On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan introduce the course "Totalitarian Novels."

Totalitarian novels depict regimes that exert complete and pervasive control over the lives of their subjects. George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Arthur Koestler, and C.S. Lewis imagine the terrible possibilities of unchecked modern tyranny. Join Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, and Hillsdale College students in this exploration of 1984, Brave New World, Darkness at Noon, and That Hideous Strength.

The course includes four lectures and four conversations, each about 30 minutes long. It is structured with one lecture about each book followed by a conversation between Dr. Arnn and the students about themes from that book. 

In George Orwell’s 1984, the regime is dedicated to power. The Party ensures that its members obey through pain and torture, as shown when O’Brien tortures Winston.

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss Communism's transformation into a popular political position in the United States.

In “Marxism, Socialism, and Communism,” professors of history, politics, and economics look at Marx’s life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of communist China, and the proliferation of Cultural Marxism in America. They explore how many ideas animating American politics today are rooted in Marxism, and yet how they differ from Marx’s thought. By taking Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and the Frankfurt School seriously, we can see the injustice and evil inherent in all strands of Marxism. We also better understand the critiques of communism made by Mises, Hayek, and Solzhenitsyn. We are, therefore, better equipped to defeat it. 

Cultural Marxism focuses on Marx’s social critiques rather than his economic theories. Cultural Marxists claim that social structures cause the systemic oppression of minority groups. Their critiques center on race, sex, and gender, rather than economic class. Following the 2008 financial crisis, Marx’s economic theories returned to prominence and have combined with the cultural Marxist theories to animate many American political and cultural movements.

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the strange and deadly history of Communism outside of the Soviet Union.

In “Marxism, Socialism, and Communism,” professors of history, politics, and economics look at Marx’s life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of communist China, and the proliferation of Cultural Marxism in America. They explore how many ideas animating American politics today are rooted in Marxism, and yet how they differ from Marx’s thought. By taking Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and the Frankfurt School seriously, we can see the injustice and evil inherent in all strands of Marxism. We also better understand the critiques of communism made by Mises, Hayek, and Solzhenitsyn. We are, therefore, better equipped to defeat it. 

Stalin spread communism throughout the Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe and Asia. Tito’s Yugoslavia seemed to be a successful example of communism until his death. Mao was a faithful Marxist-Leninist. However, the contemporary Chinese Communist Party has adopted many capitalist policies to support their communist principles.  

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the deeply personal and precinct writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

In “Marxism, Socialism, and Communism,” professors of history, politics, and economics look at Marx’s life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of communist China, and the proliferation of Cultural Marxism in America. They explore how many ideas animating American politics today are rooted in Marxism, and yet how they differ from Marx’s thought. By taking Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and the Frankfurt School seriously, we can see the injustice and evil inherent in all strands of Marxism. We also better understand the critiques of communism made by Mises, Hayek, and Solzhenitsyn. We are, therefore, better equipped to defeat it. 

Solzhenitsyn captured the brutal degradation of the human spirit inherent in communism. Mises and Hayek demonstrated the flaws in its economic principles. 

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the unique evil of Joseph Stalin.

In “Marxism, Socialism, and Communism,” professors of history, politics, and economics look at Marx’s life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of communist China, and the proliferation of Cultural Marxism in America. They explore how many ideas animating American politics today are rooted in Marxism, and yet how they differ from Marx’s thought. By taking Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and the Frankfurt School seriously, we can see the injustice and evil inherent in all strands of Marxism. We also better understand the critiques of communism made by Mises, Hayek, and Solzhenitsyn. We are, therefore, better equipped to defeat it. 

Stalin was a committed Marxist-Leninist. He revealed the extreme brutality inherent to Marxism. Stalin manipulated western nations into entering World War Two and emerged as the only clear victor. 

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the forces that lead to the rise of the Soviet Union before introducing the lesson.

In “Marxism, Socialism, and Communism,” professors of history, politics, and economics look at Marx’s life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of communist China, and the proliferation of Cultural Marxism in America. They explore how many ideas animating American politics today are rooted in Marxism, and yet how they differ from Marx’s thought. By taking Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and the Frankfurt School seriously, we can see the injustice and evil inherent in all strands of Marxism. We also better understand the critiques of communism made by Mises, Hayek, and Solzhenitsyn. We are, therefore, better equipped to defeat it. 

Tsarist Russia was prospering and growing, but Nicholas II was weak-willed. He allowed himself to be badgered into entering World War I and into abdicating his reign after the February Revolution. The weak provisional government was easily overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution despite the Bolsheviks’ lack of popular support. Lenin was a thorough Marxist who introduced extreme and brutal reforms. 

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan introduce the course "Marxism, Socialism, and Communism."

In “Marxism, Socialism, and Communism,” professors of history, politics, and economics look at Marx’s life and writings, the misery and brutality in the Soviet Union, the atrocities of communist China, and the proliferation of Cultural Marxism in America. They explore how many ideas animating American politics today are rooted in Marxism, and yet how they differ from Marx’s thought. By taking Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and the Frankfurt School seriously, we can see the injustice and evil inherent in all strands of Marxism. We also better understand the critiques of communism made by Mises, Hayek, and Solzhenitsyn. We are, therefore, better equipped to defeat it. 

Marx made legitimate critiques of the profanity of the liberal societies he witnessed. But his communist vision denied human nature, misunderstood politics and economics, and encouraged worse profanities. In particular, Marx sought the destruction of private property, the abolition of the church and family, and accepted countless atrocities in the name of revolution.

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In this special episode of the Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah Regan sits down with Dr. Sean McMeekin, the Francis Flournoy professor of European History and Culture at Bard College, for an in-depth conversation about the documentary course Marxism, Socialism, and Communism and his new book To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism.

Learn more by enrolling in the documentary course here: www.hillsdale.edu/course.

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In this special episode of the Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah Regan sits down with Dr. Justin Jackson, chairman and professor of English at Hillsdale College, for an in-depth conversation about the online courses The Genesis Story, The David Story, and The Exodus Story.

Learn more by enrolling in Dr. Jackson's course here: www.hillsdale.edu/course.

Sign up for Dr. Jackson's Substack here: https://substack.com/@bibleandliterature

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On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the beauty of a Christmas well spent before introducing Dr. Dwight Lindley.

By taking this course, you’ll learn profound lessons from the Ghosts of Christmas, explore the true meaning of Christmas through Scrooge’s surprising encounters, and discover how to open yourself to life’s many joys and blessings.

Scrooges’ conversion is complete. He has learned that at the heart of Christmas is the ability to open oneself up like a child to the joy of the smallest things and the love and charity toward our fellow man.

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