Thinking Class

Garett Jones lives in Washington D. C. and is Associate Professor of Economics and BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism at George Mason University. Garett's research spans macroeconomics, political economy, and the foundations of economic growth.Along with many scholarly articles, Dr. Jones is the author of three books, his Singapore Trilogy, all published with the Stanford University Press - The Hive Mind, How Your Nation's IQ Matters So Much More Than Your Own, 10 percent Less Democracy, and The Culture Transplant, How Migrants Make The Economies They Move To A Lot Like The Ones They Left. Each book in the trilogy offers an inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. In this episode, Garett and I talk about how the West became rich and stayed rich, how the economic prosperity of nations is linked to its culture and its institutions, and increasingly the culture of their immigrants, the success of Chinese diaspora and why they should be favoured in immigration policies, the long term implications of unselected mass immigration for countries like the UK, France, the US and Italy, and the unsettling notion that economic prosperity is boosted by fewer family ties and that welfare dependency is linked to strong family values and bonds. We also talk about the benefits, costs, and conflicts that arise from ethnic and cultural diversity, and why it's important to care about the world's seven most innovative economies if the rest of us want to live comfortable lives, and much, much more. Garett is a lot of fun to talk to, and as you would expect, his findings on the link between economic prosperity and culture and the long-term cultural impact of immigrants on host nations don't exactly make him popular within the typically left-leaning academical circles, and nor would I expect to find his proposed immigration policies to be particularly acceptable to those more conservatively inclined.Enjoy the show Classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.Subscribe nowYou can also check Garett out on:X/TwitterAmazonYou can follow Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

Frank Furedi is an author, social commentator and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, author of more than 26 books, Frank's studies have been devoted to an exploration of the cultural developments in Western societies.And in recent years, he's published several studies on the impact of the culture wars on family life, socialisation, education, and public life. In this episode, Frank and I talk about what the recent shift toward populist, sovereigntist parties in the European parliament elections means for Europe, how it may be the beginning of a replacement of the current political class, as we spoke about in episode 10 of Thinking Class, the 2024 French presidential elections, and how feelings of estrangement and dispossession are driving this populist wave; the response of the politicians, parties and institutions in danger of being swept up by it and the methods they're employing in a bid to hold on to power; how Gen-Z and younger generations appear to be yearning for tradition and national identity, rather than naturally inclining to left-liberal ideas; why the old left and old right seem to be cooperating to overthrow the current status quo; the universal recognition across Europe that the close alliance between leftism and Islam is not a good thing; whether France is skirting with civil war, the threat of 'financial terrorism' to torpedo any Rassemblement National government; whether the attempt to keep populist parties down is delaying the inevitable; why populist parties need a coherent governing strategy should they win power to be successful in the long term; the need to preserve Western civilisation and its cultural heritage, and what Frank has changed his mind on in the course of his life. I really enjoyed being able to welcome Frank back on the show. He's straight talking and he's got an uncanny ability to boil down political developments and philosophical concepts, practically and in bite sized ways. There's lots I can learn there. If you haven't listened to episode 10, where Frank also features, please do so because it's a natural precursor to this one.Enjoy the show Classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can also check Frank out on:The Guardianfrankfuredi.comX/TwitterResearchGateYou can follow Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

Doug Stokes is the Professor of International Relations at Exeter University and acts as the Director for its Strategy and Security Institute. Doug was a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for over a decade and is currently the Thomas Telford Fellow at the Council on Geostrategy and the senior advisor to the Legatum Institute's Sovereignty Unit.Doug is the author of Against Decolonisation: Campus Culture Wars and the Decline of the West and writes regularly for major news outlets, including the Times, the Telegraph, the Spectator, and the Daily Mail, and enjoys doing the odd podcast with interesting people. (They are definitely his words from his bio and not mine, but I'm going to take that as an endorsement for Thinking Class). In this episode, Doug and I talk about what decolonisation theory is, what its implications are, and how it may be used against its proponents in future; why a healthy process of academic exchange matters and what it gives to society; the underlying motivations of those who act in the name of liberation; the changing face of international relations and what kind of an era we're moving into; why hard power matters if we are to continue living comfortable lives in the West; the 'youthquake' in Africa and its implications; how much of Britain's wealth was really derived from slavery; who the African protagonists were in the slave trade; why the culture war is really a class war at root; the horrors Doug saw in Bosnia during its civil war in the 90s' the implications of globalisation and multiculturalism for Britain, the geopolitics of net zero, and much more.It was a real delight to talk to Doug, who's someone that I have come to admire since I learned of him last year. Doug grew up in the east end of London, and is from a long line of Cockneys, and has personally seen the (good and bad) impact of globalisation and high immigration with his own eyes.There were some really touching moments in the conversation, and it's one that I will remember. Doug has carved out a stellar career and has seen more than most of us would ever wish to in the course of his life. And I really appreciate his courage and clarity and analysing fashionable ideas and their impact on the rest of us.Enjoy the show Classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can also check Doug out on:Unherd.comDougstokes.netX/TwitterThe CriticYou can follow Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

