Classical Wisdom Speaks

Can we understand the Classics without the Classroom? A guide to getting (really) educated… with Dr. James Hankins, Professor of History at Harvard University, Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, and Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renaissance. If you already know WHY we should preserve the classics... It's time to ask HOW... and how YOU can help. What are the resources? Where can we begin? And who can help? As mainstream educational institutions move away from a classical core in the liberal arts, it can be tempting to feel despondent about the future of this educational model that has educated men and women for millennia. Yet there are a growing number of organizations around the world committed to remedy this. These non-accrediting institutions are nourishing those who care about ideas and the wisdom of the past and are offering people a chance to engage in the Great Conversation.What can we learn from these initiatives? How can we promote more of them? How can these new organizations nurture the values of curiosity and lifelong learning?About the Speakers: Dr. James Hankins, professor of History at Harvard University and an intellectual historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance. He is author of many books, including, Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft. You can purchase his book here.Anya Leonard, Founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, a platform dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to Modern Minds. You can learn more about Classical Wisdom here.Alexandra Hudson, curator of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to the wisdom of the past. Sign up for Civic Renaissance here.ResourcesPodcasts: Classical Wisdom Speaks Ancient Greece DeclassifiedHellenistic Age PodcastThe Partially Examined Life PodcastCommunity/E-learning:Ralston CollegeClassical Pursuits (travel with the classics)Modern StoicismArticles:"The Forgotten Virtue" explores the classical notion of humanitas, or love of humanity, that the ancients cultivated through education and the Renaissance Humanists revived in their own era.  "What are the classics for?" By Alexandra Hudson. This essay explores recent criticisms of the classics and looks at what an omnicultural core might look like today.Books: "A Great Idea at the Time" by Alex Beam"Know Thyself" by Ingrid Rossellini"How to live on 24 Hours a day" by Arnold Bennett"Virtue Politics" by James Hankins. "Lost in Thought" by Zena Hitz. 

How can we Truly be lost in thought? What does the love of learning look like... can it be corrupted? And how can we find the time for leisure? This week’s episode is with Dr. Zena Hitz, Tutor at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD and Winner of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, The Dallas Institute. Zena is also the author of Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life. We discuss how we can find leisure, why it's important, and the fantastic story behind MC Hammer and Zena’s friendship. You can purchase Zena’s book Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life Here.For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com

It’s Niche. Very Niche... But how exactly did ancient Athens bury their soldiers? How did this change over time? And what huge implications could this difference mean both then... and now? This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Cezary Kucewicz, a National Science Centre Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of History, University of Gdansk, Poland, and Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, UK. He is also the author of The Treatment of the War Dead in Archaic Athens.We discuss what exactly are the ancient war dead, how the custom changed dramatically between the archaic and classical periods of ancient Greece and what that change signifies... If you would like to learn more about Cezary’s book, The Treatment of the War Dead in Archaic Athens, please go to: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-treatment-of-the-war-dead-in-archaic-athens-9781350151550/ For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com

How are the Classics relevant to modern leaders? What lessons can they learn from Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides or Aristotle? And what can these ancient texts teach us in light of our modern technology and the state of democracy? This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Claudia Hauer, an expert on liberal education, military education, and the relationship between the two. Claudia teaches humanities, science, and languages in the Great Books program at St. John's College, and moral philosophy at the United States Air Force Academy, where she holds the Lyon Chair in Professional Ethics. She is also the author of Strategic Humanism: Lessons in Leadership from the Ancient Greeks.We discuss strategic humanism, lessons from the ancient world and how we can connect theory to practice.You can find Claudia’s book, Strategic Humanism: Lessons in Leadership from the Ancient Greeks at: https://www.politicalanimalpress.com/product/strategic-humanism/For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com​​​​​Sign up to get Classical Wisdom's Free newsletter as well as a FREE E-book on the "Two Sides of Jesus", Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-two-sides-of-jesus/

What is the Canon? How is it defined? What should it look like... and should we even have it in the first place? This week’s Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Zachary Davis, the founder and president of Lyceum, an educational audio studio, the VP of Content for Himalaya as well as the organizer of the Sound Education conference. Zachary is also the host of Ministry of Ideas and Writ Large, a founding member of the Hub & Spoke audio collective.We discuss the history of the cannon, how it has evolved and what it should look like. To learn more about Zachary's work, please go to: https://www.zacharystevendavis.com/For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com​​​​Sign up to get Classical Wisdom's Free newsletter as well as a FREE E-book on the "Two Sides of Jesus", Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/free-e-book-two-sides-of-jesus/ 

