Welcome to Unlimited Opinions! Have you ever wanted to listen to a lawyer and his teenage son discuss philosophy, mythology, politics and more? No? Well, Mark and Adam Bishop are here to discuss it all the same! In Season 1, they covered Anthony Kenny's "
Do Americans have a national book? What is America's defining ideology? Is it structured by the Constitution and the Bible, or something else entirely? Such are the questions that Allan Bloom raises in The Closing of the American Mind, and that we discuss in this episode of Unlimited Opinions! Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
What is the purpose of education? What is the truth? What is man? Find out in this season of Unlimited Opinions, as we read Allan Bloom's The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students. In this episode, we discuss Saul Bellow's Foreword, as well as Bloom's Preface and Introduction, as the authors lay out the "new virtues" of relativism, openness, and freedom as the basis of our failing education system.Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Join us as for the finale of Season 11, as we discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford, given in 1959 as he retired from the University. We break down his attitude towards the modern state of research-focused education, the problems in separating Language from Literature, and why Tolkien's essays matter more and more today.Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
How weird is it to make your own language? Find out as we discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's "A Secret Vice", in which he describes his own evolution in making languages, the beauty in such a hobby, and language itself being an art form. Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
"I was born in the wrong language!" now ranks among perhaps one of the oddest phrases said during an active tornado warning. Join us as we discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's essay "English and Welsh", examining what makes a people a people and the beauty present in studying other languages! Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Join us as we conclude our discussion on Tolkien's fantastic essay "On Fairy-stories"! In this episode, we discuss why fairy-stories are not just for children, what true fantasy really is, the proper attitude of escapism, and why the Gospels are at the heart of it all. Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Join us for the first part of our discussion on one of the greatest essays ever written: J.R.R. Tolkien's On Fairy-stories! In this episode, we examine what is and is not a fairy-story, what is really meant by Faërie, how such stories are made, and much more!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Is Sir Gawain underappreciated as a Catholic story? How did 14th-century English poets reconcile courtly honor and Christian love? Find out as we discuss Tolkien's essay on the great Middle English poem, as well as our thoughts on people's misconceptions about the pope!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Why should we care about poetry? Are we just too stupid to really understand it? Find out as we discuss Tolkien's thoughts on how to properly translate an Old English poem into prose, and the many errors that a translator can fall into in the process.Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Is Beowulf still relevant today? How often do we destroy towers to investigate their component parts, failing to recognize that we could have seen the sea from the top of them? These and other important questions are discussed, as we begin diving into J.R.R. Tolkien's The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, discussing the best of Tolkien's scholarly writings and what they mean for us today. Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Season Finale! Join us as we discuss how Thomas Sowell's early life and upbringing shaped his career, and our thoughts on several of his best one-liners. We also talk about our opinion of his writings overall, and our plans for Season 11! Follow us on X, and give us suggestions for Season 11!Give us your opinions here!
Does a university really need a student recreation center with a sauna and a smoothie bar? Find out as we finish our discussion on Thomas Sowell's thoughts on the modern education system! We talk about teachers who don't know very much, the necessity for gifted students to have opportunities, the problems with the "publish or perish" attitude, and much more!Send us suggestions on X for books to cover for Season 11! Give us your opinions here!
What is a university for? Is it just to get a degree and a well-paying job, or is it for a bigger, deeper formation? Find out as we discuss Thomas Sowell's writings on education, covering topics from unintelligent educators to the lack of transparency in the educational system!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
What results have affirmative action policies had across the world? How much does geography impact the economies and cultures of various regions? Find out in this episode, as we finish our discussion on Thomas Sowell's thoughts on race and ethnicity!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Join us for a continued discussion on affirmative action, the historical context behind debates on equality, and race hoaxes! Also in this episode are rants about Linguistics and AI; stories of record collecting; and our recommendations for one of the best places to eat in St. Louis before the end of the month!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Is the Right partially to blame for the state of our country over the past several decades, and how does our approach to race play into the broader social world? Find out as we discuss Thomas Sowell's thoughts on race and ethnicity, covering stereotypes, false notions of diversity, lowering standards, and more!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
What does the dismantling of USAID mean for freedom? Is this government overreach, or the government pulling back its power? Join us as we discuss this and more, breaking down Thomas Sowell's thoughts on a variety of legal issues, from allegations of racist cops, lack of trust between doctors and patients, and what freedom actually is. Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Should all of the January 6th protestors have been pardoned? Can we do away with birthright citizenship? Why do we keep making martyrs out of criminals? Find out as we examine Thomas Sowell's thoughts on legal issues, ranging from abortion to gun control and everything in between!Follow us on X! Give us your opinions here!