Ben Cobley writes the blog, A Free Left Blog, and is author of The Tribe: The Liberal Left and the System of Diversity. Ben is a journalist by trade and a former Labour Party activist. In this episode, Ben and I talk about Being English and Englishness, what it is and how it has come under threat from the spread of progressive ideologies, what it means to be a part of a nation, why there might be a hostility toward the English and Englishness, the impact of liberalism on England and the world, the difficulty of finding the language to explain something deeply felt, the impact of modernity and cultural disintegration, the feeling of overpopulation in a small country, why Ben joined the Labour Party and why he left, and much, much more.  Enjoy the show Classmates. And don't forget to subscribe. You can also check Ben out on:Unherd.com@existentialpoliticsX/TwitterThe CriticYou can follow Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

Connor Tomlinson is a writer and presenter at LotusEaters.com and Co-host of the Deprogrammed podcast by NewCultureForum. Connor has also frequently contributed to Talk TV and GB News, and writes for The European Conservative and The Critic.In this episode Connor and I talk about why Gen-Z are not so much being anti-civilisational insomuch as they didn't receive a cultural inheritance at all, the impact of the internet and the post 1960s education system on cultural identity, why not all of Gen-Z is woke, why individualism and consumer capitalism has made everyone miserable, why the topdown erosion of Christianity has inflicted great harm on individuals, families, and communities, what the loss of train etiquette tells us about the state of things, why the West needs to abandon liberalism and rediscover an unapologetic faith in its heritage, how finding faith made life immeasurably better, the importance of looking to the past for wisdom to act prudently now and in the future, and why those on the right-wing of Gen-Z are so straight talking.This was a heck of a ride and one of the most clinical, yet heartfelt podcasts yet. Connor is a deeply impressive young man. Articulate, passionate, and to the point. For those of us who look closely enough, we might see that Gen-Z is not exactly as we've come to expect it is and that perhaps us older generations need to take responsibility for any of its shortcomings. Connor's a positive young voice and smartly dressed to boot.Enjoy the show Classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.Check out Connor on:The Podcast Of The Lotus EatersDeprogrammedEuropean ConservativeThe CriticYou can follow Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

Lorenzo Warby writes for one of Substack's featured publications for 2024, Helen Dale's Not On Your Team, But Always Fair, as well as for his own Substack Lorenzo from Oz. Lorenzo writes frequently about evolutionary anthropology, evolutionary psychology, human nature, the institutional health of the West, the differences between civilisations, and the impact of political ideologies on public life. Lorenzo has a very interesting background, having worked in the Australian public service and non-profit sector, and now he puts on medieval and ancient days for schools. In this episode, Lorenzo tells us about human social dynamics and why women are not a finer form of Homo Sapien (and neither are men), why we shouldn't see the sexes as in competition with each other, the impact of feminism and feminisation of society, the advantages of Western Civilisation, how small networks of ideologically motivated people can have an outsized effect on society,  the different sides of egalitarianism, the cultural degradation of the masculine - expect to hear about the latest Star Wars films, and the impact of male coordination on human evolution.This was one of my favourite conversations by a country mile. You can never get bored of speaking to very smart people and Lorenzo is very smart. He is a polymath and has an uncanny ability to avoid using jargon every other word.  Lorenzo's a learned man and great conversationalist. Enjoy the show Classmates. 

David Goodhart is a journalist, writer and thinktanker. He worked for the Financial Times for 12 years before setting up Prospect magazine in 1995. He has been involved with issues relating to equality and discrimination for 20 years.In 2013 he published a book on race and immigration, 'The British Dream' (runner up for the Orwell prize). When director of the Demos think tank he set up the Integration Hub website as a focus for data and debate about ethnic minority integration and segregation. In his current role as Head of the Demography Unit at the Policy Exchange think tank he has contributed to most of the policy debates on race including cowriting a report, 'Bittersweet Success', on ethnic minority people in elite jobs. His two most recent books are 'The Road to Somewhere: The New Tribes Shaping British Politics' (2017) and 'Head, Hands, Heart: The Struggle for Dignity and Stats in the 21st Century' (2020).In this episode, David and I talk about so much, including the motivations of the political tribes, the anywheres and the somewheres, and how they have influenced British politics, the disappointment in how the anywheres have used their power as the dominant class, whether immigration is as economically beneficial as it is frequently claimed to be, the impact of mass immigration on internal migration, how the mass education sector has damaged social cohesion, the impact of the welfare state on productivity, whether the UK has found itself in a doom loop, and how the role and status of the family has been diminished in recent decades and how we might raise its status once more. Enjoy the show class mates.

