The New Thinkery

This week, the guys are joined for the third time by author, political commentator, and policy scholar Steven F. Hayward, who is replacing David for this episode. The group take a trip to the silver screen to review Cloud Atlas, based on a book of the same name. Discussion ranges from the unique, nested story sequence, characters, and more.

The guys are back this week with a break from the philosophy books, opting instead for another of Shakespeare's great plays. They generally discuss the plot, characters, themes, and more in this episode. This is just the first episode on Hamlet to set the stage, so to speak. There will be deep dives into each act in the future.

This week, the guys are joined by Jacob Howland, author of Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic, among other impressive works, and the McFarlin Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Tulsa. Howland goes through his analysis and conclusion of Glaucon's fate in Plato's Republic, as well as touhch on additional points concerning the full work. Plus: Greg's (in)famous lightning round!

This week, the guys dive into the underground world of E. M. Forster's The Machine Stops. People live in pods, communication is done almost solely by instant messaging/video conferencing, and the omnipotent Machine takes care of people's bodily and spiritual needs. The guys analyze the situation and realizations that arise as the machine breaks down and people are condemned to their fate.

This week, the guys turn to Dostoevsky's story within The Brothers Karamazov: The Grand Inquisitor. Centering on two chapters within the book, discussion and analysis ranges from the idea of a benevolent God, to unanswered implications about human nature and freedom, and much more.

This week, the guys convene a day early to bring you an analysis of the Declaration of Independence. Discussion takes the guys through the history of the Declaration, a look at its progenitors, its meaning, and how it fits with America's other important documents like the Constitution.

Dr. Hannes Kerber & Dr. Svetozar Minkov discuss Leo Strauss's interpretation of Plato's Euthyphro, exploring piety definitions, orthodoxy, justice, courage, maker God concept absurdities, Parmenides dialogue connections, monotheistic applications, universal concepts, divine laws in Genesis, and the ambiguous ending of the Socrates-Euthyphro dialogue.

Dr. Hannes Kerber and Dr. Svetozar Minkov discuss their new work on Leo Strauss's 'Euthyphro'. They delve into the history of the book, its content, and its significance. They explore topics such as justice, philosophical transcendence, and the exclusion of piety in the philosophic life. Wade Ambler's suggestions on Strauss's lecture and the meaning of markups in his Greek texts are also discussed.

The hosts dive deep into Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, discussing the nuances of moral responsibility. They explore how to distinguish voluntary from involuntary actions and what that means for praise and blame. A fascinating look at the 'mean' in moral virtue reveals the challenges in character formation. Philosophical questions about desire and choice provoke debates on personal responsibility. Finally, they question whether the pursuit of understanding the good should take precedence over assigning culpability.

This week, the guys are joined once more by Dr. Eric Adler, Professor and Chair of Classics at the University of Maryland. The group turn to the silver screen as they analyze the cult classic, The Big Lebowski. Amid the antics of the characters throughout the film, the guys analyze whether there is a coherent message lying underneath the calls to just "chill out, man."