Thinking Class

Ed West is a British author, journalist, and blogger known for The Wrong Side of History on Substack and his work with UnHerd, The Catholic Herald, The Spectator, and more. His books include Small Men on the Wrong Side of History, The Diversity Illusion, and Tory Boy.Paul Morland is one of the world’s leading demographers, exploring how population trends shape our world. A former research fellow at Birkbeck and senior member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford, his books include The Human Tide, Tomorrow’s People, and No One Left. Together, Ed and Paul host The Canon Club podcast. We discuss the importance of the Western canon and why we must understand it if we are to maintain our cultural heritage, the effects of technology on artistic expression, changing cultural interests in modernity, whether great art is still possible in a distracted age, cultural optimism vs. cultural pessimism, the role of elites in shaping culture, how the BBC has become low-brow, why British culture has declined so much, and much more.I’ve loved my previous conversations with Ed and Paul, and this three-way discussion was even better. Their insights, humour, and camaraderie make this a must-listen.Don’t miss The Canon Club series for deeper dives into cultural heritage, from Macbeth and Anna Karenina to Caravaggio and overlooked architectural styles.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can find Ed’s work here:SubstackThe SpectatorThe Canon ClubYou can find Paul’s work here:PaulMorland.co.ukX/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube 

Professor Robert Tombs is Professor Emeritus of French History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of St John’s College. Robert is the author of That Sweet Enemy (2006, co-written with his wife Isabel), The English and Their History (2014), and the Sunday Times bestseller This Sovereign Isle: Britain In and Out of Europe. In this episode, Robert and I think out loud about whether England and Britain are in decline, how England's national identity was formed, England's historical stability and contributions, why we should beware the rise of radical ideologies that seek to rewrite history, the importance of recognizing England's rich past in the current cultural and political landscapes, the complexities of the British constitution and whether we need a written constitution to safeguard ancient liberties, the cultural kinship between the Anglosphere and France, why we need to make a conscious effort to preserve cultural heritage, and much, much more.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can find Robert's work here:Academic workPublished booksYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube 

Professor Alan McFarlane is a renowned anthropologist, historian, and Professor Emeritus of King’s College, Cambridge. Author or editor of 20 books and countless articles, Alan has spent his career exploring the origins and nature of the modern world. Alan is also the creator of the YouTube channel  @ayabaya.In this episode, we Alan and I discuss England’s unique national character and its influence on politics, language, law, economics, and literature, the origins of English individualism and how it shaped the modern world, why England was capitalist long before the Industrial Revolution, how England’s history of mobility and lack of clan structures set it apart for over 1,500 years, women’s legal rights emerging earlier than often thought,  contractual nature of English society,  the errors of the anthropological worldview of Karl Marx and Max Weber, why modernity is more than just technological progress, and whether the English and British are becoming a landless peasantry today, and much, much more.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can find Alan's work here:Youtube - Professor Alan MacFarlane - AyabayaPublished booksYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

Tom Rowsell is a historian and an independent film maker, director and editor, known for From Runes to Ruins (2014) and his YouTube channel Survive the Jive, which includes documentary films about pagan religion and ancient European cultures.In this episode, Tom and I delve into the genetic ancestry of the British peoples and how Genetic studies reveal the stability of Northwest European ancestry over time, the significance of ancient monuments, and national myths such as those surrounding King Arthur, the impact of Christianity on Germanic cultures and the evolving narratives that shape British identity, the complex history of Christianity's spread in the British Isles and Europe more broadly, the nuances of the relations between Celtic and Anglo-Saxon peoples, and why modern pro-immigration narratives in the context of mass immigration obscure Britain's development in the context of historical migrations and ancestry and much, much more.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can also follow Tom and his work at:Youtube - Survive The JiveYoutube - Jive TalkX/TwitterYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

David Goodhart is a British journalist, commentator and author. David is the Head of the Demography, Immigration and Integration Unit at the think tank Policy Exchange and the founder and a former editor of Prospect magazine. David has authored four books, including The British Dream: Successes and Failures of Post-War Immigration, The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt & The Future Of Politics, Head, Hand, Heart: The Struggle For Dignity And Status In The 21st Century, and most recently, The Care Dilemma: Caring Enough In The Age Of Sex Equality.In this episode, we talk about David's latest book, the tension between the trade-offs in pursuing freedom over demands of care for dependents, how many government policies undervalue domestic roles and the negative impacts of this on society, children and mental health, how family policies have been driven by care egalitarians rather than care balancers and why this matters, the implications of low fertility rates on our ability as a society to care for our families in future, the paradox of female happiness despite advancements in women's liberation, the challenges men face in a changing socio-economic landscape, the political blind spots regarding family dynamics, and why David is calling for a re-evaluation of family policies to support stability and address the demographic shifts we are experiencing and much, much more.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can follow David and his work at:X/TwitterCare Dilemma: Caring Enough In The Age Of Sex EqualityPolicy Exchange - Policy ExchangeYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

