The Ralston College Podcast

Douglas Murray, revered cultural critic and author, delivers the highlight of Ralston College’s symposium of “Renewal and Renaissance,” a lecture exploring the theme of cultural reconstruction. Delivered from one of the beautiful, stately galleries of Savannah’s Telfair Academy, the audience is treated to an intimate address that is both deeply moving and inspiring of hope. Murray’s talk begins with the sober reflection that civilizations are mortal and share the fragility of life. He recounts how the loss of confidence experienced after the catastrophes of the World Wars led to the development of modernism, postmodernism and finally deconstructionism. The lecture then takes a more optimistic turn as Murray confidently asserts that after decades of deconstruction, especially in the field of higher education, we are now entering an era of reconstruction. He explains how this process of cultural renewal can come about through both the opportunities afforded by technology and the process of going back into the great literary treasures of the past, finding our place amongst these works and adding to them. Murray shares his love of books, describing himself as “not only a bibliophile but something of a bibliomaniac,” and expresses how literature, and especially poetry, can ground us in the world and make us feel that we are never alone for we will always have “friends on the shelves.” Traversing through Byron, Gnedich, Stoppard, Auden and Heaney, Murray recounts three powerful stories that reveal the lengths certain individuals will go to recover, preserve and transmit our cultural treasures. The talk was followed by a captivating Q&A session which ranged from the current status of poetry to the topics of writing, war and human nature. As part of the stirring introduction to the lecture from Stephen Blackwood, President of Ralston College, soprano Kristi Bryson performed Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga, accompanied on the piano by Ralston alumna and fellow, Olivia Jensen. A splendid performance showcasing perfectly the ability of culture to transcend the difficulties of life through the power of beauty. A reminder for us all of exactly what it is that we are seeking to preserve and renew. Mr Murray's books, including his most recent, are available here: https://douglasmurray.net. To watch the first conversation of the day—the roundtable from the Ralston College Renewal and Renaissance Symposium, featuring multiple speakers discussing the future of education, culture, and human flourishing—click here.

Join James Orr, a philosopher from Cambridge, alongside David Butterfield, a Latin professor, and Harvard's Renaissance historian James Hankins. They delve into what ignites a cultural Renaissance, examining the significance of literature, music, and architecture. Joseph Conlon advocates for the power of language learning, while Gregg Hurwitz emphasizes literature's broader resonance beyond academia. The conversation weaves in thoughts from various thinkers on how communal experiences and beauty in our surroundings can foster renewal and inspire future generations.

“Why We Tell Stories” is a discussion between Greg Hurwitz & Jonathan Pageau which took place on January 31, 2025. In this exchange, two prominent professionals in creative fields discuss the place of passion, productivity, and integrity in the context of their careers, and offer insights which range from guiding, general principles to concrete, practical advice. Over the course of their discussion with each other and with the students, they field questions about the artistic process; about the public attention they’ve received for their work; about the lessons they’ve learned; and about their impression of Ralston College and its place in a broader context of cultural and educational renewal.  This event was part of Ralston College’s Career and Life conversations, a series of informal Friday-afternoon discussions for students enrolled in the MA in the Humanities. To apply to this program, please visit our website: www.ralston.ac/apply. Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Aristotle Dante Alighieri DC Comics’ Batman series The Book of Genesis Jordan B. Peterson Stephen King William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury (1929) Rashomon (1950; dir. Akira Kurosawa) Marcel Duchamp, “Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2” (1912)  Sigmund Freud Carl Rogers Jackson Pollock Pablo Picasso Lucile Ball Groucho Marx Sammy Davis Jr. James Patterson John Grisham  Dr James Orr Dr Douglas Hedley Douglas Murray Ben Shapiro William Shakespeare Dan Brown, The DaVinci Code Hamilton: An American Musical  Harry Potter series  William Goldman  

Delve into the intricacies of Boethius's 'The Consolation of Philosophy' and discover its powerful insights on human suffering and meaning. Explore the enduring relevance of introspection in today's turbulent society, and how personal struggles can lead to profound philosophical reflections. Hear a heartwarming story of resilience through a chance encounter that weaves together poetry and personal connections. Ultimately, navigate the quest for individual meaning amidst chaos, highlighting the innate freedom we all possess.

