Classical Stuff You Should Know
Episodes
93: Braver New World
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We didn't get into the story of Brave New World in the last podcast about Huxley's excellent novel, but we do in this one! Take some Soma, hop in your...
Arthur Graeme Donaldson Hanenburg Magbee III
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
No episode this week. See you next week!
92: Thomas Stearns Eliot
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we return to T.S. and learn a little about his later poetry and stuff. Turns out he's a pretty neat guy (who had a four year stint of...
91: The Argonautica (Jason and the Golden Fleece)
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jason and his homies needed a golden fleece. What better way to get it than with the help of a crazy witch priestess, a talking ship, and a trip to Li...
90: Brave New World
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is all about our current world. Just kidding, it's about a dystopian world invented by Aldous Huxley.
89: Another Sort of Learning
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas has been reading some James Schall lately, and walks us through his book, "Another Sort of Learning." We have heated debates about grades and w...
88: The Heroides
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Here I am at . . . Camp Granada!
87: Distributism
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We are on the brink of a new slavery, but Graeme is here to save us.
86: The Picture of Dorian Gray
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Oscar Wilde is an interesting study in contradictions, and his book, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," is an absolute hoot.
85: Mimetic Teaching
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas walks us through some thoughts on mimetic learning. In other words, the teacher is the curriculum.
Easter!
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We're taking a break this week. See you next week!
84: Plantagenets VI: Richie the Two
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dude. ol' Richie the Two is a pretty interesting character. You ever cow an entire army with your majesty? Probs not. He did.
83: More chaw, sir?
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While we skip a couple of stories (the Miller and Reeve are bawdy fellows), it turns out that a lawyer and a cereal widow are pretty good at spinning ...
82: The Wasteland
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter
81: Chaw, Sir!
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You guys. It's spring. If you find yourself ready to take a walk, go on a journey, or otherwise just be outside, you're no different from anyone in th...
80: Everyone's a Critic
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
So, who IS allowed to pass judgment on great works of art? Is the layman? Is a college freshman? Where does the dollar stop?
79: Plantagenets V: The Black Death and Pedro the Cruel
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The saga of English kings continues, and in this one they go to France! Granted, it's to take over, but that's cool, right?
78: Cicero's "On Doody" 3: Buyer Beware
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The third part of Cicero's "On Duty" doesn't fail to disappoint. Or, at least, it wasn't what A.J. was expecting going in. On the other hand, we get t...
77: I See Hair Again, or "Heresy 2, the Re-schisming"
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of our last episodes elicited more listener emails than we've ever received, and a fair bit of consternation. We address a little of that here.
76: Plantagenets 4, or "ROCKY GOES MEDIEVAL"
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the fourth installment of the Plantagenet series, we learn about Edward Longshanks and his son, Edward Shortshanks.
75: St. Valentino, the Italian
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Take just a short pause from smooching, listener to aurally imbibe these ancient tales of ardent amory. .
74: Cicero, On Doody . . . number two
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The first book of Cicero's "On Duty" concerns what is morally right for men to do. The second is what is expedient, or how to get what you want. Cicer...
73: Pandemonium
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Milton's Paradise Lost, the demons hold council after the fall to decide their next course of action. Three demons stand and make suggestions. We d...
72: Hair-I-see
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out that the heretics weren't usually burned at the stake. Sure, sometimes they got punched in the mouth by Santa, but most of the time they liv...
71: Cicero's "On Doody" [sic], Book I
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cicero was a legendary statesman and orator. He wrote a treatise on moral philosophy to his son in the hopes that his son would follow in his footstep...
70: Hamlet, the Emo Teen
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hamlet is a complicated play, and probably, besides the star-crossed-lovers, his most famous. Graeme helps us understand Hamlet's web of lies.
69: Know Thyself (and thine own patronus)
01 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
All those tests you take on the internet might be helpful, but we take some serious beef with the Meyers-Briggs test and its implications.
68: Saint Nick and the Barrel Children
25 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas from all of us at Classical Stuff! In this episode, we fight through the background noise of a vigorous floor buffing to bring you tal...
67: Chronological Snobbery
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss whether the classical movement, or even a preference for old things (books especially), is really just veiled chronological snobbery.
66: The Funeral Oration of Pericles
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Thucydides wrote down, best he could, the funeral oration of Pericles, one of the greatest rulers(ish) of Athens. You'll hear the whole thing, then we...
