Socrates in the City

What happens when the myth of human progress begins to crack? In this meeting of the minds, Socrates in the City co-contributors Mary Harrington and Joe Loconte explore the intellectual and cultural aftermath of the First World War—and the profound questions it raised about technology, human nature, and the promise of progress. Beginning with Loconte’s first book, which examines the shattering of the optimistic vision of progress after World War I, the conversation turns to C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, whose work wrestled with many of the same anxieties about modernity, power, and the limits of human mastery. From “That Hideous Strength” and Lewis’s prescient concerns about automation and the manipulation of human thought to America’s enduring fascination with “The Lord of the Rings,” Harrington and Loconte ask what these stories reveal about the way we understand ourselves—and whether the myth of progress was ever truly shattered in the first place.

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In this episode of The Revolution, Socrates in the City travels to the historic Conference House—the very room where General Howe, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin once gathered to debate what might come next—to interview Andrew O’Shaughnessy. He joins host Eric Metaxas to discuss his acclaimed book “The Men Who Lost America.”

From the complexities of George III and his evolving views of the American colonies to the shifting American perception of the king throughout the Revolution, O’Shaughnessy revisits the personalities, miscalculations, and failures of British leadership that ultimately cost Britain the war—and its American empire. Along the way, they explore the infamous mischianza, the lavish Philadelphia celebration held in honor of General Howe, and the deepening divisions and civil unrest that fractured colonial society. Throughout this conversation emerges a fascinating portrait of a revolution not simply won by American ingenuity, but lost through the ambitions, rivalries, and misjudgments of those who sought to preserve the British Empire.

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In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, she is joined by D.W. Pasulka, professor of religious studies and author of American Cosmic and Encounters, to explore her newest book “The Others: UFOs, AI, and the Secret Forces Guiding Human Destiny” and the strange and often overlooked relationship between religion, technology, and the uncanny. The conversation moves from her academic journey—from studying purgatory and Marian visions to investigating modern technological developments and the cultural phenomenon of UFOs—raising the provocative possibility that what we once understood as religious visions may now be interpreted through the language of technology. Drawing on René Girard’s work on religion, violence, and human imitation, Pasulka reaches even further back to Plato and Socrates, whose ancient questions about perception, knowledge, and reality seem remarkably prescient in an age increasingly shaped by technological spaces. The two explore the implications of Plato’s Cave, which describes a world in which shadows could be mistaken for reality—who are the modern puppet masters, and what happens when the technologies shaping our “cave” are increasingly invisible, immersive, and powerful? Are we still watching shadows on the wall, or have we begun to build the cave ourselves?

The post D.W. Pasulka and Mary Harrington: UFOs, AI, and the Secret Forces Guiding Human Destiny first appeared on Socrates in the City.

In this episode of Socrates in Oxford, host Eric Metaxas is joined by Lord Nigel Biggar—author, scholar, and minister—who examines the complicated history of the British Empire and challenges the increasingly simple narrative that colonialism was an unqualified force for evil.

Drawing on the history, theology, and moral philosophy found in his book “Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning,” Biggar explores both the profound injustices and genuine achievements of the empire, arguing that a truthful account must acknowledge both. He considers the Christian roots of the abolitionist movement, the motivations behind Britain’s efforts to end the slave trade, and the enduring evidence of the empire’s both positive and negative legacy.

Throughout this conversation, Biggar shares the remarkable story of how his book nearly never came to be after its original publisher canceled the project amid concerns over potential outrage, raising a larger question about whether our understanding of history is being shaped more by emotional reactions or by a careful examination of the facts.

The post Eric Metaxas and Lord Nigel Biggar: What Did the British Empire Do Right? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

In this episode of Socrates in Oxford, host Eric Metaxas is joined by James Orr—theologian, philosopher, and now politician—who reflects on his journey to Christ and his discovery of philosophy’s power to make sense of the world we inhabit. From the classical arguments of Thomas Aquinas and St. Anselm to questions of being, human nature, moral truth, and the existence of God, Orr explores why these ancient debates still matter profoundly in the modern world. He challenges the “nothing-but” thinking that reduces humanity and reality to mere biology, chemistry, or material processes, and considers what happens when we lose our sense of absolute truth and objective morality. Throughout this conversation is a call to recover the passion for philosophy, serious thought, and faith—and to remember that perhaps the most important thing we can do is simply learn how to think.

