Thinking Class

Dr. Bijan Omrani is a classicist, historian, and Oxford-educated barrister. His research explores questions of religious history and cultural identity, spanning from ancient Roman Greece to Afghanistan and the Silk Road. He has taught Classics at Eton College and Westminster School, is a former editor of Asian Affairs, and currently serves as a Research Fellow at the University of Exeter. He is also a churchwarden.In this episode, Bijan and I think out loud about his book God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England, and the profound role Christianity has played in shaping English identity, culture, and ethics; how the faith helped form the national character, the cultural cohesion it has historically fostered, and the dangers we face in moving away from this heritage; the consequences of Christianity’s decline in public life, the importance of understanding and preserving England’s spiritual and historical roots, and the figures Bijan believes to be the five most influential in the story of English Christianity and nationhood, why the literary canon remains ever relevant, and Bijan offers personal reflections on faith, tradition, and the need for a revival of cultural and spiritual imagination—and much, much more.Enjoy the show, Classmates, and don't forget to subscribe.You can find Bijan’s work here:BooksThe CriticThe Spectator X/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the full show on YouTube or you can watch/listen to it on Substack.

Prof. Tim Lang is the emeritus professor of food policy at City University London Centre for Food Policy. He was professor of food policy at Citi from 2002 to 2021 and had founded the Centre in 1994 at Thames Valley University, now the University of West London. After a PhD in social psychology at Leeds University in the early seventies, he became a hill farmer in the forest of Boland Lancashire, which shifted his attention to food policy. In this episode, Tim and I think out loud about the pressing issue of food resilience in Britain highlights the fragility of the food system and the historical context that has led to its current state, why Tim believes we need to take a public health approach to food security, the role of supermarkets and the importance of preparing for potential crises, why food policies and practices needs to be re-evaluated, what the pressing issues are around. Enjoy the show Classmates. You can find Tim's work here:University Of LondonResearchGateGoogle ScholarX/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the full show on YouTube

Dr. Mario Trabucco della Torretta is a classical archaeologist trained in Sicily and Athens. Mario's expertise covers classical Greek architecture and sculpture, ancient Athens and the Elgin Marbles. He tweets @Mario_Trabucco and runs the YouTube channel @ElginMarbleGames⁩.In this episode, Mario and I think out loud about how museums acquire artefacts, the contested nature of certain items, the historical context of ownership, particularly of the Elgin Marbles, Greek public opinion regarding the return of the marbles and the popular narratives that shape these debates. We also talk about the challenges of historical interpretation, the implications of reshaping historical narratives for national identity or its dissolution, the commercialisation of museums and the potential dangers of propaganda in cultural institutions and much, much more. Enjoy the show, Classmates, and don't forget to subscribe.You can find Mario’s work here:The CriticX/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the full show on YouTube

Douglas Carswell was a member of the British Parliament for 12 years. He also co-founded Vote Leave the Official campaign that won the 2016 Brexit vote in Britain. The author of five books, Douglas has written widely about bank reform and monetary policy, as well as publishing a libertarian history of human progress. In this episode, Douglas and I think out loud about his plan to save Britain, why advocating for remigration is a necessary step to restore the country's identity, why the United Kingdom needs to undo Tony Blair's legislative legacy, why politicians, slogans are empty and the country needs detailed plans to fix its issues, why the US' poorest state, Mississippi, is richer than the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom should re-evaluate its global alliances and focus on the anglosphere, how the country evolved into a nanny state, how personal responsibility and gratitude foster the conditions for a free society, what the UK does better than the US and vice versa, and how human nature impacts politics and culture and much, much more.In the exclusive Substack Q&A, we also discuss Douglas's views on on UK politics, digital freedom, and the future of the political establishment.You can find Douglas's work here:The TelegraphBooksX/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the full show on YouTube or you can watch/listen to it on Substack

Charles Cornish Dale, otherwise known as Raw Egg Nationalist, is a writer and owner of a popular X/Twitter account. Charlie is the editor of the Mans World Magazine and the author of four books, Raw Egg Nationalism in Theory and Practice; Three lives of Golden Age Bodybuilders; Draw Me a Gironda and Raw Egg Trilogy. His fifth book is The Last Men: Liberalism and The Death of Masculinity. He has written for The Spectator, The American Mind, and The Daily Caller.In this episode, Charlie and I think out loud about his journey from academia to becoming a prominent voice in health and nutrition advocacy, why low testosterone levels in men is a political issue, why we should resist the corporate takeover of the food supply and shun plant-based diets, how ancestral diets are optimal for health, why the West's addiction to growth will be the death of it, and why a spiritual malaise is behind declining birth rates and that's why economic incentives won't fix it and also why replacement immigration is not a solution and much, much more. In the exclusive Substack Q&A, we discussed Charlie's views on what we should eat for optimal health and how men can boost their testosterone. Subscribe in the links below. You can find Charlie’s work here:MansworldmagX/TwitterBooksYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the full show on YouTube or you can watch it here on Substack.