Philip Kiszely is a cultural historian, an academic, an author, a political commentator, and senior fellow at the New Culture Forum. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of British culture, media, and education from the post-war era to the present day, why we have seen significant shifts in the media's treatment of Britain and its history, how British comedy has changed, how social media has impacted cultural identity, the decline of traditional music and comedy, our changing relationship with cultural heritage and what this means for youth culture today, the profound cultural shifts occurring in Britain, particularly in relation to identity, education, and societal values, the impact of mass immigration, the changing landscape of higher education and the policy choices and politics that have changed the fabric of our educational institutions, what the future of British identity amidst these transformations, what the country's response to Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day tells us about our culture, why there are glimmers of hope for a resurgence of traditional values and much, much more.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can also follow Philip and his work at:X/TwitterSubstackNew Culture Forum - WebsiteNew Culture Forum - YouTubeYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

 Professor James Clark is Professor of History at the University of Exeter and has published widely on medieval monasteries and their place in the medieval world and he was historical advisor on the BBC TV series Tudor Monastery Farm. His book, The Dissolution of the Monasteries: A New History was published in 2022 to widespread acclaim.  In this conversation, James and I talk about the impact of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in England, its historical significance, cultural impact, and the common misconceptions surrounding it, how important the role of monasteries were in everyday life, and the gradual impact of their dissolution on local communities,  why oversimplified narratives don't appropriately convey the depth of this pivotal moment in English history, and how society, spirituality, and community identity changed. James was erudite and lucid, even without heavy preparation, lots of  His responses came from the heart as well as the head. There were several moments where his answer took me down a thought process I haven't really been down before and it's those moments that you cherish in life.Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can also follow James and his work at:X/TwitterJames’s bookYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube

Carl Trueman is Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. And he is the author of several books and perhaps best known for The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and The Road to Sexual Revolution. Karl is also the author of To Change All Worlds, Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse. In this conversation, Karl and I talk about why it is important to Unpack a topic, an idea, or a philosophy before criticizing it, why critical theory is a core area of focus for the right and a blind spot of the left. We explore its historical roots, how it evolved, and its implications for modern society as a widely used governing philosophy across various institutions, its inherent truths and contradictions, particularly regarding the nature of human relationships, human nature, and the sexual revolution; how social media primes users for a world designed by critical theorists, and how critical theory interacts with Christian and secular rationalist thought, and much, much more.You can also follow Carl and his work at:Carl Trueman’s booksFirstthings.comYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

Hello, classmates, and welcome to Thinking Class. Today I'm speaking with, well, myself and you, dear listener. I'm a management consultant, podcaster, and proud Northumbrian, Englishman and Briton. I'm recording this episode to mark 50 episodes of Thinking Class and almost one year, and to reflect on what I've learned, which episodes have proven popular and why they spoke deeply to me, and what I've had to start telling myself, the deeper I have found myself getting into  the topics of this podcast. Enjoy the show classmates. And don't forget to subscribe.You can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstack

Spencer Klavan is a scholar, writer, and podcaster. A graduate of Yale, he earned his doctorate in ancient Greek literature from Oxford University. Spencer is the author of the acclaimed book How to Save the West, Ancient Wisdom for Five Modern Crises, and his latest release is Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science through Faith. Spencer is also the editor of Gateway to the Stoics, the host of the Young Heretics podcast, and associate editor of the Claremont Review of Books. And he has written for many outlets, including The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, City Journal, Newsweek, The Federalist, The American Mind, and The Daily Wire. In this episode, Spencer and I explore the significance of classical literature and philosophy in contemporary society, the importance of reconnecting with the wisdom of the past, what is behind the resurgence of interest in Stoicism, why moral relativism is a miserable philosophy with miserable outcomes, and why we need to rediscover timeless truths instead, the role of education in preserving cultural heritage, the need for a shared cultural language to navigate modern complexities, the transformative power of literature in understanding human nature and morality, the impoverished architectural landscape of modern cities, and Spencer's new book, where we talk about how science and faith can coexist, and much, much more. Where to find and follow Spencer Klavan:Young Heretics PodcastX/TwitterSubstackThe SpectatorPublished bookYou can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:  X/TwitterYouTubeSubstackYou can watch the show on YouTube