The post Eric Metaxas and James Orr: Can Classical Theism Save Modern Philosophy? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

What happens when we stop asking children to do hard things, develop strong habits, and take responsibility for their choices? In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, she joins Katharine Birbalsingh, often called the “strictest headmistress in the United Kingdom,” for a conversation about education, virtue, discipline, and what it means to live a meaningful life. From the negative influence of Rousseau on modern education to the distinction between big-C Conservatism and small-c conservatism, Katherine challenges the assumptions behind much of contemporary thinking about children, morality, and human nature. And what might this have to do with Christianity? Have we made Jesus too “nice,” forgetting His call to virtue, accountability, sacrifice, and transformation? Throughout the conversation, they explore the seemingly ordinary, and perhaps even ‘boring’, virtues that form a good life, why they matter, and why we may need to start teaching them to our children.

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In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, host Eric Metaxas is joined by philosopher and author Carrie Gress to discuss her book Something Wicked: Why Feminism Can’t Be Fused with Christianity and to explore the complicated history and ideological roots of the feminist movement. From Mary Wollstonecraft and the French Revolution to Betty Friedan and the modern iterations of feminism, Gress traces the movement’s evolution and examines its often-overlooked relationship with Christianity, revolution, and the occult. What happens when feminism’s understanding of human flourishing is built upon a distorted view of Christian teaching? Was the movement, at its origins, fueled by envy, resentment, or contempt—and what role did occult ideas play in shaping its development? Throughout this conversation, we are invited to reconsider the history of feminism and ask whether its fundamental assumptions can truly be reconciled with the Christian vision of human nature, freedom, and flourishing.

The post Eric Metaxas and Carrie Gress: Why Feminism is More Deadly Than Communism first appeared on Socrates in the City.

In this episode of Socrates in Oxford, host Eric Metaxas is joined once again by John Lennox, as he reflects on his remarkable journey of faith, scholarship, and intellectual discovery in his new autobiography, My Story: A Spiritual and Intellectual Autobiography, revealing stories and experiences never before told. From his conversion to Christianity and his friendship with C.S. Lewis, to teaching the Bible behind the Iron Curtain and witnessing the Lord’s miraculous protection and provision, Lennox traces the moments that shaped both his faith and his calling. Throughout the conversation, he explores the academic disciplines that have defined his work—including science, history, philosophy, and theology—and considers how questions of faith and reason intersect in the search for truth. Above all, Lennox offers an encouraging reminder that sharing our faith is not reserved for professional apologists or academics, but is something that can be woven naturally into every part of our lives.

The post Eric Metaxas and John Lennox: Preaching the Gospel Behind the Iron Curtain first appeared on Socrates in the City.

In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, she is joined by Miriam Cates, former Conservative MP and now broadcaster with GB News, who reflects on her journey into politics during the turbulent years of Brexit and Covid, the pressures that reshaped Westminster, and the challenges of being a Christian seeking truth in public life. 

Throughout this conversation, the two explore women’s rights, the controversy surrounding women’s spaces, and the rapidly changing understanding of family and parenthood—from surrogacy and reproductive technology to the growing number of children born into unconventional family structures. At the heart of the conversation is a deeper question: what happens when questions about children and family are framed primarily around the rights and desires of adults, rather than the needs and dignity of the child?

The post Miriam Cates and Mary Harrington: Can the Birth Rate Crisis Be Fixed? first appeared on Socrates in the City.

What is the difference between Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism? What was the great mistake Erwin Schrödinger made nearly 80 years ago? In this episode of Socrates in Oxford, host Eric Metaxas is joined by Denis Noble, the brilliant physiologist and biologist, as he challenges one of the most deeply rooted assumptions in modern science: that everything can ultimately be reduced to its smallest parts. From the rise of reductionism in biology and mathematics to the influential “selfish gene” theory, Noble examines how a particular scientific framework has come to shape our understanding of life itself. 

Drawing on his own experience debating Richard Dawkins—and even serving on the committee for Dawkins’s PhD thesis—Noble offers a fascinating insider’s perspective on one of the most significant debates in modern evolutionary biology. This conversation asks, what happens when scientists refuse to follow the evidence wherever it may lead, even if that evidence raises questions about God? Noble argues that science is never merely scientific; it is deeply philosophical, shaped by the assumptions we bring to our understanding of reality. At the heart of his argument and this conversation is an invitation for scientific humility: the courage to recognize the limits of what we know and to remain open to where the evidence might ultimately lead.

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