Conservative Conversations with ISI

Join us in this eye-opening podcast with historian David Beito and Tom Sarrouf as they delve into Beito's latest book, 'The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights.' Prepare to be shocked as he exposes the astonishing lengths FDR and New Dealers went to suppress freedom of speech, privacy, and civil rights. 

Discover the concealed truths behind this era, revealing a side of history often overshadowed by pro-FDR propaganda. Don't miss this revealing discussion that challenges historical narratives!

 Texts Mentioned:

• The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights by David Beito
• From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State by David Beito
• T.R.M. Howard by David Beito

Are you new to the world of Shakespeare and eager to dive into the timeless brilliance of his works? Join us in this enlightening podcast episode as Benedict Whalen, an esteemed professor at Hillsdale College, takes us on a journey through the basics of understanding and appreciating the genius of William Shakespeare.

Benedict Whalen, a distinguished scholar with expertise in literature and classical education, provides valuable insights and strategies for those taking their first steps into the world of the Bard. Whether you're a student, teacher, or lifelong learner, this podcast offers a friendly guide to demystifying the beauty of Shakespearean literature.

Benedict Whalen is a respected professor at Hillsdale College, known for his passion for classical education and literature. His engaging approach to teaching brings Shakespeare's works to life for students and audiences alike.

Website: Intercollegiate Studies Institute
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YouTube: @EducatingForLiberty

Join us on a captivating journey through the minds of the Founding Fathers—men of intellect, integrity, and ambition who shaped the early American republic.

In "Mental Maps of the Founders," Michael Barone explores the geographic orientation of six key figures, unraveling the stories of Virginians with different compass points in mind, a refugee from Puritan Boston forging a new path in Philadelphia, and individuals from diverse commercial hubs. From the sugar-and-slave island of St. Croix to the stern Swiss city-state of Geneva, their disparate origins shaped the foundation and management of a financial system vital for the young republic's commerce.

Inspired by the richness of Founding Fathers literature, Barone, a map enthusiast and co-author of The Almanac of American Politics, presents reflective essays that unveil how the mental maps of these visionaries helped define the contours and character of a fledgling nation navigating unknown geographical features and political boundaries.

 Texts Mentioned:

• Mental Maps of the Founders by Michael Barone
• Notes on the State of Virginiaby Thomas Jefferson
• Thoughts on the Cause of Present Discontentsby Edmund Burke

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Welcome to a special episode where we bring you an insightful recording from the Heritage Foundation. 

Join us as President and CEO of ISI, Johnny Burtka, takes the stage to present a compelling lecture on his latest book, "Gateway to Statesmanship."

In this thought-provoking episode, Johnny Burtka explores the key themes and insights from his book, providing a gateway to a deeper understanding of statesmanship. Delve into the principles and perspectives that shape effective leadership and governance.

Following the lecture, we transition to a dynamic panel discussion featuring Johnny Burtka, Elbridge Colby, and Dan McCarthy. These distinguished voices engage in a nuanced dialogue, offering diverse viewpoints on statesmanship, its relevance in contemporary politics, and the broader implications for our nation.

This Heritage Foundation event provides you with a front-row seat to an enlightening exploration of leadership, governance, and the timeless principles that guide our nation.

Paul Robinson joins us this week to discuss his book "Russian Conservatism." 

Listen as Paul, Marlo, and Tom delve into the evolution of Russian conservative thought spanning the early nineteenth century to the contemporary era. Author Paul Robinson traces philosophers, politicians, and figures' significant contributions across the Imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods. By exploring cultural, political, and socio-economic conservatism in Russia, he asserts that these ideas provide valuable insights into both Russia's historical trajectory and its current state. Furthermore, it suggests that understanding Russian conservatism is crucial for anticipating the nation's future developments, indicating potential influences, whether positive or negative, in the years ahead.