Should we care about the personal lives of influential thinkers? In Marx's case, probably! In this episode, we discuss two more articles from Thomas Sowell: one evaluating John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, and the other giving a detailed description of Karl Marx. We also talk about Donald Trump's second inauguration and what it means for the country!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
How does the Left survive, and how do they keep gaslighting the nation? Find out in this episode of Unlimited Opinions, as we continue reading Thomas Sowell's thoughts on political issues. This is a wide-ranging episode, discussing the Los Angeles wildfires, transgenderism, private charity, and much more!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Why would people celebrate the death of a CEO they had never even heard of before his assassination? Thomas Sowell raised these kinds of questions 20 years ago! Join us as we begin discussing his articles on political issues, focusing on the role of the media in public life, unfunded mandates from the government, and spoiled brats.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Hear our thoughts on 2024 in review and what we see coming up in 2025! In this special episode taken from our S10 E6 recording, we recap what we think changed in 2024, the strangeness of the election cycle, and our mix of positive and negative predictions for 2025!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Join us as we conclude our discussion on Thomas Sowell's thoughts on economics, covering topics such as income disparity, the minimum wage, misuse of statistics, and more! We also discuss Walmart self checkout lanes and the holiday blues!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Where does all of our recycling go? To the dump! Join us as we discuss the myths of recycling, the rationale behind organized crime, the illusion of social security, the ill effects of "affordability" measures, and much more! We also discuss many anecdotes, from funny t-shirts to experiences with criminals!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
In keeping with our timely opinions, we think that Thomas Sowell is the bee's knees! Join us as we finish discussing his writings on social issues, covering the true purpose of the culture war, the meaninglessness of "equality," the lack of discipline in modern society, and much more! We also give some excellent tips on what to do if you find yourself in the wrong restroom!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Join us for another wide-ranging conversation on Thomas Sowell's thoughts on social issues! In this rant-laden episode, we discuss the overdiagnosis of autism, the problems with viewing history by our own standards, and the racist practice of dismissing the achievements of white people. We also share many of our anecdotes, such as a trip to France and problems with modern media!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
A new season, a new book! Join us as we start discussing The Thomas Sowell Reader, covering social issues ranging from America's warped education system, the loss of the traditional family, the impact of poverty, and more! We also recap the 2024 election, comparing the results to our predictions and what we see in the coming second Trump presidency!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
According to Orestes Brownson, America is truly a Catholic country! Join us as we discuss the final chapter of The American Republic: Its Constitution, Tendencies, and Destiny, as we break down Brownson's vision of the future of the United States. We discuss the importance of religion, a far-reaching form of manifest destiny, and our own thoughts on the future of our nation. We also offer our much-sought-after opinions on the 2024 Presidential Election!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
How do we manage the battle between rampant individualism and all-consuming socialism, two ideologies rooted in pure humanism? Orestes Brownson's answer: Catholicism! Join as we discuss Brownson's views of the political future of the United States, and how we need to fight for a future based on eternal truth.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Should we continue to punish the South, or readmit them as full citizens of the United States? Join us for Orestes Brownson's great answer to this question, and some less than great answers to some other questions! We discuss his view of the contradictions between the Executive and the Supreme Court in the handling of the Supreme Court, what actually happened when the States seceded, and what we should do moving forward.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
In perhaps the most convoluted chapter of Orestes Brownson's The American Republic, we discuss secession, and how that relates to modern American politics. We discuss why secession does not make a state an independent sovereign, and instead is the state giving up its existence as a state and becoming a territory once more. We also discuss abortion, immigration, and much more!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
How does the government of the United States actually function, and how does it relate to Orestes Brownson's idea of a providential constitution? We discuss this and more as we continue our discussion of the constitutions of the United States of America, including our first place where we fully disagree with Brownson!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Are we finally starting to disagree with something Orestes Brownson has said? Find out as we discuss how Brownson applies his theories of the two constitutions to the American Founding, and whether or not the Constitution created the American people, or if the American people existed long beforehand.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