Nuriyah Khan is the host of the YouTube channel Holy Humanist and is a prominent ex-Muslim and women's rights campaigner, known for her fearless advocacy and outspoken views. In this episode, Nuriyah and I think out loud about her experiences as an ex Muslim and her views on women's rights and human rights. We also talk about the changing landscape of Islam in Britain, the perception of institutional preference for Muslims over other religious adherents, the potential for an Islamic reformation led by Saudi Arabia and particularly Mohammed bin Salman, the role of British Muslims in public discourse, the media's treatment of Islam, and the cultural expressions of Englishness that Nuriyah think are so important to retain, and why patriotism needs to make a comeback. Nuriyah also shares her insights on the challenges and opportunities for integration and the future of a multi ethnic Britain, which she wants to be optimistic about, but feels like she leans towards realism, which others might read as Not good,  and you can expect much, much more. In the exclusive Substack Q&A, we also discuss Nuriyah's views on how to contain extremism in Britain, and much besides.You can find Nuriyah’s work here:YoutubeX/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the full show on YouTube or you can watch it here on Substack.

Niall Gooch is a writer and has appeared in The Spectator, Unheard, and The Catholic Herald. In this episode, Niall and I think out loud about the unique aspects of British identity, the impact of political ideologies on historical narratives, and why we need to strike a balance between kindness and justice in public policy. We also talk about why each of us need a deeper understanding of the cultural values we hold, why we must preserve historical context when engaging in discussions about contemporary issues, the evolution of the Catholic Church, the tension between tradition and modernity, and much, much more. And in the exclusive Substack Q& A for paid subscribers, we discuss Niall's personal transformations, including his shift in perspective regarding war and intervention, the future of the monarchy in relation to its Christian roots.Enjoy the show, Classmates.You can find Niall’s work here:UnHerdThe SpectatorThe Catholic HeraldX/TwitterBookSubstackYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

Lorenzo Warby writes the Substack Lorenzo from Oz and he contributes regularly to Helen Dale's Substack, Not on your team, but always fair. He needs little introduction to long time classmates because this is the third time he has appeared on the show. Check out the archives for the other two. In this episode, Lorenzo and I think out loud about why the term capitalism is misleading and why we should speak about living in a mercantile society instead, the many complexities of commerce and the cultural influences on economic growth, the prevalence of activism in the modern world and its impact on social capital, the implications of bureaucratic moral projects, the challenges of accountability within bureaucracies, the impact of migration policies on democratic processes, the historical context of the fall of empires, particularly the Roman Empire, why effective institutions are more valuable than empires, the importance of local governance and trade in fostering prosperity, and much, much more.Enjoy the show, Classmates.You can also check Lorenzo out on:SubstackYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

Alan McFarlane is an anthropologist, historian, and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at King’s College, Cambridge. He is the author or editor of 20 books and numerous articles covering the anthropology and history of England, Nepal, Japan, and China. A fellow of both the British Academy and the Royal Historical Society, Alan has dedicated much of his work to the comparative study of the origins and nature of the modern world. In this episode, Alan and I think out loud about how we don't understand what modernity actually is when we talk about it, how understanding modernity helps us understand capitalism and individualism, the unique trajectory of English capitalism, the influence of the Celtic nations on England, and the legacy of the British Empire in shaping national identity, the misunderstanding and reframing of historical narratives, particularly in relation to Marxist interpretations of history, the complexities of British identity, the challenges of cultural integration in an era of mass immigration, the historical significance of the English Reformation, what Alan thinks is the elusive nature of national character, the coexistence of multiple identities, whether Alan subscribes to the notion of a clash of civilizations, the importance of cultural rules and the historical context of Protestantism in shaping English society and much, much more.Let's grow Thinking Class together.Enjoy the show, Classmates.You can find Alan's work here:Alanmacfarlane.comAyabaya - YouTubeBooksYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube 

Today, I’m speaking with Dr Anthony Daniels, better known by his pen name, Theodore Dalrymple. He is an English cultural critic, prison physician, and psychiatrist who has worked in several sub-Saharan African countries and London’s East End.**Please excuse the audio issues on my side. This problem was caused by my audio interface. Anthony's audio is clear and that is the main thing**Before retiring in 2005, he practised at City Hospital and Winson Green Prison in Birmingham. He is a contributing editor at City Journal, published by the Manhattan Institute, where he is the Dietrich Weismann Fellow. His writing has also appeared in The British Medical Journal, The Times, New Statesman, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, The Salisbury Review, National Review, The New English Review, and The Wall Street Journal. Theodore has authored numerous books, including Life at the Bottom, The Worldview That Makes the Underclass, Our Culture, What's Left of It, and Spoilt Rotten: The Toxic Cult of Sentimentality.In this episode, Theodore and I think out loud about the state of Britain, the influences that have led to increased crime and moral degradation in the country, the impact of widespread skepticism on our culture, why non-judgmentalism is not a worthy moral position to take and how it has become so prevalent, why we should beware of promoting pauperism in society, the importance of emphasizing moral agency in people's lives and why each of us needs to take responsibility for our actions and avoid adopting a victim mentality, why poverty is not an unbreakable state, and much, much more.To get access to the exclusive paid subscriber Q&A become a paid subscriber to Thinking Class on Substack in the links below.You can find Anthony’s work here:Theodore Dalrymple’s booksLaw & LibertyYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube or you can watch it here: