The Optimistic Curmudgeon

4x11 - Abigail Favale: Genesis of Gender

Abigail Favale argues in her new book The Genesis of Gender that gender ideology corrodes humanity's ability to live well. She proposes instead that a "Genesis Paradigm" that perceives creation as God's good gift enables human flourishing. Favale argues that we've gotten sex wrong as a culture by separating biological purpose from pleasure. She answers Matt Walsh's question, "What is a woman?" with attention to gamete production and an awareness of the history of modern biological study. She also discusses the nature of intersex conditions, and provides a thorough explanation of how Christians ought to respond to gender dysphoric persons with love. It's a great episode! Join us, and share it with a friend!
 
Time Markers:
2:34 - Why do we need a Christian theory of gender?


6:44 - “Woman” as a social construct / “femaleness”, the seed of gender theory


14:50 - Abigal’s personal journey in religion / feminist thought 


21:14 - The right way of thinking about sex 


25:03 - Where gamete production applies to womanhood 


37:15 - Ideals of sexual ambiguity 


38:55 - Butler’s idea to denaturalize heterosexuality


41:35 - The body as a sacred concept 


47:10 - Idolatry of the body


48:00 - C.S Lewis idea of the spiritual / physical linking in the Sacrament


54:00 - Masculinity and people that display a masculine image (Andrew Tate.. etc)

4x10 - School Choice Panel Discussion

Jeremy Adams, Auguste Meyrat, and Shane Trotter join Josh for a rousing discussion of school choice. All four are teacher-writers, and between the four they represent charter, public, and private education in Texas, California, and North Carolina. Their conversation was sparked by Daniel Buck's essay in Law and LIberty (https://lawliberty.org/forum/the-perils-of-school-choice/).

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What is the Future of Classical Education? (Audio Newsletter 1)

Josh Herring reads his essay "What is the Future of Classical Education?" published in Law and Liberty on May 3. https://lawliberty.org/what-is-the-future-of-classical-education/

4x9 - Spencer Klavan and How to Save the West

Spencer Klavan, podcastor with The Daily Wire and associate editor at The Claremont Review of Books, discusses his new book How to Save the West. He describes various crises plaguing the West, applies ancient wisdom to solve modern problems, and cracks amazing jokes in this episode. If you're worried about the Metaverse, transgenderism, or our current regime crisis, check this episode out!

4x7 - Ivana Greco: Family Policy and the Single Income Home

Ivana Greco defines and describes family policy, explains her own journey from lawyer to stay at home mom, and makes a case why family policy is one of the most significant policy issues in play today. Greco argues that businesses and policy should recognize that women's careers often follow a different path than men's, and should financial policies should structure to encourage them to have children without financial penalty. She goes over specific changes in Social Security and Medicare that could benefit mothers who leave the workforce to care for their children. Join us, and share the episode with a friend! This episode is based on this paper published by National Affairs: Reframing Family Policy. 

4x5 - Phillip Johnson: Classical Education and Engineering

Phillip Johnson, Professor of Engineering at Thales College, discusses the intersection of science, philosophy, and engineering. Dr. Johnson argues that engineers should know how their techniques developed, and are sharpened by a strong understanding of Greek philosophy. Check out this unique approach to training engineers!

 

 

#philosophy #classicaleducation #thalescollege #thalesacademy #engineering

(4x6) - Rusty Reno: A Case for Nationalism

Rusty Reno discusses his book, Return of the Strong Gods, and argues that nationalism provides strong cures for the ailments of modernity. As editor of First Things magazine, Reno brings strong analysis and acerbic wit to his discussion of post-WWII New World Order, the problems of globalism, and why we need to rebuild barriers in society. Join the conversation, and share it with a friend!

4x4 - Jonathan Yonan - Classical Education

Jonathan Yonan is an educational consultant with a specific focus on classical education. He has served as the headmaster of St. David's School in Raleigh, NC, and joins Josh for a discussion about classical education, teaching virtue, and the place Thales Academy plays in the classical renewal movement. Dr. Yonan spoke at Thales Press' 2022 Classical Education Summit, and this episode gives him a chance to expand the ideas he introduced there. For those who are following the growth of classical education, this episode is dynamite! Leave a five star review, and share with a friend!

Scott Yenor - “Grooming Future Revolutionaries” - (4x3)

Scott Yenor explains his recent report for the Claremont Institute on woke ideology being taught at schools on American military bases. Scott describes teacher training that uses the language of Social Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed Practices to foster revolution in the hearts of America's youth. Gender theory, white-shame, and seeing parents as the enemy are just three areas Scott discusses. Check out the episode, and share with a friend!

Christopher Ruocchio and The Abolition of Man (4x2)

Christopher Rouchhio, bestselling author of the Sun-Eater series, joins Josh to discuss C.S. Lewis's book The Abolition of Man. Roucchio structures his Kingdoms of Death around Lewis's different anthropological categories, and that beginning sets up a conversation about science fiction, human nature, knowledge, and the benefits of limits for human nature. Along the way, they discuss Lewis's Innovators, conditioners, and argument about transhumanism.