65: Satire
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Satire: can it ever be virtuous? We submit that it can.
64: Blake's Marriage (of Heaven and Hell)
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
William Blake was a printer and a precursor to the Romantics. In this episode, we discuss his "Marriage of Heaven and Hell."
63: Plantagenets III
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As the history of the Brits continues, so does our podcast about it. In this episode, Graeme tells us about how Edward's shanks were indeed long.
62: How to Be Unlucky
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Gibbs is a scholar we're all fond of, and in this episode we discuss his new book.
61: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sir Gawain was a member of King Arthur's court . . . and a pipsqueak. This is his story.
60: The Song of Roland
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Song of Roland is one of the oldest examples of French literature. It also has some of my favorite things: swords, horses, war horns and Nicolas C...
59: Antigone
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the last play of the Theban cycle, Antigone, a bunch of folks die because of one already dead dude. Also, we discuss law.
58: Frankestein
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Frankenstein is a warning against ambition. And science. Mostly science. Also, Satan is in there somewhere.
57: Mike's Last Judgment
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michelangelo painted some pretty sweet things on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but the wall is probably cooler still.
56: Oedipus at Colonus
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bees leads this one on a Sophoclesian (just made that word up, and it's awesome) play. You can see the title of the play in the title of the podcast e...
55: The Abolition of Man Pt. 3
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out that all this gene editing is a good way to destroy ourselves. Lewis was dealing with conditioning, but it's pretty much the same thing, rig...
54: The Abolition of Man Pt. 2: The Tao
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Illustrious A.J. Hanenburg summarizes Lewis's thoughts on the Tao. Sounds like a noodle dish, but I swear it's pretty neat.
53: The Abolition of Man Pt. 1: Men Without Chests
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Graeme Says some stuff about C.S. Lewis's Abolition of man. It's important stuff folks, and he's a smartypants.
52: The Consolation of Philosophy
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is both our one year anniversary and our first (successfully recorded) live episode! This took place at the annual Paideia Conference at Veritas ...
51: The Complexities of Oedipus
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bees takes us on a journey with an ancient Greek fellow who just wouldn't listen to the oracles. Listen to the prophets, bro. Listen to the prophets.
50: Wit
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Graeme discusses the common topic of comparison as it's divided into judgment and wit.
49: Gilgamesh
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, A.J. walks us through mankind's oldest story.
48: On Fairy Stories
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Beez walks us through Tolkien's Article, "On Fairy-Stories," and we discuss the nature of humanity as it relates to fiction.
47: How to Read a Book
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the four ways to read a book.
46: Shakespeare the Plagiarist
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the greatest military minds of all time, Julius Caesar, was written about by two greats: Shakespeare and Plutarch.
45: Why English Teachers Aren't Liars
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The most common criticism of English courses is that some of the things we teach sound made up. How do you know what is symbolic in a book and what is...
44: Translation
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bees answers the question, should we try and learn a language on our own, or be okay with reading translations? Personally, I think we should speak ou...
43: Beowulf
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Beowulf is one of those epics that is needlessly intimidating. It's a story about a big guy who kills monsters. What's not to love?
42: Aristotle's Four Causes
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Aristotle's four causes are a nifty way to think about definition. What, in its essence, is a thing? Anything? Well, Aristotle took a crack at it. We ...
41: The Grand Inquisitor
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The "Grand Inquisitor" chapter (paired with the "Rebellion" chapter) in Dostoevsky's "Brother's Karamazov is a scathing criticism of Christianity and ...
40: What is Classical Education?
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas takes us through what, exactly, classical education is. Sure, we've done the trivium, but beyond that, what is different about a classical scho...
39: How to Rite Gooder
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, A.J. gives some tips on Style, the third canon of rhetoric. If followed, these tips will improve your prose.
38: What are people for?
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss a few essays from the prominent thinker, Wendell Berry.
37: The History of the Plantagenets II
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Graeme finishes (or comes near finishing) a brief history of the house of Plantagenet, the house that helped to found the British Emp...
36: The History of the Plantagenets
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Graeme reviews the beginnings of the British empire, focusing mainly on awesome kings and royal drama. You know, the good stuff.
35: The benefits of iliterasee [sic]
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas walks us through some thoughts on literacy and the appropriate time for entering the classical world.
34: The Odyssey Part 2
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A.J. walks us through the Hero's journey and outlines a the theory of the cosmic journey. Tableware also makes an appearance. Spoiler: it's gold.
