Fabrizio, the Prince of Salina, who represents the old feudal order and witnesses the transition of power from the aristocracy to the new bourgeois class.
The novel is set against the backdrop of Giuseppe Garibaldi's invasion of Sicily and the subsequent unification of Italy.
It is known for its vivid descriptions of Sicilian life, its complex characters, and its exploration of themes such as mortality, change, and the decline of the aristocracy.
#1897
• Mentioned in 19 episodes
The world of yesterday
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig's "The World of Yesterday" is a poignant memoir reflecting on the author's life in Vienna before and during the rise of Nazism.
Zweig's evocative prose paints a vivid picture of a bygone era, capturing the cultural vibrancy and intellectual ferment of pre-war Vienna.
The memoir explores themes of memory, loss, and the fragility of civilization.
Zweig's personal experiences and observations provide a profound insight into the social and political changes that transformed Europe in the early 20th century.
The book is a testament to Zweig's literary skill and his ability to convey profound emotions with grace and sensitivity.
It's a moving and insightful reflection on a world lost to history.
#49
• Mentioned in 211 episodes
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Written in 1931 and published in 1932, 'Brave New World' is a dystopian novel set in a futuristic World State where humans are bred in vitro and predestined into a rigid social hierarchy.
The novel explores themes of technological advancement, social conditioning, and the loss of individuality and freedom.
The story revolves around characters such as Bernard Marx, an Alpha who questions the society, Mustapha Mond, the World Controller, and John, a 'Savage' from a reservation who introduces elements of emotion and individuality into the highly controlled World State.
The novel critiques the optimism of technological progress and its potential to create a society that values stability and happiness over humanity and freedom.
#261
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Democracy in America
Alexis de Tocqueville
Written after his travels in the United States, 'Democracy in America' is a comprehensive study of American society and government.
Tocqueville examines the democratic revolution and its impact on American life, discussing topics such as the sovereignty of the people, the role of civil society, the dangers of the tyranny of the majority, and the influence of religion and individualism.
The book is a philosophical and political analysis that aims to understand why republican representative democracy succeeded in the United States while failing in other places, and it offers insights into the future of democracy both in America and globally.
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• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Radetzky Marsch
Josef Roth
#5478
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Vanity Fair 1911
Doran Shoemaker
#339
• Mentioned in 65 episodes
Middlemarch
George Eliot
Middlemarch, written by George Eliot, is a novel that delves into the complexities of provincial life in 19th-century England.
The story revolves around the intersecting lives of its characters, particularly Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, as they navigate marriage, vocation, and social class.
Eliot critiques the conventional romance narratives of her time by portraying marriage as a complex and often problematic institution.
The novel also explores themes of idealism, self-interest, hypocrisy, and the constraints on women's lives.
Set in the fictional town of Middlemarch between 1829 and 1832, the novel incorporates historical events such as the Great Reform Act of 1832 and early developments in medicine.
Eliot's realistic portrayal of ordinary human life, with its quiet tragedies and small triumphs, has made 'Middlemarch' a masterpiece of English literature.
#1
• Mentioned in 1,422 episodes
1984
George Orwell
Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism.
The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother.
Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative.
He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination.
The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.
“If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” This famous line from The Leopard has become a shorthand for moments when a ruling order senses its own looming downfall.
And it feels eerily relevant now, in an age when the liberal order we cherish seems increasingly unsteady. We are living in a moment when we shout “regime decline” from the rooftops. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s classic novel is about what it feels like to live inside history—inside the collapse of a social order and the disorientation that accompanies the fall of a ruling class.
In this episode, historian Dominic Green joins Shilo Brooks to explore why today’s American and British establishments resemble that fading aristocracy: oligarchic, overregulated, technologically backward, and increasingly contemptuous of the people they rule.
Old School is proudly brought to you by the Jack Miller Center. If you believe in the importance of civic education and want to help prepare the next generation to carry on our democracy, join us at JackMillerCenter.org.
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