Podopticon
PODOPTICON is a politics, history, and philosophy podcast. Topics will range. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts.
Episodes
38 episodes
Losing Left and Right? A Conversation with Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis.
In this episode, I discuss "The Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America" with its authors, Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis.
Some Hobbes for Your Firearms Debate
Christopher Hallenbrook and I discuss what he calls the "Hobbesian psychology" of the US gun debate.
Montaigne and His "Essays"
A conversation about Montaigne and his work with Douglass I. Thompson, author of "Montaigne and the Tolerance of Politics."
Fight Like Hell: A Defense of the Liberal Ethos
Joshua Cherniss and I discuss his book, "Liberalism in Dark Times: The Liberal Ethos in the Twentieth Century."
'The Greatest of All Plagues': David Lay Williams on Economic Inequality in Western Political Thought
David Lay Williams and I discuss his forthcoming book, "The Greatest of All Plagues: Economic Inequality in Western Political Thought."
Wait for It: A Conversation about Time and Politics with Elizabeth F. Cohen
A discussion with Elizabeth Cohen about her book, "The Political Value of Time: Citizenship, Duration, and Democratic Justice."
"Clever Usurpation" or "Sacred Right"?: Rousseau on Property and Wealth, with Christopher Kelly
Clashing Conceptions of Property on the New England Frontier
Ian Saxine and I discuss his book, "Properties of Empire: Indians, Colonists, and Land Speculators on the New England Frontier."
States of the Union: Robinson Woodward-Burns on American Constitutional Development
Robinson Woodward-Burns and I discuss his book, "Hidden Laws: How State Constitutions Stabilize American Politics."
Virtù Signaling: Harvey Mansfield on Machiavelli
A conversation with Harvey Mansfield on Machiavelli as the "founder of modernity."
It's about Time: A Conversation with Nomi Claire Lazar
A conversation with Nomi Claire Lazar about her book, "Out of Joint: Power, Crisis, and the Rhetoric of Time."
Don't Be Ridiculous: Discussing "Uncivil Mirth" with Ross Carroll
A discussion with Ross Carroll, author of "Uncivil Mirth: Ridicule in Enlightenment Britain."
All the Rage: Paper Money in the Early Republic
A discussion with Joshua Greenberg, author of "Banknotes and Shinplasters: The Rage for Paper Money in the Early Republic."
Above the Fray?: On the Decline into Demagoguery and Hopes for Renewal in the American Presidency
A chat with Stephen F. Knott, author of "The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal."
"Persian Letters," Part 4: the View From the 'Darkened West'
Warner and I conclude our long discussion of "Persian Letters."
"Persian Letters," Part 2: In the "Master's Workshop"
Warner and I continue to dig in. Good stuff in this one, including a prison break using a file that was hidden in a cuckoo clock.
"Persian Letters," Part 1: Montesquieu's Literary Art
Stuart Warner, who's responsible for an excellent translation of the "Persian Letters," and I discuss Montesquieu's style.
How Can Anyone Be Nebraskan?
A discussion with Ross Benes, author of "Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold."
Party Like It's 1714-97
A conversation with Max Skjönsberg, author of "The Persisten...
Getting Lost in Thought
A conversation with Zena Hitz, author of "Lost in Thought: the Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life."
Nationalism, American Style
A conversation with Samuel Goldman, author of "After Nationalism: Being American in an Age of Division."
The Suburbs and the Politics of Safety
A discussion with Kyle Riismandel about his book, "Neighborhood of Fear: The Suburban Crisis in American Culture, 1975-2001." The book is a tight monograph of cultural histor...
African American Political Thought: A Provocation
A discussion of the new book, "African American Political Thought: A Collected History." I'm joined by Melvin Rogers and Jack Turner, the editors of this magnificent volume. The conversation is wide ranging. We discuss the obstacles...
The “State of Nature” and the Origins of American Independence
This episode is about the state of nature, which turns out to be a lot of things, as will any concept that’s about 6,000 years old. But following my guest, Mark Somos, we've narrowed it down to about fifteen years in 18th century America. We di...