The New Thinkery
Episodes
Interview: Ben Kleinerman on the Federalist Papers | The New Thinkery Ep. 60
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this Constitution Day special edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Ben Kleinerman, the R.W. Morrison Chair of Political Science...
Aristophanes' Assemblywomen | The New Thinkery Ep. 59
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys are overthrown and replaced by a distinguished, all-female panel of four guests: Lisa Leibowitz,...
Interview: Dr. Laurence Cooper on Alcibiades' Speech | The New Thinkery Ep. 58
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Laurence Cooper of Carleton College. Together, the group discuss Plato's Symposium i...
Interview: Professor Steven Smith on Oakeshott's "Political Education" | The New Thinkery Ep. 57
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery Alex and Greg visit the Jack Miller Center where they are joined by Professor Steven Smith. The group discuss Mic...
The Death of Ivan Ilyich | The New Thinkery Ep. 56
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys analyze a frequent read of David's: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. A tome by one of the great Russia...
Interview: Dr. Arlene Saxonhouse on Women in Plato's Republic | The New Thinkery Ep. 55
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's installment of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Arlene Saxonhouse, Professor of Political Science and Women's Studies and ...
Interview: Dr. Michael Grenke on Warspeak | The New Thinkery Ep. 54
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Michael Grenke, a tutor (professor) at St. John's College to discuss Warspeak: Nietzs...
Aristophanes' The Clouds | The New Thinkery Ep. 53
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The New Thinkery is officially a year old! To celebrate a year of podcasting, the guys analyze the comic play from which TNT gets its name: Aristophan...
Socrates' Speech Continued: Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part VIII | The New Thinkery Ep. 52
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys return to Plato's Symposium for their penultimate episode on the book. This time around, they continue...
Interview: Dr. Joshua Parens on the Philosophy of Maimonides | The New Thinkery Ep. 51
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Joshua Parens, Dean of the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts and Professor of P...
Interview: Dr. Thomas Cleveland on Minos | The New Thinkery Ep. 50
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, Alex and Greg are joined by Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Academics Program Officer for the Jack Miller Center. They disc...
Interview: Dr. Michael P. Zuckert on Abraham Lincoln | The New Thinkery Ep. 49
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this Fourth of July edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Michael P. Zuckert, the Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, ...
Plutarch on Coriolanus | The New Thinkery Ep. 48
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys follow up last week's episode on Alcibiades with Plutarch's paired work on the life of Coriolanus. The ...
Plutarch on Alcibiades | The New Thinkery Ep. 47
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys begin an analysis of Plutarch's Parallel Lives, specifically diving into the life of Alcibiades. The g...
Strauss' Persecution and the Art of Writing | The New Thinkery Ep. 46
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys dive into the work of Leo Strauss, one of the foremost political philosophy professors of the tw...
Interview with Bill Kristol | The New Thinkery Ep. 45
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by William Kristol, founder and editor-at-large of The Weekly Standard and now editor-at-lar...
Conrad's Typhoon | The New Thinkery Ep. 44
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery the guys break away from philosophy to take a deep dive into Joseph Conrad's Typhoon. The group discuss ...
Socrates' Speech: Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part VII | The New Thinkery Ep. 43
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the seventh installment of an ongoing series breaking down Plato's Symposium, the guys begin to dissect Socrates' speech on love, how Socrates atte...
Interview: Professor Jeff Sikkenga on Tocqueville | The New Thinkery Ep. 42
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Professor Jeff Sikkenga, Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center (Greg's boss) and a profess...
Interview: Dr. Charles Butterworth on Alfarabi's Book of Religion | The New Thinkery Ep. 41
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Dr. Charles Butterworth, Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of M...
Rousseau's First Discourse Live at ACTC | The New Thinkery Ep. 40
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode is a recording of a live conversation at the Association for Core Texts and Courses (ACTC). The guys discuss Jean-Jacques Rousse...