33: The Odyssey, Part I
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, A.J. brings us into the world of the Odyssey, noting some important scenes as we explore the story.
32: The Deep Joy of Romanticism
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Graeme leads us through the notion of Deep Joy. It's shorthand for the experience that inspired the romantics.
31: University
03 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the purpose of college, beginning specifically with the changes in mission of a specific college.
30: Socrates
27 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss the person of Socrates. The man himself is a little tough to nail down, considering that he didn't write anything down.
29: Usury doesn't mean what you think it means. Probably.
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the church's attitude toward lending, interest, and money. We also try to figure out definitions and how to survive the apocalypse.
28: Dante and his Comedy
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We introduce you to Dante in this episode and give you a guide to understanding his best known work. Oh, also, it's a little bit about Hell, which is ...
27: Adequatio
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Adequatio is the notion that the understanding of the knower must be adequate to the thing known.
26: Milton's Fall
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Graeme teaches us about the fall of man according to Milton. Our eighth-grade boys will be disappointed to hear that it isn't all Eve's fault.
25: The Memory Palace
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, A.J. walks us through the ancient method of loci and its modern uses. Ever see Sherlock poke his brain and information comes out? Wel...
24: Acedia
13 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Thomas takes us through the ancient understanding of despair--both its symptoms and its remedies.
23: The Theology of Paradise Lost
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Graeme takes us through the theology of Milton's paradise lost. Even if you never plan on reading this mountain of a book, it's a goo...
22: Classical Rhetorical Form
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, A.J. takes us through an alternative to the five paragraph essay that is more useful for everyone, including those of us no longer in...
21: Friendship!
23 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this one, Bees walks us through a classical view of friendship.
20: The Four Senses of Scripture
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dante recorded what folks had been doing for a long time as they read scripture. In this episode, we run you through Dante's method for studying scrip...
19: Dorothy Sayers, or "THE TRIVIUM - REDUX"
09 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dorothy Sayers' "Lost Tools of Learning" is the article that helped to form a movement. We talk through it in this episode, and we end up talking a li...
18: The Ideal Type
02 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When we say , "The Ideal Type," it's really just a way of expressing in shorthand that we cling to the idea of an ideal: an ideal way to live, an idea...
17: The Trivium
26 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Trivium--grammar, logic, and rhetoric--provides the three grand divisions upon which classical education is based. Sounds boring, I know, but it a...
16: Leisure
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Bees walks us through Josef Pieper's book, "Leisure the Basis of Culture." A.J. takes issue with those uppity philosophers.
15: The seven deadly sins
12 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the classical understanding of the seven deadly sins and their import today.
14: Logical Fallacies, Part Deux
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we cover the fallacies of ambiguity and the fallacies of form.
13: Logical Fallacies, Part 1
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The logical fallacies can be bunched into a few headings. There are quite a few of them, and this episode isn't exhaustive, but we hit the biggies. In...
12: What IS classical?
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas leads us through the criteria for calling a work classical.
11: Ethos, Logos, Pathos
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a little different since I included an extra bit of conversation that we had been having with the audio off. It concerns economy and m...
10: The House of Atreus
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The House of Atreus is central to both the Iliad and the plays of Aeschylus. The story is a little crazy, so be warned: it's not really appropriate fo...
9: The Spheres
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Medieval man is much maligned for his cosmology. This episode describes this cosmology, helping the modern reader to understand references to the sphe...
8: Metaphors
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Graeme discusses the different parts of a metaphor.
7: Iliad book XXII
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The twenty-second book of the Iliad is a microcosm of the whole. The symbolism in this chapter captures all the major themes of the book.
6: Ratio and Intellectus
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, we discuss the ancient division between the two types of reason. Put simply, Intellectus refers to natural understanding or meditatio...
5: The Common Topics
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Common Topics is the toolkit you use when you want to think of something to say. Got a speech to write? The common topics can help you out.
4: The Christian Knight
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The notion of the Christian knight is central to several texts, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight among them. There were several moral expectations plac...
3: Intro to the Epics
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Odyssey, Iliad, and Aeneid all concern a single great story. This podcast covers the mythological background necessary to understanding these epic...
2: Homer
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This one's all about Homer: who he is, where he came from, and most importantly, if he actually existed.
1: The Tripartite Soul
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Plato theorizes that there are three parts to the human soul: the rational, the spirited, and the appetitive.