The Optimistic Curmudgeon

Mark Bauerlein comes on the show to discuss his book The Dumbest Generation Grows Up, classical education, and literature. Dr. Bauerlein is convinced that technology has a clear cost in terms of attention span, distraction, and the likelihood the students will actually read books. Mark Bauerlein is the host of The First Things Podcast, author of The Dumbest Generation and The Dumbest Generation Grows Up. Check out this episode for a great conversation about #education, #civilization, and #hope for the future!

Ryan Ryckman comes on the show to discuss real estate, property values, sales, and what makes for strong customer relations! Ryan is an award winning real estate agent with The Real Estate Group - join him and Josh as they talk about property, why land and life patterns matter, and what makes for a strong property investment!

#podcast #realestate #housingmarket

Dr. Mike Young of Faulkner University joins Josh to discuss Hans Georg Gadamer. Gadamer wrote Truth and Method, and remains one of the most influential scholars in the fields of philosophy and hermeneutics. A student of Heidegger's, Gadamer argues that hermeneutics, the science of interpretation, applies to all forms of human communication. Dr. Young shares about Gadamer's life, studies, theory, and influence. Check it out - and share this episode with a philosophically inclined friend!

George Leef discusses his latest book, The Awakening of Jennnifer Van Arsdale. The protagonist is a woke journalist who is 

https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Jennifer-Van-Arsdale-Political/dp/1637583567/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+awakening+of+jennifer+van+arsdale&qid=1664787594&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjc4IiwicXNhIjoiMC44MyIsInFzcCI6IjAuOTMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=awakening+jennifer%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1

Dr. Matt Slaboch joins Josh for a discussion of his book, A Road to Nowhere: The Idea of Progress and Its Critics. The conversation opens with a discussion of Dr. Slaboch's experience in the modern academy hunting for a job post-PhD. They discuss the nature of progress, and trace both the idea of progress and the criticisms of progress from the Enlightenment to the present day. With shoutouts to Hegel, Tolstoy, and many others, Dr. Slaboch takes listeners on an intellectual tour de force, highlighting the way governments can use the idea of progress to lean totalitarian. They discuss the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court Case, and whether correcting a political course counts as progress, and then consider the idea of progress within both the Trump and Biden administrations. Enjoy the conversation!

Join Josh as he interviews Dr. Jenna Robinson, President of the Martin Center for Academic Renewal as they discuss the purposes of higher education (liberal, illiberal, and professional), the state of higher education generally, and recommendations for colleges that do student formation well, and a critique of UNC Chapel Hill's new core curriculum approach. Along the way, they discuss New College Franklin, Zaytuna College, Thales College, Hillsdale College, Grove City College, and a variety of other institutions that form students into individuals prepared to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty for a lifetime. 

#podcast #education

In this episode, Josh interviews Scott Yenor, political science professor at Boise State University, about his latest book The Recovery Family Life. Yenor explains Aristotle's concept of a regime, and how that influences his views on public policy. They then discuss the current regime, how it has been shaped by radical feminist thought, and the current crisis of a society which fails to cultivate the virtues necessary for marriage. 

"Feminism is the desire to separate our bodies from our identity; so that our bodies will not have any enduring effects on who we become as people.” - Scott Yenor 

Follow Dr. Yenor at @ScottYenor, and click here to buy his book on Amazon!

Ethan Delves interviews Josh Herring about Season 2 of the Optimistic Curmudgeon. They revisit major guests and episodes, get an update on numbers, and explore what's coming up on Season 3! Josh shares exciting news about the show moving under the umbrella of Thales Press, and Ethan gets really excited about a book list Josh may one day put together. Enjoy!

Nathanael Blake of the Ethics and Public Policy Center discusses the Florida and North Carolina Parental Rights in Education bills; he explains why "groomers" is an appropriate term to use for progressive educators who protest such bills. Along the way, he discusses parent's perspectives on their right to educate their children. He and Josh also discuss his response to Michelle Goldberg's review of Christine Emba's Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, and the evident failures of both radical feminism and the Sexual Revolution. The conversation is not explicit or graphic, but this is a mature content episode. Follow Nathanael's work here, or on Twitter @NBlakeEPPC. If you like this episode, please share with a friend!

Josh interviews Dr. Allen Mendenhall about Richard Weaver and his views about what made southern culture both unique and worth preserving. They then shift to the south today, discussing in what way "The South" is a discernible region in light of demographic shift. Along the way there are jokes, bow ties, and a great conversation! If you like the episode, please share it with a friend! Also, click here to find Dr. Mendenhall's latest book.