In this intimate question and answer session, conducted in March 2024 with the students enrolled in Ralston College’s MA in the Humanities, the world-renowned psychiatrist, philosopher, and literary scholar Iain McGilchrist explores topics that animate the collective intellectual life of Ralston’s student body.  Answering questions that range from the metaphysical heights of theology, liturgy, and religious life to the tangible depths of scientific inquiry and medical progress, Dr McGhilchrist challenges his interlocutors to think deeper about the relationship between mind and matter, science and religion, and, ultimately, humanity and the divine.  Authors, Artists, and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Iain McGilchrist, The Matter with Things Albert Einstein Aristotle Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Meister Eckhart John Donne George Herbert Thomas Traherne Rumi Henry Moore Blaise Pascal St. Augustine William Shakespeare, King Lear; The Merchant of Venice; Hamlet; The Tempest Metrodorus of Lampsacus  Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling G.W.F. Hegel Alwyn Lishman St. Francis of Assisi  Plotinus Thomas Edison St. Gregory of Nyssa Carl Jung Glenn Gould  

In this enlightening discussion, psychiatrist and author Iain McGilchrist delves into the power of imagination in shaping our perception of reality. He examines how Romantic poets like Wordsworth and Keats resisted simplistic views tied to the left hemisphere of the brain. McGilchrist emphasizes the significance of viewing existence as a dynamic interplay between the finite and infinite. He also explores the implications of AI on human values and the importance of nurturing creativity in a technology-driven world.

In his second Sophia Lecture, Dr Iain McGilchrist gives a bracing, counterintuitive account of the fundamental categories of our experience of the world. McGilchrist shows how fundamental binaries—such as stasis and motion, simplicity and complexity, order and randomness, and even straight lines and curves—do not occur in nature in ways that conform to our assumptions about an inert, independent, and predictable universe. Drawing from disciplines as disparate as physics, mathematics, biology and art, McGilchrist shows that asymmetry is not simply a principle of vitality, harmony, and beauty. McGilchrist argues that asymmetry is primary, a reality that is prior to symmetry and which forms the basis of the very symmetries in nature and the arts to which it gives rise. The dynamism which results from the drive to balance and to resist balance is at the root of the vigor of natural systems, the beauty that they embody, and which the arts then reflect. With examples ranging from the elegance of the golden ratio to the structure of the human brain, McGilchrist’s lecture offers a fresh perspective on the nature of patterns in complex systems and human creations. His work invites us to search for wholeness, harmony, and connection from a set of starting points which are as surprising as they are fruitful; as always, he challenges us to see our world in new—and newly unified—ways. Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Johann Sebastian Bach John Donne - “Holy Sonnet 7: At the round earth’s imagin’d corners” Gerard Manley Hopkins - “Carrion Comfort” Werner Heisenberg - Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations with Einstein, Planck, Dirac, Bohr, and Other Physicists of Our Time Alexander Pope - “The Rape of the Lock” Iain McGilchrist - The Master and his Emissary Pierre Curie Chien-Shiung Wu Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder Aesop Heraclitus Democritus Leonardo da Vinci Louis Pasteur Rong Li & Bruce Bowerman - “Symmetry breaking in biology” Arthur Koestler Aristotle Oliver Sacks Thomas Holstein Tim Crow Onur Güntürkün Jane Clark & Daniel Simons (Christopher Chabris) - Gorillas in Our Midst Jonathan Rowson Alastair McIntosh Richard Dawkins Nikolaj Nikolaenko Luciano Laurana Giorgio Martini - Ideal City Raphael - The School of Athens Andrea Palladio William Blake - “The Tyger” Theodosius II Christ Pantocrator Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel John P. McGovern William Osler William Alwyn Lishman William Shakespeare - King Lear John Cleese Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sir Roger Scruton

Iain McGilchrist, a neuroscientist and psychologist, delves into the fascinating balance between division and union. He explores how wholeness transcends reductionism, highlighting the brain’s hemispheres as partners in understanding. McGilchrist draws analogies from music and nature, emphasizing that true comprehension arises from recognizing interconnectedness. He champions the idea that resistance and limitations can spark creativity, while also discussing the philosophical implications of time and existence, ultimately arguing for a synthesis of opposites to drive innovation.

A conversation between Dr Iain McGilchrist, neuropsychiatrist, philosopher, and literary critic, and Dr Stephen Blackwood, President of Ralston College, on the occasion of Dr McGilchrist’s March 2024 visit to Savannah to deliver Ralston College’s annual Sophia Lectures. Dr McGilchrist discusses his experience spending time with Ralston College students, his reasons for accepting the College’s invitation to deliver the Sophia lectures, and the necessity of leisure for deep thought. Applications for Ralston College’s MA in the Humanities program are now open.  Apply now.    

Iain McGilchrist, a distinguished literary scholar and psychiatrist known for his works on the brain and culture, shares his fascinating educational journey. He discusses leaving a successful career in the humanities to enter medicine, emphasizing the integration of literature, philosophy, and neuroscience in his work. McGilchrist explores the significance of the right hemisphere in creativity, highlights the mind-body connection, and encourages a holistic educational vision that honors both the arts and sciences.