Tacitus' Argicola | The New Thinkery Ep. 39
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, the guys dive into Tacitus' Agricola, a text recounting the life of his father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola. The text has mu...
Epictetus' The Handbook | The New Thinkery Ep. 38
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tragedy, or calamity, is inevitable in life. How we deal with those events can be thought of as defining moments in our character. Many have sought ...
Special Announcement: The New Thinkery LIVE this Wednesday!
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In case you ever wanted to see the shiny dome that is Alex's head or the beard of his hair planted on Greg's chin, now you can! This Wednesday, April ...
Interview with Professor Michael Davis on Sophocles' Electra | The New Thinkery Ep. 37
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Professor Michael Davis of Sarah Lawrence College joins us to discuss Sophocles' Electra. Prof. Davis is the author of numerous books on...
Agathon's Speech: Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part VI | The New Thinkery Ep. 36
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the sixth installment of an ongoing series breaking down Plato's Symposium, the guys reconvene to analyze Agathon's speech on Eros, emphasizing wh...
Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols | The New Thinkery Ep. 35
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nietzsche is a controversial person to say the least. His works are easily misinterpreted, and with such lines as "God is dead", it's no surprise. For...
Pericles' Funeral Oration | The New Thinkery Ep. 34
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Death is always a difficult subject, and having to give a eulogy, as Greg notes, is extremely difficult. Pericles gave one of the most memorable funer...
Philosophy and Film 2: Love and Death (1975) | The New Thinkery Ep. 33
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week the guys turn to cinema instead of their bookshelves to analyze Woody Allen's movie, Love and Death. A step removed from the slapstick comed...
Aristophanes' Speech: Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part V | The New Thinkery Ep. 32
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week the guys return to Plato's Symposium to analyze the philosophical messages contained within individual speeches. This time, the guys delve i...
Interview with Professor Flagg Taylor on "Loss of the Creature" | The New Thinkery Ep. 31
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's edition of TNT, the guys are joined by Flagg Taylor, professor of political theory at Skidmore College. The group analyze Walker Percy'...
Interview with Professor Steve Hayward on Executive Power | The New Thinkery Ep. 30
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this President's Day edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Professor Steve Hayward, senior resident scholar at the Institute of Gover...
Francis Bacon's New Atlantis | The New Thinkery Ep. 29
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week the guys are back to discuss another of Francis Bacon's works: New Atlantis. This short work might be presented to readers as incomplete, b...
Interview with Professor Jan Blits on Shakespeare's Coriolanus | The New Thinkery Ep. 28
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's installment of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Jan Blits, Professor Emeritus in the University Honors Faculty at the Universi...
Jonathan Swift's Battle of the Books | The New Thinkery Ep. 27
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week the guys are back to discuss Jonathan Swift. Everyone has heard of Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal, but he has another work worth l...
Jacob Klein's The Idea of Liberal Education | The New Thinkery Ep. 26
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss Jacob Klein's The Idea of Liberal Education. Specifically, they delve into the questions...
William James' The Moral Equivalent of War | The New Thinkery Ep. 25
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss William James, one of the leading proponents of American pragmatism, on the question of w...
Interview with Professor Richard Velkley on Heidegger and Strauss | The New Thinkery Ep. 24
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are back to help bring in the new year, and are joined by Dr. Richard Velkley, the Celia Scott Weatherhe...
Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part IV: Eryximachus' Speech | The New Thinkery Ep. 23
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join the guys this week as they continue to break Plato's Symposium into sections and analyze the philosophical messages contained within. This week t...
Dickens' A Christmas Carol | The New Thinkery Ep. 22
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss the Christmas classic: A Christmas Carol. They go through the book's plot, themes, under...
Aristotle on Virtue | The New Thinkery Ep. 21
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss another of Aristotle's works, this time focusing on Aristotle's account of virtue in the ...
Winston Churchill on the Modern World | The New Thinkery Ep. 20
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys take a look at perhaps the greatest individual of the 20th century: Winston Churchill. Specifically, the...
