Charley Dewberry walks us through why Machiavelli might not be Machiavellian, how to be in the world but not of the world, and the hermeneutics of the plausible.

[This episode was recorded during the 2025 Spring term of Western Civilization]

Dr. Brian Julian walks through Sextus Empiricus' Outline of Skepticism, and why skepticism is super common (but not in the way that most people think).

Eliot Grasso gives a very brief introduction to the Reformations of the 16th Century, including a discussion of Medieval Catholic metaphysics and the protestations of Matin Luther.

Chris Swanson sits down to discuss Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, why a world built on maximizing pleasure could be as awful as World War I, and how suffering is important to human life.

Naomi Rinehold discusses Aristotle's Politics, how elements of corrupt systems of government can be used to create justice, the limitations of Athenian citizenry, and how the American Constitution typifies some of Aristotle's ideas.

Brian Julian discusses Plato's "Analogy of the Cave", the nature of ultimate justice, and why smart people don't know everything.

Charley Dewberry fills in some Western Civilization history by discussion Alexander the Great, Hellenization, and what sort of glory we should be looking for.

Eliot Grasso discusses Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue, why ethical and political discourse is so difficult, and how pursuing teleological ethics--as admirable as that might be--differs from Christian Existentialism.

Brian Julian joins to discuss Sartre's atheistic existentialism, why reading non-Christians is important, and a surprising proof for God's existence.

Long-time listeners will note a new mix for the music in this episode. Eliot Grasso wrote and produced the first version of "The Old Woman and Her Foundlings". The new version was produced by Wesley Coleman.

Errata- Brian mentions a philosopher who did not get along with Sartre, but his name cuts out in the current edit. That philosopher was Albert Camus.

Chris Swanson returns to the podcast's first novel: Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. This episode also features a crash course on Russian naming conventions, a primer on Kierkegaard's Stages of Life, and a discussion on why all happy families are alike.