Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Adrian Goldsworthy about the 700 years of rivalry between the Roman and Persian Empires. They discuss the importance of studying past empires, overview of the rivalry, and the Roman and Persia Empires in this 700 year period. They discuss the differences in governing and peaceful co-existing, complexities of Armenia, greatness of Augustus, and the silk road. They also discuss Constantine, Justinian’s reign, the Arab armies and how they quelled the Roman and Persian rivalry, and many more topics. Adrian Goldsworthy is a historian and author. He has his DPhil from Oxford University and has conducted research at Cardiff University and taught at King’s College London and University of Notre Dame. He is the author of numerous books on Roman history, including his latest book, Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry.Website: http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tom Holland about the Golden Age of the Roman empire. They provide an overview of Pax Romana, greatness of Augustus, and Nero as a tyrant. They talk about the chaotic year of AD 69 with four emperors, Judean revolt, and Vespasian’s peacemaking abilities. They discuss the importance of Pliny, environmental contexts for peace, the five good emperors and the rule of Trajan and Hadrian, legacy of the Roman empire, and many more topics. Tom Holland is a historian and author. He has adapted Homer, Herodotus and Virgil for the BBC. He is the presenter of BBC 4’s Making History series and is the co-host of the podcast, The Rest Is History. He is the author of numerous books such as Dominion, Dynasty, Rubicon, and his latest book, Pax. Website: https://www.tom-holland.org/Twitter: @holland_tom Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Lipsky about the history of climate science denial. They discuss how he wrote this book, origins of discovering climate change, Edison and Westinghouse, and the influence of Einstein. They discuss the history of scientists observing climate changes, Nixon and the Clean Air Act and EPA, and Fred Singer and his involvement with the Unification church. They also talk about believing pseudoscience, PR campaigns for science denial for smoking and climate, and many more topics. David Lipsky is an author, editor, and teacher. He teaches writing and literature at New York University. He is the author of numerous books including Absolutely American, Although Of Course You End Up Yourself, and his latest book, The Parrot and The Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial. He is work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Best American Short Stories, and The New York Times Book Review. He is also the recipient of the GLAAD award and National Magazine award. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Myisha Cherry about forgiveness. They define forgiveness, discuss how moral systems are important for forgiveness, and discuss the narrow view and the broad view of forgiveness. They also talk about emotions and behaviors, what we do with bitterness, actions or the person, different capacities for different people, canceling others and forgiving public figures, forgiving one’s self, and many other topics. Myisha Cherry is associate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. She is the Director of the Emotion and Society Lab with her research areas being in moral psychology, emotions, and social and political philosophy. She has a Bachelors in philosophy from Morgan State University, a Masters of Divinity from Howard University, and a PhD in philosophy from University of Illinois, Chicago. She is the author of The Moral Psychology of Anger (Co-edited with Owen Flanagan), The Case for Rage, and her newest book, Failures of Forgiveness. Website: https://www.myishacherry.org/Substack: Myisha Cherry Podcast: https://unmutetalk.podbean.com/Twitter: @myishacherryInstagram: @myishacherryYou might also like: Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Hajar Yazdiha about collective memory and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They discuss how we can accruately understand Dr. King’s message and legacy, how we reckon with history, and what a multicultural coalition looks like today. They discuss collective memory, creating culture, primary audience of Dr. King’s message, various groups using Dr. King’s message, and many more topics. Hajar Yazdiha is a sociologist and writer. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and faculty affiliate of the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California. She has her PhD in Sociology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her main research areas are on social movements, race and ethnicity, immigration, and collective memory. She is the author of, The Struggle for the People’s King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement. Website: https://www.hajaryazdiha.com/Twitter: @hajyazdiha Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Daron Acemoglu on technology, inequality, and power. They discuss how technological progress is a choice, defining progress, power of persuasion, and needs and innovations. They also talk about innovation, globalization, and automation in the post World War II era, AI and culture, fixing the challenges of technological inequality, and many more topics. Daron Acemoglu is an economist and Institute Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is part of the National Bureau Economic Research and Center for Economic Policy Research. He has his Bachelors in economics from the University of York, a Masters in mathematical economics and econometrics from the London School of Economics, and a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics. He is the author of six books including, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty (with James A. Robinson), and his most recent book, Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (with Simon Johnson). Website: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/daron-acemogluTwitter: @dacemoglumit Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Hugo Drochon about Nietzsche’s political thought. They talk about why Nietzsche’s political thought has been ignored, Nietzsche’s great politics, Nietzsche’s emphasis on culture, Plato and political philosophy, and how to build a culture. They also talk about philosophy of state, democracy, slavery, caste systems, Nietzsche’s politics in modernity, and many other topics. Hugo Drochon is a political theorist and historian. He has his PhD from Cambridge and completed his postdoctoral fellowship there as well. He has also had fellowships at Yale, Princeton, and Royal Historical Society. His main interests are in Nietzsche’s politics, democratic theory, and liberalism. He is the author of, Nietzsche’s Great Politics. Website: https://www.hugodrochon.com/Twitter: @hdrochon Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Katja Hoyer about the history of East Germany. They discuss the culture of East and West Germany and how East Germany originated, East Germany and the relationship with the Soviet Union, and the political makeup of East Germany. They also talk about the significance of Ulbrecht and socialism, creation of the Berlin Wall, and the Stasi in East Germany. They discuss the failed economics in East Germany in the 1980s, similarities between unification in 1871 and reunification in 1990, Angela Merkel’s time in office, and how a unified Germany moves forward. Katja Hoyer is a historian and journalist who is visiting research fellow at King’s College London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is also Global Opinions contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Her main research area is the history of modern Germany. She is the author of Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871-1918 and Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany. Twitter: @hoyer_katYou might also like: Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Diana Fleischman about a wide range of topics including polyamory and eugenics. They talk about how evolutionary psychology is a good framework for understanding relationships, patriarchal and matriarchal societies, history of monogamous and polyamorous relationships and jealousy and polyamory. They also talk about the difficult history of eugenics, decoupling bad from the good, polygenic scores, governmental differences with prenatal care, GWAS, and many more topics. Diana Fleischman is an evolutionary psychologist and Associate Research professor at the University of New Mexico. Her research has focused on evolutionary psychology, disgust research, sex differences, animal rights, and eugenics. Website: https://www.dianafleischman.com/Substack: Dissentient Twitter: @sentientistYou might also like: Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with William Egginton about the nature of reality through the work by Borges, Heisenberg, and Kant. They discuss what connects these three men, role of interpretation, and different tools to ask big questions about space, time, and reality. They also talk about the origins of reality, change, Hume’s impact on Kant’s thinking, power of theory for understanding science, existence, and many more topics.William Egginton is an author, literary critic, and Decker Professor in the Humanities and Director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins University. His main interests are in poetry, literature, philosophy, history of science. He is the author of numerous books including his latest book, The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality. Website: https://www.williamegginton.com/Twitter: @williameggintonYou might also like: Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe