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What's the meaning of life? Why is there pain and suffering? How do you balance justice and love? These "accursed questions" have haunted humanity for centuries. Fyodor Dostoevsky sought to answer these questions through his characters' lives. His answers are prophetic for our time.

In this episode, I sit down with Northwestern University professor of Russian literature Gary Saul Morson. We discuss what Dostoevsky reveals about developing intellectual honesty, how to deal with suffering and brokenness, as well as his arguments for and against God. 

His latest book, Wonder Confronts Certainty: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter, sets the stage for this interview sets the stage for this interview.

Topics:

• The "Accursed Questions" of Russian Literature
• Dostoevsky's Intellectual Honesty with Faith
• Battle-Testing Worldviews through Fiction
• The Dangers of Abstracting Individuals
• Notes from Underground: Human Freedom vs Determinism
• The Core of Ethics: Human Surprisingness
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?

Bio:

Gary Saul Morson is Lawrence B. Dumas Professor of the Arts and Humanities and Professor of Russian Literature at Northwestern University.   His 21 authored or edited volumes and 300 shorter publications have examined major Russian writers, the philosophy of time, the role of quotations in culture, great aphorisms, and the ultimate questions about life taken seriously in Russian literature. His classes on Russian writers in translation have enrolled over 500 students, and he is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards. Morson writes regularly for numerous national publications, including The New York Review of Books, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, First Things, Mosaic, and several others.  He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1995

Prof. Morson on the best Dostoevsky translations:

“The best translations of Dostoevsky are by Constance Garnett or revisions of Garnett.  For Notes from Underground, use Garnett revised by Ralph Matlaw;  for The Brothers Karamazov, Garnett revised by Susan McReynolds;  and for The Possessed (Demons)be sure to use the Modern Library version of the Garnett translation with appendixes containing versions of a chapter he was not allowed to publish.”

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As we enter a world of artificial intelligence, the question of what should be automated looms before us. Models need clear, objective metrics to train on. But, can jobs really be distilled to data points?  In her book, The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World, Prof. Allison Pugh asserts many jobs have a relational component that can’t be caught in the metrics. In this episode, Prof. Pugh warns that devaluing connective labor leads to automation that overlooks the core issues and leaves us more isolated.

Topics:

• Connective Labor
• Undervaluation of Connective Labor
• Automation of Connective Labor
• Role of Data in Education
• Educational Inequality and Standardized Testing
• Artificial Intelligence and Relationships
• Growing Demand for Connection
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?

Bio:
Allison Pugh is a Research Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, and the author of four books, most recently The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World (Princeton 2024). The 2024-5 Vice President of the American Sociological Association, Pugh was faculty at the University of Virginia for 17 years before moving to Hopkins this summer. She is a former journalist, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, and other outlets. She served as a US diplomat in Honduras, cofounded a charter school in Oakland, waited on tables at the US Tennis Open, packed salmon roe in Alaska, and was an intern at Ms. Magazine.  

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When we think of history of books, we often neglect the people who created them. We think of history as a figment of facts, connected together by time and advances in technology. But sometimes we overlook the humanity, the souls, the fingerprints in the ink-stained margins of long-forgotten tomes. In this episode, I sit down with Oxford's Prof. Adam Smyth to discuss his The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives. How a book was made tells us about the people who created it, as well as what the culture valued about books. The way a book was formed changes how we interact with it.

Topics:

• Humanizing the history of the book - the forgotten lives of the book-makers
• The book - a blend of prose and production
• How culture influenced the design of books
• How hand-printing influences your view of writing
• Do you think the abstract nature and accessibility of text have changed how we view it?
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?

Bio:
Adam Smyth is professor of English literature and the history of the book at Balliol College, University of Oxford. He is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books and the TLS. He also runs the 39 Steps Press, a small printing press, which he keeps in a barn in Oxfordshire, England. 

Affiliate book links: (Support the show by buying through these links :D)

• The Book-Maker: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives
• Books of impact: Short stories of Borges

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For the past few centuries, we have philosophically operated under Newtonian physics where questions of experience and of the soul were seen as subjective, with no connection to the numerical certainty of science. However, then came quantum physics.

In his new book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through Faith, classicist Dr. Spencer Klavan retells the history of science and highlights the philosophical implications of each era. He argues that quantum mechanics, with its exploration of uncertainty and consciousness, has not only returned physics to the question of the soul. But, also, has provided an incredible argument for the Genesis account of creation.

You may recognize Dr. Klavan from his appearance in episode 104 - Modern Problems, Ancient Solutions - Applying the Wisdom of the Classics to the Cultural Conflicts of Today

Topics:

• The purpose of this book
• Music of the Spheres & the Medieval View of the world - the World as Beauty + Order
• Philosophical implications of "ghost in the machine" philosophy
• AI and the mechanical view of the universe
• Genesis, Consciousness, and Quantum Mechanics
• Worldviews and Science
• A clash of cultures: Scientism and Skepticism in America
• Confusing spiritual truths and scientific truths
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Dr. Spencer Klavan is an associate editor at the Claremont Review of Books and a podcaster on the great works of the West. Dr. Klavan is a scholar, writer, and podcast host of Young Heretics, with a lifelong devotion to the great works and principles of the West. After studying Greek and Latin at Yale University as an undergrad, he spent five years at Oxford University completing his doctorate in ancient Greek literature. Check out his latest book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through Faith.

Resources mentioned:

• Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through Faith
• Books of impact:
  • In high school: Bible
  • During grad school: Owen Barfield's Poetic Diction and Saving Appearances
  • Since his last appearance: Thomas Traherne's Centuries of Meditations

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A multifaceted understanding of wisdom is essential for a functioning society.  Only with this broad understanding can we humbly dialogue with those who disagree with us and piece by piece build a culture of conversation. In this episode, I sit down with geneticist and physician Dr. Francis Collins to discuss his latest book, The Road to Wisdom. Dr. Collins argues that we must return to the four core sources of judgment and clear thinking: truth, science, faith, and trust.

A Quick Note:

Aiming for the Moon has a diverse audience. I strongly believe that developing your perspective comes from speaking with people who you both agree with and disagree with. Iron sharpens iron. That’s why this podcast is a platform that hosts interesting and successful people from a variety of worldviews. Gen. Z has the opportunity to trailblaze a culture of conversation. So, let’s go.

Topic:

• Four Anchors of Knowledge: Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust
• Cynicism and Nihilism in Public Discourse 
• The Importance of Humility in Dialogue
• "How has being attacked by those 'on your side?' changed how you communicate?"
• Harmonizing Faith and Science
• Iron sharpens Iron: How going outside your bubble helps expand your perspective
• Navigating Polarized Issues in a Multicultural Society
• Practical Steps: So, how should we then live?
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Dr. Francis S. Collins is a physician and geneticist. His groundbreaking work has led to the discovery of the cause of cystic fibrosis, among other diseases.  In 1993 he was appointed director of the international Human Genome Project, which successfully sequenced all 3 billion letters of our DNA. He went on to serve three Presidents as the Director of the National Institutes of Health.

Resources mentioned:

• The Road to Wisdom
• Taylor's Substack: The Dangers of Abstracting Individuals in a Divided Society
• Ep. 80. The Perception of Political Polarization and How to Fix It: Dr. Chris Bail
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• Books of impact:
  • Bible
  • Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
  • The Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan Rauch

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In his book, The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers, award-winning journalist Eric Weiner describes how to live well. He argues that our technologically advanced societies have mistaken knowledge for wisdom. In this episode, we discuss how philosophy affects our every action, whether we recognize it or not. Philosophy allows us to make sense of our lives, to find our place in world, and to see the beauty within it. Listen in to this wonderful conversation about this overlooked art. 

Topics:

• Our Wisdom-hungry Society - Mistaking Knowledge for Wisdom.
• How Philosophy Teaches Us How to Live
• The Philosophy of the Modern World
• The Metaverse and Plato
• The Hidden Influence of Philosophy on Our Daily Lives
• Happiness - Ancient Greeks vs Us
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Eric Weiner is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker. His books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, Man Seeks God, and The Socrates Express. His latest book, Ben & Me, will be published by Avid Reader Press in June 2024. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Eric is a former foreign correspondent for NPR, and reporter for The New York Times. He is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, BBC Travel, and AFAR, among other publications. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

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The Internet has become an integral part of our world. It connects all kinds of technologies from sports streaming to stock trading to selfie posting. But, in the grand history of technology, it’s not all that old.

