The Optimistic Curmudgeon

Scott Yenor - California’s Woke Educational Agenda (6x3)

Scott Yenor describes more than 20 woke pieces of legislation passed in California in recent years and the terrible effects they have on California education. Dr. Yenor explains what’s really going in some key educational buzzwords: culturally responsive teaching, social emotional learning, action civics, critical social justice, and restorative justice. 

Here is the report this episode is based on: https://idahofreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/California-Report-23-09.pdf

Paul Krause - Gulliver's Travels, Misanthropy, and Satire (6x2)

Paul Krause, editor in chief of Voegelin View, joins Josh for this season's Great Books discussion on Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Krause situates Swift in his moment in time, and explains the depths of satirical insight Swift applies to questions of human nature.  What do the Houyhnhnm, Yahoos, Brobdingnagians, Lilliputians, Laputans, and commentators on Aristotle show about human nature? Did Jonathan Swift hate humanity? Find out in this episode!

Ferenc Horcher - Drinking and Fox Hunting with Sir Roger Scruton (6x1)

Ferenc Horcher discusses the life, scholarship, and humanity of Sir Roger Scruton. Author of Art and Politics in Roger Scruton’s Conservative Philosophy, Horcher explains the connections between Scruton's life and the development of his philosophy. Along the way, Horcher explains Scruton's aesthetic, conservatism, and cultivation of the finer things in life. The conversation concludes with considerations of Sir Roger's theological landing place and an appreciation for the relevance of Sir Roger's thought for the present.

Peter Forrest: Can AI Bring Happiness? (5x10 - Season Finale)

Between Elon Musk's Neuralink, Amazon's Upload, and the promises of both AI programs like Chat GPT and Google Gemini and investments into virtual reality (Meta), the potential for exchanging the material world for some other kind of existence has never been more clear. But can an alternate reality lead to happiness? Dr. Peter Forrest, Dean of Humanities at Thales College, considers these questions in light of a thought experiment called "The Experience Machine." What kind of pleasure can AI give, and would people choose to live in virtual reality even if they could? Join us and find out!

#AI #SpatialComputing #RayBradbury #Farenheit451 #Happiness #Philosophy 

 

Katy Faust and Stacy Manning: Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City (5x9)

Katy Faust and Stacy Manning discuss the realities of raising conservative kids in a woke city. They offer realistic advice and solid analysis with a gentleness of spirit that will resonate with all parents. The book is Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City - get your copy today!

Josh Herring: C.S. Lewis, Gender, and Gratitude (5x8)

Josh delivered this talk at the 2023 Thales Press Classical Summit; it is a distillation of his dissertation which explores C.S. Lewis's theory of gender. Lewis believed that gender is a fundamental real relationship the governs reality; he wrote about this in both nonfiction and his fiction, and his theory prophetically solves the transgender malaise that has consumed modern culture. #gender #transgender #gratitude #Perelandra #RansomTrilogy #CSLewis

Karen Elliott: The Rafiki Foundation and Classical Education in Africa (5x7)

Karen Elliott, Executive Director of The Rafiki Foundation, shares about her organization's work in developing and practicing classical education in 10 different African countries. Karen shares about her background, why she loves classical education, and the unique possibility classical education offers to help African education leaders elevate their own communities. Check out the episode, and share it! 

Nathan Orlando: Aristotle’s Enduring Relevance (5x6)

Dr. Nathan Orlando of Benedictine College discusses International Relations and the influence of Aristotle's Politics on contemporary diplomacy. (This episode was recorded in September of 2023, so please pardon the lack of reference to Israel and Hamas's current war).

Ben Crenshaw: Christian Nationalism as a Cure for Woke Ideology

Ben Crenshaw (PhD Cand., Hillsdale College) explains his view of Christian nationalism, the importance of Christian foundations for the American political order, and why this debate matters for accurate American historical scholarship. Ben is building on his paper presented at the 2023 ISI American Politics and Government. With shout outs to Stephen Wolfe's Case for Christian Nationalism and The American Reformer, Ben makes an articulate case for his position. Is Christian nationalism a viable alternative to woke ideology? Listen, and decide!

Clifford Humphrey: Mere Classical Education (5x4)

Dr. Clifford Humphrey discusses his article in The American Reformer, "The Ends of Mere Classical Education: Which Way Western Man?" He defines classical education, and articulates the importance of classical schools clearly defining their aims if they want to remain distinct from other educational options.