Conversations with Bill Kristol

In his third conversation with Bill Kristol, Paul Cantor focuses on works of literature—plays, short stories, and novels—that deepen our understanding of the characteristics and challenges of political and economic liberty. Cantor considers a variety of authors from across the centuries—Ben Jonson, Daniel Defoe, Georg Büchner, Elizabeth Gaskell, Joseph Conrad, Franz Kafka, and Tom Stoppard—who thought deeply and wrote powerfully about the politics of freedom.

In their third "state of the 2016 race" conversation, Kristol, Abraham, Cost discuss how to think about the 2016 presidential race and consider whether the frequently underestimated Trump could win. The group also reflects on how various possible outcomes could affect the political parties and our politics. The group discusses these and many other questions in this timely conversation on the 2016 elections.

The ninth in our ongoing series with Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield focuses on the Constitution and what Mansfield calls “America’s Constitutional Soul.” In this conversation, Mansfield discusses the jurisprudence of the late Justice Antonin Scalia and his focus on the wisdom of the Constitution. Mansfield reflects on why America has a “Constitutional Soul” and how our political parties treat the Constitution. Finally, Kristol and Mansfield consider the relationship of the Constitution to the Declaration of Independence.

Jonah Goldberg is a senior editor at National Review and a best-selling author and political commentator. In this conversation, Goldberg and Kristol reflect on Trump's candidacy and its meaning for conservatism and the Republican Party. Goldberg also discusses his best-selling book 'Liberal Fascism' (2008) and how subsequent events, including Trump's campaign, have affected his thinking. Finally, Goldberg recommends a few books and essays that played an important role in his political education.

In his second conversation with Bill, General Petraeus makes the case for continued American leadership in the world. Drawing on his experiences in command in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen. Petraeus explains how the American military can best harness its strategic and technological assets to achieve goals in difficult environments. Finally, Gen. Petraeus and Kristol discuss the general’s academic and battlefield education and how it prepared him for military command.

Garry Kasparov’s third conversation with Bill Kristol focuses on American politics and the 2016 Presidential race. Kasparov argues that the Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders candidacies offer interesting and worrisome lessons about the current state of our politics. Kristol and Kasparov also discuss whether America can change course and consider some distinctive features of the American political character.

University of Virginia politics professor James Ceaser discusses the intellectual roots of contemporary progressivism and the role of progressivism in our politics today. Ceaser compares the new progressivism with the ideas of the early twentieth-century progressives, and highlights the influence of “postmodernism” on the contemporary left. Kristol and Ceaser also discuss the effects of progressivism and its relationship to political correctness on and off campus.

In this wide-ranging conversation, his second on "Conversations with Bill Kristol," business founder and investor Peter Thiel discusses the global economy, the state of technology, and the future of computing and artificial intelligence. Thiel argues that we have had less technological innovation over the last few decades and explains one reason is an increasing aversion to risk. Finally, Kristol and Thiel discuss artificial intelligence and the extent to which it might transform our lives.

The eighth in our ongoing series with Harvard government professor Harvey Mansfield, this conversation marks the tenth anniversary of his important and provocative book "Manliness." Mansfield offers his account of manliness and its importance as a permanent, though problematic, feature of human nature. He explains how liberal political philosophers and liberal society have often been suspicious of manliness, and details the consequences of this for our politics. Mansfield and Kristol also discuss contemporary efforts to transcend manliness through the creation of a gender-neutral society, which have led, according to Mansfield, to “more justice and less happiness.”

In his second conversation with Bill, Garry Kasparov discusses Russian and American politics since the end of the Cold War, and offers his account of the rise of Vladimir Putin and how we should understand Putin and his rule over Russia. In his discussion of post-Cold War history, Kasparov highlights many missed opportunities both in Russia and the U.S., which have enabled anti-Western leaders to strengthen their positions. Now living in the U.S., Kasparov also shares his impressions of America—both its inherent strengths and the challenges America faces today.