What was the Stoic Formula for living the good life? When was the idea of moral duty conceived? And why was its invention so controversial? This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with Jack Visnjic, also known as Lantern Jack, host of the  - Ancient Greece Declassified Podcast and Director of Research at the Anacyclosis Institute. He is also author the new book, “The Invention of Duty: Stoicism as Deontology”You can find Jack's book here: https://brill.com/view/title/58430 You can listen to Jack's podcast, Ancient Greece Declassified, here: http://greecepodcast.com/ For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com​​​​Get our Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Music - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/

Can we experience Stoic Joy? Why has there been a dramatic change in how we perceive Stoicism? And how can the ancient philosophy reduce stress and anxiety as well as help us achieve our goals? This week's Classical Wisdom Speaks Podcast is with William B. Irvine, Professor of Philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Author of seven books, including The Stoic Challenge, and A Guide To The Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.If you would like to learn more about Dr. Irvine’s books, includingThe Stoic Challenge and A Guide to the Good Life, please look at his website: williambirvine.com/For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com​​​​Learn more about our upcoming Stoic ESSAY Competition here: https://classicalwisdom.com/stoicism-essay-competition/Get our Classical Wisdom Magazine - dedicated to new exciting themes each month - check out our subscription special Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/*Please note, this podcast was originally recorded in 2019, before the pandemic. 

What happened to Lost technology? Was there an ancient advanced society? How did the ancients decipher reality... and has the concept of Time itself changed since the classical era?This week’s Classical Wisdom Speaks is with Dr. Benjamin B. Olshin, retired Professor of Philosophy, History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, and Design at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Dr. Olshin is a researcher, musician, artist, consultant and author of several books including “ Lost Knowledge”, “Deciphering Reality”, and “The Mysteries of the Marco Polo Maps.”We will discuss the way the ancients understood their world, reality and time... as well as how they transmitted technology. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Olshin’s books, including Lost Knowledge and Deciphering Reality, as well as  his diverse projects, you can find everything at:https://www.benjaminbolshin.net/For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com​​​Get our recent Magazine - dedicated to Ancient Music - with our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine subscription Here: https://classicalwisdom.com/product/classical-wisdom-litterae-magazine-subscription/ 

Are the Humanities under attack? Are the Classics being Canceled? And if so, how and why should we come to its defense? We live in an era that frequently questions the utility and benefit of classical education and a liberal arts core curriculum—a mode of education that has nourished the minds of men and women for thousands of years. As these criticisms gain traction in our public square, it feels like we're at an inflection point.What is the future of the humanities in general, and the classics in particular? How inclusive can they be? Is the Greco-Roman world still relevant today? Dr. Eric Adler, a classist at the University of Maryland and author of "Battle of the Classics," recently published by Oxford University Press, discuss these questions and more, along with Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom and Alexandra Hudson, curator of Civic Response..Together they explore the weaknesses of modern defenses of the humanities, including an over reliance on the “critical thinking” they build.They also discuss the best contemporary criticisms of the classics, including that they are overly “Western-centric.” We will also discuss thoughtful ways to approach these concerns, including the possible utility of a “living” and perhaps more omni-cultural, core that reads Western texts alongside Eastern literature.This event is in partnership with Classical Wisdom, and online platform that provides commentaries and opinions on Ancient Greek and Latin literature, and Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to the wisdom of the past, beauty, goodness and truth.https://classicalwisdom.com​https://www.civic-renaissance.com​You can purchase Eric's Book here: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Classics-Nineteenth-Century-Debate-Humanities/dp/0197518788

Were Homer and the tragic myths considered history? How were they able to revere goddesses, but not the average woman? And what exactly did the ancients find Taboo in Euripides’ controversial works? Hint: it’s not what we would be offended by today... Today's Classical Wisdom Speaks episode is with Anya Leonard and  Classical Wisdom's resident classicist, Ben Potter on the foundational myths of ancient Greece, cultural taboos and how the theater competitions worked.Test Drive Classical Wisdom's Magazine Risk Free Here: http://classicalwisdom.com/free-trial/  For more information about Classical Wisdom's Podcast Classical Wisdom Speaks, please check out our website at: http://classicalwisdom.com