Interview with Professor Robert Faulkner on Francis Bacon | The New Thinkery Ep. 19
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are back from stuffing themselves with turkey last week, and are joined by Dr. Robert Faulkner, a resear...
Special Edition: The New Thankery
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this short bonus episode of TNT, Alex, David, and Greg go around the digital table discussing what they're thankful for. Alex also poses lightning...
Plutarch's Life of Lycurgus | The New Thinkery Ep. 18
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys talk about life in Sparta through the lens of Plutarch's writings on Lycurgus. You might be asking yours...
Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part III: Pausanias' Speech | The New Thinkery Ep. 17
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the guys return to Plato and Socrates. In the third installment of this ongoing series analyzing Plato's Symposium, the guys break down Pau...
Francis Bacon's Great Instauration | The New Thinkery Ep. 16
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys tackle Francis Bacon. Specifically, the guys reveal Bacon's idea of who should rule us. Plus: is Bacon M...
The Nature of Foundings ft. James Ceaser | The New Thinkery Ep. 15
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by James Ceaser, professor of politics at the University of Virginia. Together, the group dis...
Shakespeare's Macbeth | The New Thinkery Ep. 14
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shakespeare's Macbeth is among his most famous plays. it is "read" far and wide in high school classrooms, where the teacher promptly puts students to...
Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part II: Phaedrus' Speech | The New Thinkery Ep. 13
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the guys return to ancient Greece and the roots of Western political philosophy, Plato and Socrates. In this installment of an ongoing seri...
Aristotle on Courage | The New Thinkery Ep. 12
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week the guys return to Greek philosophy after their trip to the movies. They go through Aristotle's discussion of courage in Book III of the Nic...
Philosophy & Film 1: Zulu (1964) | The New Thinkery Ep. 11
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The guys headed to the movies this week and watched Zulu. They discuss the movie's plot, themes, and underlying philosophy to tease out the hidden im...
Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part I | The New Thinkery Ep. 10
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys are kicking off a new series of episodes aimed at breaking down one of the greatest works of poli...
Interview with Prof. Robert C. Bartlett | The New Thinkery Ep. 9
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the guys are joined by one of Greg's former teachers, Robert C. Bartlett, Behrakis Professor of Hellenic Political Studies at Boston Colleg...
Plato's Gorgias | The New Thinkery Ep. 8
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join the guys this week as they break down Plato's famous book, Gorgias. They analyze the larger themes of the book with a dash of humor, while also p...
Interview with Professor Charles Butterworth | The New Thinkery Ep. 7
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Dr. Charles Butterworth, Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of M...
Teaching Political Philosophy | The New Thinkery Ep. 6
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys discuss how to (and not to) teach political philosophy. Alex and Greg teach political philosophy...
Shakespeare's Measure for Measure | The New Thinkery Ep. 5
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alex, David, and Greg are back again this week, but they leave the realm of hard philosophy books to tease out the underlying political philosophy in ...
Reading Plato | The New Thinkery Ep. 4
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join Alex, David, and Greg as they discuss how to read Plato, perhaps the most influential philosopher in history, while also talking about the insigh...
A Close Reading of Machiavelli's Prince Ch. 15 | The New Thinkery Ep. 3
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a follow up to the last episode of The New Thinkery, the guys look specifically at chapter 15 of Machiavelli's The Prince. Their close reading eluc...
Machiavelli's The Prince and Modernity | The New Thinkery Ep. 2
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join Alex, David, and Greg as they dive into one of the most infamous and polarizing books in political philosophy, Machiavelli's The Prince. The guy...
Averroes and al-Ghazali | The New Thinkery Ep. 1
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the inaugural episode of The New Thinkery, join the guys as they analyze Averroes' Decisive Treatise and al-Ghazali's Decisive Criterion. Their rea...
Welcome to The New Thinkery
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join the crew of The New Thinkery as they talk about the new show, its focus, and introduce themselves. Stay tuned for future releases right here, eve...