Political Philosophy

Radical liberal brunches on the left march, tweet and wear edgy tee-shirts. Radical liberal boaters on the right march, tweet and put flags on their pickup trucks. Their main accomplishment is to blame the other side for their favorite problems, expiate their responsibility and guilt, and eliminate the possibility of positive change on any of their issues. Spencer and Laurie focus in on the US left, because their disappointment in that group is more profound. Progressives say they’re interested in economic change towards more equality. But the PMC* progressives have wasted a lot of time and energy in the endless culture war “ping pong match.” Their energy and intellectual fire power could be used to demonstrate how to organize and live differently. But there are financial and mental health disincentives to actually changing up how the PMC does business. In this discussion, Laurie’s previous interview with Platypus co-founder Chris Cutrone comes up, along with Chapo Traphouse’s Matt Christman”s individual work, and the book featured by Spencer in his latest video: Catherine Liu: Virtue Hoarders: The Case Agains the Professional Managerial Class (2021).* Matt Christman’s Cushvlog is a part of Chapo Traphouse. All he does at the beginning is sing a bit instead of jokes and banter. Here’s an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD9dzSuCz08 Laurie’s interview with Chris Cutrone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFIWFZpiI8Y&t=2767s Catherine Liu appears on Jacobin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ortmpBSz4ko For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for Dr. Johnson’s future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

Permaculture is one area where there is some promise for agreement even in our politically polarized environment. This is a discussion from Environmental Political Thought of the ideas of Dave Holmgren, co-founder of the Permaculture movement, and Jack Spirko who, although from the other end of the political spectrum (seemingly) also likes permaculture ideas. For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

Spencer begins a discussion on the mercurial PMCs (professional managerial class). Ft. Matt Christman’s wisdom. Rage Baking: The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and Women’s Voices. Get yours at your local bookstore today, and start baking! For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

In this longer original cut, Spencer explores the distinction between wishes and results via the “Underpants Gnome” model of magical thinking made famous in the Southpark episode we all know and love. Trailer for the book “Native”: trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNN-0Kn8YzE For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

If you’re interested in the summer seminar, fill out this brief form: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA While Spencer is doing his series, I’m working on solidifying plans for a new podcast that will feature conversations between the two of us and some of our colleagues on issues the environment, economic and political challenges, political theology and independent community building. I will also be convening another seminar this summer. This one will be on Christian Anarchism. Both of these projects will fall under the new Maurin academy, which will promote care for our common home (the Earth), discussions on Christian political theology, the difficulties and successes of independent community building, and the promises and practices of local agriculture and economy. For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784

In this second part of his series on the decadence and detournement of the educated liberal professional managerial class, Spencer Hess gives us, among other things, a litany of evil systems (both Kaitlin Curtice’s and his own). We also get a peak into the futility of thinking that the solution to all the problems humans create is to educate them. The cat also helps answer one of his questions. For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

New contributor.Spencer Hess introduces his take on Native: Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering God by Kaitlin Curtice. How did we get in our own way? SH’s reaction to Kaitlyn Curtice’s book Native begins to indicate the way. For more from us: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

I’m going to change it up a little in the New Year. More to come on what to expect from Spencer Hess, an interviewee and a new contributor to this channel! https://pmaurin.org On this video: Hauerwas writes about the state of universities and liberal arts colleges, particularly but not exclusively religious colleges. Many of the problems he sees and the aspirations he holds dear can be applied to any modern university or college. I trace key elements of Hauerwas’s argument and sift them through my own perspective as an educator. Universities are not in good shape and do not seem to be poised for a positive turn. What is the point of higher education ideally and really? For more from me: https://pmaurin.org https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

Stanley Hauerwas deals skeptically with both political and religious virtue, but holds out hope for a type of political virtue within church. His treatment in Christian Existence Today is a bit cursory, but it’s thought provoking. The second half of this video deals with the problems of community and political virtue in church. Hint: it doesn’t mean joining team red or blue. For more from me: https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA

Reading Hauerwas on virtue prompted me to do a video discussing different views of virtue that developed at different times in history but are still with us, either as ghosts or as confused and contradictory aspirations. I suggest a new view of virtue has taken over, hyper-bourgeois virtue. For more from me: https://lauriemjohnson.com/ https://politicalphilosophy.video.blog/ iTunes podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-philosophy-dr-laurie-m-johnson/id1473457784 Please fill out this form to be put on the email list for future summer seminars:: https://forms.gle/WxikMpNx1M64GeTEA