The New Thinkery

This week, the guys are on their own as they tackle one of Rousseau's shorter discourses focusing on the most essential characteristic for a hero to have. Plus: Rousseau was a bit of an oddball. Alex and David recount a couple of stories to illustrate the point.

This week, the guys are joined by Devin Stauffer, Professor and Associate Chair at UT Austin. The group take a look at several of Hobbes' most pivotal works to get at Hobbes' true arguments about human nature, with Professor Stauffer leading the analysis. 

This week, the guys are back to the three man band format. They discuss the opening of Strauss' most read work and highlight patterns of thought that continue throughout Natural Right and History. 

n this edition of The New Thinkery, Alex and Greg are joined for a second time by Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Academics Program Officer for the Jack Miller Center. The group take a look at a very short text that could be read in an hour, but to understand thoroughly could take years. 

This week, the guys are joined by Assumption University's own BJ Dobski. The group discuss Thucydides as a source of ancient history, the extent to which he is reliable, and the archaeology surrounding him personally.

In this episode of The New Thinkery, David and Alex have temporarily replaced Greg with Alex's mother, Fereshteh, who is an expert on Marcel Proust's mammoth 4,000+ page text, In Search of Lost Time. In the episode, the group discuss the first volume of the text, Swann's Way, analyzing the circuitous structure and style of writing utilized, as well as how it contributes to the text's overall message.

This week, the guys are joined by Damian Jungerman, a former US serviceman turned intellectual with a seriously impressive résumé. Jungerman details how great books saved him and how those great books continue to be a source of immense value, as well as sharing candid stories from the battlefield.

As school kicks into gear as summer is winding down, the guys take the opportunity to talk about the extent to which the common man can be benefitted or harmed by liberal education, using Herbert Storing's famous essay as a starting point. 

In this week's installment of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Michigan State's distinguished professor emeritus Jerry Weinberger. The group discuss Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, its importance, and whether and to what extent Fraknlin is an esoteric writer.

This week, the guys return to the meat and potatoes of philosophy: Plato and Socrates. They discuss the first half of Plato's Republic Book IV, the logic of continuing an empire in decay, and the Machiavellian nature of some of Socrates' advice. Plus: don't miss Greg's hot take on country music.