The Story of Nowhere

British history has been brought to the big screen time and time again. In this episode, we look at a selection of films which summarize the approximate period of time between the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the birth of the British Empire near the end of the 16th century. 

For a list of the movies discussed, please see the Show Notes at https://storyofnowhere.com/bigscreenbritons/.

For those who bother to read history, Thomas Paine is something of an enigma. Was he a "Liberal" in the modern Libertarian sense, or was he some sort of proto-Marx who was just born too early? In this episode, his virtually forgotten work "Agrarian Justice" is examined, and the question of whether Thomas Paine was a true Enlightenment Liberal or a proto-Socialist is answered at last!

In this continuation of "The Realm of Isocrates," Kevin Cole and I explore the ripple effect Isocrates's educational philosophy had on subsequent history, through the lens of an article critiquing the mainstream view of the development of educational theory. Most scholars concerned with the history of educational theory have over-looked the influence of Isocrates, instead tending to credit Plato and Aristotle with the creation of education as we understand it today. However, as is shown in this episode, these claims are tenuous at best. This discussion spans two thousand years of European history, highlighting critical moments in the evolution of educational theory, revealing the fact that the credit - or blame - for our traditional methods of schooling lies not with Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle, but with Isocrates.

For Kevin's work, please visit https://www.unityofthepolis.com/

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://www.storyofnowhere.com/isocrates2/

While we might like to think of history as an objective accounting of past events, the truth is far more complicated. History is - and has been - written and analyzed through different "lenses." In this episode, we look at just a few of these lenses, and hone in on a particularly controversial one. 

For the Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/historiography/

This supplemental continuation of Episode 10 of The Story of Nowhere Podcast is a recording of a Great Books Club meeting hosted by Daniel and Alice, featuring Mike from Mexico and Ludger from Germany. The group discusses the attributes of Socrates's simple society juxtaposed to his grand metropolitan Utopia. In the course of this conversation, we touch on the natures of justice, community, war, and empire, among other things.

Everybody knows about the authoritarian city-state described in Plato's masterwork, "The Republic." What may not be so widely known is the fact that, before he outlined this metropolis, the philosopher set down his personal ideal for a city... and it was hardly anything like the more famous Utopia to follow. He describes a society stripped down to its essentials; a society free from war and politics. In such a city, none of the social engineering describes later in "The Republic" is necessary, as its citizens act in accord with human nature. In this episode, I talk about this forgotten Utopia, and share some thoughts on the differences between it and its more notorious counterpart.

Isocrates is one of the forgotten figures in Western Philosophy. Though he has been overshadowed by the likes of Plato and Aristotle, his use of the written word forever altered political realities in the ancient world, and influenced what would become the Liberal Arts Education System. In his work, he also advocated for Hellenic unity which foreshadowed the rhetorical creation of "Europe" as an abstract entity. In this episode, Kevin Cole and I discuss the role of Isocrates in setting the stage for the so-called "Western Tradition," despite the fact that his name is unknown to most. We also address Marshall McLuhan's idea that "the medium is the message," and how it applies to Isocrates's novel style of packaging and selling rhetoric.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://www.storyofnowhere.com/isocrates1/

The Story of Nowhere Podcast is all about the varying forms and permutations of Utopianism, and how and why Utopias don't work. But what can be done when such a system actually does collapse? What can you do if you find yourself in such a scenario? In this episode, Stefan Verstappen goes over some strategies to survive and thrive when society finally goes the day of the Dodo. He also touches on what preparatory steps can be taken right now, so that if and when disaster does strike, you can be confident and competent enough to save yourself, your family, and even your community.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/verstappen/

"Propaganda," the 1928 book by Edward L. Bernays, is, in many respects, a manual on how the modern world really works. Bernays describes how, through continuous psychological projects, the masses are manipulated to fall in line and, in his words, "regiment" themselves to the benefit of (again, in his words) an "invisible government." He argues that this regimentation of the common mind facilitates the smooth operation of society, wherein "our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." The study of propaganda is paramount to the understanding of Utopianism - the pursuit of the ideal society. And there is nowhere better to begin the oh-so necessary study of propaganda than with Edward L. Bernays's famous book.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit http://storyofnowhere.com/invisiblegovernment/

This episode offers some reflections on the now-finished "Brief  History of Critical Thinking" Series, including a short but eclectic  list of critical thinking skills pulled from the past which can be  applied everyday. Then a rant ensues, regarding something called  "conceptual vernacular." Don't miss it!

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit http://storyofnowhere.com/lookatthinking/