How did the Internet become so expansive in so little time? There are two major components in the rise of the Internet. 1) The creation of modular networking that allowed for fast growth. 2) The culture of self-governance and collaboration that fueled the early innovators. In this episode, Harvard's Prof. Jonathan Zittrain explains the impact of these two components as well as the shifting future of Internet governance. 

Topics:

• Origins of the Internet - How the Internet Expanded so Rapidly
• The Early Internet
• Generative Technology - What is it?
• Early Regulation and Innovation - the Internet Wild West
• "Is this lack of regulation the current model of the Internet? Should it be?"
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Jonathan Zittrain is the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School, Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He directs the Harvard Law School Library and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

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A rich understanding of history allows us to recognize patterns and the possible trajectory of the present. But sometimes, this analysis provides sobering prophecies. In this episode, renowned classicist and military historian, Dr. Victor Davis Hanson discusses his 2024 book, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation. In it, he outlines the common factors in the downfalls of great civilizations. And soberingly, he proposes that America aligns with many of these patterns.

A Quick Note as this episode deals with contemporary politics:

Aiming for the Moon has a diverse audience. I strongly believe that developing your own perspective comes from speaking with people who you both agree with and disagree with. Iron sharpens iron. That’s why this podcast is a platform that hosts interesting and successful people from a variety of worldviews. Gen. Z has the opportunity to trailblaze a culture of conversation. So, let’s go.

Topics:

• Patterns of Civilization Decline and Why We Should Care
• Human Nature and Historical Progress - Why aren't we getting better?
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Dr. Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and chairs the Working Group on the Role of Military History in Contemporary Conflict. He is an American scholar of ancient and modern warfare and has been a commentator on contemporary politics for various media outlets. He is a professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno, and the annual Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History at Hillsdale College since 2004. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush and was a recipient of the Bradley Prize in 2008. Hanson is also a farmer and a critic of social trends related to farming and agrarianism. The author of numerous books, his most recent are The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won (2017), The Case for Trump (2019), and The Dying Citizen: How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America (2021). His latest book, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation, was published in May 2024.

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“Authenticity” has become an economic token on social media. And, not in a metaphorical way. This has led to people becoming brands. The so-called “influencer” is an icon of an industry not yet recognized or respected by society at large.

This new industry is composed of a digital labor force whose livelihoods are at the whims of all-powerful, ever-changing algorithms. In this episode, Dr. Emily Hund, the author of The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton University Press, 2023), explains the rise of this new economy and why it should be recognized and legitimized by the public. 

Topics:

• How did this “branded” culture develop?
• What is an “influencer?”
• The Narrative of Self-sufficiency: Are you really self-sufficient if you are an influencer?
• "Authenticity" on Social Media - is it really authentic?
• Legitimizing the "Influencer Industry"
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Emily Hund, PhD, is the author of the book, The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton University Press, 2023). She writes, speaks, and consults on topics related to influencers, the reshaping of cultural industries, and the digital labor force. Early in her career, she worked as a magazine writer and social media editor, and earned degrees in journalism and sociology from Penn State University.

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Throughout the 21st century, mistrust in our societal institutions has become commonplace. Regardless of your political leanings, we’ve become skeptical and suspicious of the governmental, educational, and religious institutions meant to support and protect us. How did this happen? What should we do about it? Perhaps, this mistrust is the very catalyst for reform? In today's episode, Prof. Ethan Zuckerman dissects this phenomena.

Topics:

• The rise of institutional mistrust
• Is influencer culture a response to mistrusting institutions?
• How to transform institutions
• Social media and worldview differences
• "What books have had an impact on you?"
• "What advice do you have for teenagers?"

Bio:
Prof. Ethan Zuckerman is an associate professor of public policy, communication and information at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is the founder of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, a research group that is studying and building alternatives to the existing commercial internet. Prof. Zuckerman is the author of two books: Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them and Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection, both published through W.W. Norton. He is also the co-founder of global blogging community Global Voices and works with social change nonprofit organizations around the world. He is an alumnus of the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard, the MIT Media Lab and Comparative Media Studies at MIT, Geekcorps, and Tripod.

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