 Texts Mentioned: 

• Russian Conservatismby Paul Robinson
• Russian Liberalismby Paul Robinson
• A People’s Tragedy by Orlando Figes
• The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945by George H. Nash
• Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
• Vekhi by Pyotr Struve
• History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unionby Josef Stalin
• Man in the Struggle for Peaceby Charles Malik
• “A World Split Apart” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

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In this episode:

• Fisher Derderian, President of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, joins the podcast to talk about all things related to Roger Scruton from his concept of “oikophilia” to his views on conservation and his aesthetic theory

Texts Mentioned: 

• Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
• The Battle for Home by Marwa al-Sibouni
• On Hunting by Roger Scruton
• “Why I Became a Conservative” by Roger Scruton
• Gentle Regrets by Roger Scruton
• Beauty: A Very Short Introduction by Roger Scruton
• “Why Beauty Matters” documentary by Roger Scruton
• www.scruton.org

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In this episode:

• Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering join the podcast to discuss their “Theology of Home” project, focusing on a material and spiritual culture of beauty in ordinary home life

Texts Mentioned:

• Theology of Home bookset by Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering
• Awake, Not Woke by Noelle Mering
• The End of Woman by Carrie Gress
• theologyofhome.com

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In this episode: 

• Miles Smith joins the podcast to discuss the destruction of American statues and the political endgame that motivates it
• a lesson against civic contempt for average people and a story about the wisdom and erudition of country folk
• a listener question about good books to introduce kids to the “great tradition”

Texts Mentioned:

• Apply for the ISI Honors Conference!
• The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
• The Great Tradition by Richard Gamble
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• Aesop’s Fables by Aesop
• Blessed Charles of Austria by Charles Coulombe
• The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
• The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
• The Beginner’s Bible
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Lee: A Biography by Clifford Dowdey
• King James Bible
• Book of Common Prayer
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
• “What Happens When a Poor State Guts Its Public University” by Michael Powell

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In this episode: 

• Spencer Kashmanian, ISI’s own chief of staff, joins the podcast to talk about his love for jazz music, its connections to the Christmas season, and elements of its “conservative disposition”

Texts Mentioned:

• “Christmastime Revives Jazz Legends” by Marlo Slayback
• “White Christmas” by Charlie Parker
• The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom
• “Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams
• Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
• The Republic by Plato
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

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In this episode: 

• Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder and CEO of the Classical Learning Test, joins the podcast to talk about reforming curricula to cover the most important texts and thinkers of the Western Heritage
• how the College Board has changed the purpose of education and caused a decline in educational quality and skill development, and how to fix it
• why students “light up” when we teach things related to man’s capacity to good and evil, and the timeless principles and questions that pertain to the good life

Texts Mentioned:

• The Republic by Plato
• The Odyssey by Homer
• cltexam.com

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 In this episode: 

• Andrew Bacevich joins the podcast to talk to Tom about his 2008 book, The Limits of Power, about the failures of the Iraq War and the cultural, political, and military crises that led to it and exposed the weaknesses in America’s global posture
• the lessons to be taken from the post-WWII history of American military policy and foreign entanglements
• why the impulse to rely on “American muscle” to fix things is often unjustified

Texts Mentioned:

• The Limits of Power by Andrew Bacevich
• The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat
• “The Crisis of Confidence” speech by Jimmy Carter
• Battlegrounds by H.R. McMaster
• ISI Debate on Taiwan and China
• American Conservatism: Reclaiming an Intellectual Tradition by Andrew Bacevich

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In this episode: 

• William Benson and Michael Ippolito, co-founders of The American Postliberal, join the podcast to talk about the rising success of their new journal and the postliberal vision that animates its vision
• what “catholic political realism” is, what its goals are, and why it’s the best hope for America’s future
• how America’s history is best understood in light of its Catholic heritage, which holds the key to understanding a Catholic future for America

Texts Mentioned:

• The American Postliberal substack
• “The 1492 Project: Two Americas” by Michael Ippolito
• “The 1492 Project: The Founding” by Michael Ippolito
• “The 1492 Project: America’s Catholic Destiny” by Michael Ippolito
• Longinqua by Pope Leo XIII
• “Catholic Political Realism Is the Only Hope for America” by William Benson
• “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island” by George Washington
• Dignitatis Humanae by Pope Paul VI
• “Blues for Blue Laws” by Michael Ippolito
• Leisure, the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
• Apply for the ISI Honors Conference!

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In this episode:

• Khalil Habib joins Conservative Conversations in an episode that covers a wide range of great thinkers, including Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Polybius, Livy, Lucretius, Tocqueville, and Edmund Burke
• why republics tend to become empires, and how the Founders used the history of the classical world when thinking about the Constitution
• how Napoleon fits into the story and meaning of the French Revolution

Texts Mentioned:

• Discourses on Livy by Niccolo Machiavelli
• Considerations on the Causes of Greatness of the Romans and Their Decline by Montesquieu
• The History of Rome by Livy
• The Histories by Polybius
• On the Nature of Things by Lucretius
• The Federalist Papers
• Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
• The Ancien Regime and the French Revolution by Alexis de Tocqueville
• The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu
• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
• A People’s Tragedy by Orlando Figes
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• Discourse on the Arts and Sciences by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• “Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol” by Edmund Burke

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In this episode:

• three historians discuss the legacies and importance of Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland, and William McKinley
• what it means to be a statesman, as exemplified by these great American leaders
• what we miss about America when we miss 19th century American history

Texts Mentioned:

• A Man of Iron by Troy Senik
• Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands
• President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry
• “Cross of Gold” speech by William Jennings Bryan

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In this episode: 

• Professor Susan Hanssen joins the podcast to discuss the quintessentially American holiday of Thanksgiving and its history
• how the Puritans and Pilgrims fit into the British political and cultural experience, how they end up in America, and how they shape America today
• what remains in the American project as a “remnant” that’s powerful and worth conserving today

Texts Mentioned: 

• Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 by George Washington
• William Bradford’s Journal
• “A Model of Christian Charity” by John Winthrop
• Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson
• Proclamation of Thanksgiving by Abraham Lincoln
• Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke
• The Mayflower Compact
• A Defence of the Constitutions of the Government of the United States by John Adams
• The Captive Mind by Czeslaw Milosz
• The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
• The Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk
• “How America’s Adams Family Inherited and Preserved the Pilgrim Mind” by Susan Hanssen

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In this episode:

• ISI’s own Jane Scharl joins the podcast to talk about her work as a professional poet and playwright
• why everyone needs to appreciate the fine arts to be fully human, and how to get started for beginners
• why beauty changes and saves the world by changing and saving souls, and how to become a patron of artists to produce more beautiful things

Texts Mentioned:

• Sonnez Les Matines by Jane Scharl
• A People’s Tragedy by Orlando Figes
• Apollo and Daphne myth
• The Aeneid by Virgil
• “Can Poetry Matter?” by Dana Gioia
• Beowulf
• Wiseblood Books
• Slant Books
• St. Louis IX Art Society
• Pushkin by Jonathan Leaf
• jcscharl.com

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In this episode: 

• A special debate between Henry Olsen and Donald Devine about the legacy of Ronald Reagan, from our recent Modern Age panel celebrating the launch of the new Modern Age website

Texts Mentioned: 

• Old House of Fear by Russell Kirk
• The Working Class Republicanby Henry Olsen
• Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Principles by Donald Devine
• Ronald Reagan “A Time for Choosing” Speech
• Modern Age

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In this episode:

• Dr. Jerry Hendrix, a retired Navy captain and author of To Provide and Maintain a Navy, joins the podcast to talk about the need for America to revitalize the US Navy and defend the “free seas”
• a deep dive into America’s foreign policy, especially the challenges posed by our three biggest adversaries: China, Russia, and Iran
• advice for students consider a life of service in the US armed forces

Texts Mentioned:

• To Provide and Maintain a Navy by Jerry Hendrix
• The Free Sea by Hugo Grotius
• “The Age of American Naval Dominance Is Over” by Jerry Hendrix
• “Farewell Address” by George Washington

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In this episode:

• Sam Hammond, senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, joins the podcast to talk about artificial intelligence and its transformative aspects on modern society
• what AI offers human society to advance our economy and our society, and the potential dangers of AI run amok
• how AI and super-intelligent machines that match or exceed human cognition will mean for human nature and what it means to be a human being

Texts Mentioned:

• “Attention is All You Need” by Ashish Vaswani
• Science, Scientism, and Society webinar
• Jon Askonas Conservative Conversations episode
• “Common Sense on AI” by Sam Hammond and Jon Askonas
• “AI and Leviathan: Part I” by Sam Hammond
• “AI and Leviathan: Part II” by Sam Hammond
• “AI and Leviathan: Part III” by Sam Hammond
• Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
• Revolt of the Public by Martin Gurri
• fai.org
• “Second Best” substack by Sam Hammond

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In this episode:

• Rodge Reschini, ISI’s editor of The Cornell Review, joins the podcast to talk about the state of the conservative movement at Cornell
• a student perspective on “academic freedom”
• how to leverage alumni support as a check on the worst impulses of American universities

Texts Mentioned:

• “Trigger Warnings Are Bad, Voluntary or Not” by Rodge Reschini
• “Should College Come With Trigger Warnings? At Cornell, It’s a ‘Hard No’”
• Collegiate Network Fellowships and Internships
• The Cornell Review

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