The New Thinkery

Thie week, with David away at IHOP, Greg and Alex welcome Assumption Univeristy's Dr. Samuel J. Stoner to the show. Stoner is an expert on Kantian philosophy and helps the guys break down Kant's essay for the masses, What Is Enlightenment? They analyze the essay's meaning and the connections it has to both the Age of Enlightenment and to other works that came before it.

This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Bernard J. Dobski, Professor of Political Science at Assumption University. Together, the group discuss the overarching themes of Plutarch's Life of Themistocles, as well as getting into the history surrounding some key Greek battles and how those events contributed to future developments.

As The New Thinkery welcomes in the new year, the guys are spending their time chaining David to a wall so he can spend New Year's looking at shadows while an AI script replaces him on the show. In seriousness, the guys take a close look at what is likely the most famous piece of Plato's works, the Allegory of the Cave, what makes it tick, whether we're stuck in caves of our own, and more!

It's Christmastime once again, and the guys are getting into the spirit with a closer look at the history, lessons, and contextualization of It's a Wonderful Life. They are joined by Greg's colleague Dr. John Moser, Chair of the History and Political Science Department at Ashland University.

This week, the guys, though sick, sit down to analyze Locke's views on property. They further discuss the extent to which Locke's principles have gone on to influence the world (Greg even makes a bold claim), and the history of Locke's ideas, including some likely influences on his ideas.

This week, the guys are joined by Associate Professor of Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy at Michigan State University's James Madison College, Dr. Waseem El-Rayes. The group discuss Ibn Khaldun's sweeping historical work, Muqaddimah. Topics include theocracy, the origins of political power, history, and more!

David has run away from the crew this week, so Alex and Greg replaced him with Tom Cleveland this time. The group are joined by Dr. Lorraine Pangle, Professor at UT Austin and Co-Director at the Thomas Jefferson Center. Together, they discuss Aristotle's views on natural rights and whether, as the West crumbles under its own weight, Aristotle's ideas are a sufficient groundwork to rebuild it.

Happy Thanksgiving from the crew at The New Thinkery! This week, the guys delve into one of the more popular sections of Aristotle's writing, Nicomachean Ethics IV.3. While none of the crew here qualify as a great souled man, that won't stop them from analyzing the required characteristics of one, as well as providing some real world examples of great souled men.

This week, the guys convene to discuss the first dozen chapters In the second volume of Democracy in America. The guys analyze Alexis de Tocqueville's intended audience, possible intentions, and the extent to which his writing proved true. Plus: a brief comparison of the US before and after the events of WWII.

This week the guys are joined by Dr. Gary J. Schmitt, a senior fellow in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies program at AEI. Together, the group discuss the 1952 film High Noon. They analyze the film and its cinematography as a springboard to elaborate on its many themes and how it fits in with other films of its genre. Plus: what did John Wayne think of High Noon?