Emma Wells is an English church historian, academic, consultant author, and broadcaster, specialising in the ecclesiastical and architectural history of the late medieval and early modern age. Emma is the author of two books, including the 2021 book Heaven on Earth: Lives & Legacies of the world's greatest cathedrals; and the 2016 book Pilgrim routes of the British Isles. Emma is working on her third book at the time of recording.In this episode, Emma and I talk about why the medieval and dark ages gave us much more than we give them credit for, why so many cathedrals were built and what drove the elites who built them and funded them, the nature of beauty and whether it is objective or subjective, why we came to prize efficiency and utility over beauty, if our cities are becoming increasingly ugly because we have become less spiritual, and why our towns would be better off if the planning office was overseen by King Charles III.Emma and I agreed on so much, however not so on whether beauty is objective or subjective. Emma makes the argument that what is deemed beautiful goes in and out of fashion, while i don't believe that anyone would really find brutalist architecture beautiful in a month of Sundays. This is because i believe beauty and awe are linked and that awe-inspiring beauty is something which touches the soul rather than simply being about taste. I'd be interested to hear what you all think.Before you dive in, you would be really helping me out if you clicked subscribe on whatever platform you are listening to the show on. The more subscribers we have, the more guests we can attract, and the faster Thinking Class grows.Enjoy the show Classmates.

Dr Carl Trueman is a Christian theologian and ecclesiastical historian. Carl is Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. He has written many books including, 'The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution.' He contributes to First Things), blogs regularly at Reformation21 and co-hosts the Mortification of Spin podcast.In this episode, Carl and I talk about the importance of our cultural elite in shaping how we see the world, what the four ages of man are and why we're now living in the age of psychological man, why modernity and the ideas of today make us less human, the impact of the God-shaped hole the Western world in modernity on us all, how behaviour in the public square has become increasingly coarse even among our leaders, the surprising return of Christianity to the public sphere, why Richard Dawkins is in the horns of a dilemma now that he is part of 'Team Christianity', and the ideological and religious choices in front of us.This was a deeply engaging and heartfelt conversation. Carl is a wonderful soul. I admire his ability to present such a clear-eyed analysis of the ideas that have shaped us for good and ill in such an everyday human way. Whatever your beliefs - from all faiths or none - I think you'll resonate with what's being said here.Before we dive in, you would be really helping me out if you clicked subscribe on whatever platform you are listening to or watching on. The more subscribers we have, the more guests we can attract, and the faster Thinking Class grows.Enjoy the show class mates and don't forget to subscribe.Show notes- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism/dp/1433556332/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Zhe0jozC4dOISFQbImVqoDfab1IMd5dIYABdOcUdgB0mu8-Q11e8zTvmkajuduUWQhbOJh9CcLoem4mO6AYfMw.dG_u9asc19H0FVXCx4Ve7ZgaMu3S1V_By_Hn_C-WBDw&qid=1715319879&sr=8-1- https://amazon.co.uk/Crisis-Confidence-Reclaiming-Historic-Individualism/dp/1433590018/ref=sr_1_2?crid=7YJ5LF5COQGW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zCpJnm_BzpAFYaEHBqybEedfDynaHjE94YOVq3qiuq1A9ZQ5yN9SG_F9Y17k0l27yWHe4Y-V6dB9GLmPMZNNWHw5jcVqK1p-yNoU20-jfVxjP0r1PhgNitvFBq6a9dbVN8QZ5niGiQC_1KRV5EcW_a-SK2ircImI3IevwGEo_ia6cjjHF1bkM_zFRWFV7ZvZFQcsV3xzaXa2Gm8e2ov6FW4pMukigXoR3b8nMfaVesI.O9ZiJQfmyKW0qUUXtdwCl0zxcNoPQ4O_qtfnWnLTv0Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=carl+trueman+books&qid=1715319925&sprefix=carl+tru%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-2

Eric Kaufmann is Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham. He is the author of Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Majorities (Penguin, 2018; Abrams, 2019), Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth (Profile, 2010), Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution (Forum, 2024) and numerous academic books and papers.He is an editor of the journal Nations & Nationalism, and has written for New York Times, Times of London, Financial Times, Newsweek International, Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines.In this episode, Eric and I talk about why the spread of Woke ideas contributed to him leaving his long-held post at Birkbeck College, University of London for the University of Buckingham, how to define woke academically, whether universities can be reformed, how public and private leaders have become more culturally aligned to the left over the years, the nature of cultural socialism, cultural liberalism, and cultural conservatism, and why the former doesn't lead to flourishing, whether diversity, equity and inclusion can be reformed, how we came to be governed by the anti-racism taboo, whether there is a link between woke and mental health, and the impact of cultural leftism on the ability to have public discussion about salient political topics like immigration.We cover a lot of ground in this episode. Eric shows the benefits of taking a clear-eyed analysis to popular ideologies that have spread. I've nothing but admiration for him standing up to the mob and for forging a respectful path for the rest of us to follow in talking about the issues of the day without being governed solely by emotion.Before we dive in, you would be really helping me out if you clicked subscribe on whatever platform you are listening to the show on. The more subscribers we have, the more guests we can attract, and the faster Thinking Class grows.Enjoy the show class mates