The United States: one sovereign people, or really fifty different sovereigns in a trench coat? Find out as we discuss Orestes Brownson's description of America, eventually concluding that the American people were one unified whole long before 1787. We also discuss many other vitally important topics, such as where college students should vote and how long the ideal nap length is. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Who really is the sovereign, and why is their job to promote the common good of the people of the nation? Find out as we conclude our discussion of the two constitutions of a nation, how the history of Rome reflects this idea, and when the overthrow of a ruler may be warranted!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Is there a difference between the constitution of the people and the constitution of their government? How are those two constitutions related, and what is the role of God in their development? What about societies with terrible morals? Find out the answers to these questions and more!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
In this episode, we finally end our discussion of Orestes Brownson's description of where authority comes from! We talk about why the spiritual authority does not grant temporal authority to kings, and how authority really has divine origins as expressed mediately through the people! We also look at how these ideas reflect our society today, and whether the American Revolution is really moral in a Christian context. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Is sovereignty really held by the people themselves, acting as the voice of God? Or is government just a natural evolutionary development? Or does God supernaturally give certain people the divine right to rule? Orestes Brownson says no to all three! Hear our thoughts on his refutations of these theories, as well as some lengthy rants in this episode of Unlimited Opinions!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
In this episode, we examine all of the reasons why Orestes Brownson believes that social compact theory is not a good explanation for the origin of government! By the end of this episode, we're pretty convinced that he's right! We break down the issues with the theory, including the nature of man, eminent domain, and the logical conclusions of the idea, and how these all fit into Brownson's theory of government.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
In this episode, we break down how Orestes Brownson views the authority of the state as coming from proprietorship of territory, rather than from the private rights of individuals. We also discuss what makes a society barbaric, how a republic should promote the common good, and why we need to bring back manifest destiny!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Is loyalty one of the highest virtues? Is politics really founded on communion with God? Are libertarians really about liberty, or just licentiousness? Orestes Brownson has the answers to all these questions and more in his description of the nature of government! We discuss his description, beginning with the three ways man communes with God (religion, society, and property), through the idea of politics as a branch of ethics, and the importance of loyalty to proper government! We also discuss all the goods and evils in dealing with municipal government! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
A new season, with a more optimistic topic! For this season, we'll be reading Orestes Brownson's 1865 work The American Republic: Its Constitution, Tendencies, and Destinies. In this book, Brownson, a former socialist and Catholic convert, discusses what the nature of America really is and what it should be, as guided by providence and the truth. Brownson's words are especially prescient in this time, and even in our first discussion of his preface and introduction, we see his desire for the truth and humility everywhere. Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Good riddance to George Lakoff's Moral Politics! In this season finale, we discuss the last section of Lakoff's book, in which he lays out his reasons for being a liberal. His reasons are of course based on his book-long characterization of conservatives as being stupid, crazy, and evil, so his stance is not exactly one we agree with. We also discuss what pieces of value we gained from reading this book and lessons for the future as we move on to Season 9!Follow us on Twitter, and send us some book suggestions for Season 9! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
This guy doesn't even know about federalism! Join us as we discuss George Lakoff's magnificent discussion on how he is confused by the concept of federalism, and how he divides up other varieties of liberals and conservatives. We also discuss how Lakoff fundamentally refutes his entire book, insinuates that conservatives are one step away from being violent extremists, and doesn't seem to know much of anything at all. We also diss libertarians and talk about all of the problems with the modern Classics field! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
At this point, our criticisms of Lakoff have even started boring even us, so in this episode, we use his brief (and incorrect) descriptions of liberal and conservative approaches to Christianity and abortion as jumping-off points for our own ideas. We discuss the necessity of a hierarchy within religion (such as in Catholicism), why separation of church and state does not mean what most people think it does, the importance of religious elected officials, and much more! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Is this our angriest episode yet? Possibly! Join us as we discuss George Lakoff's thoughts on some of the most controversial topics: affirmative action, gay rights, education, the environment, and much more! As always, we point out the issues with an overly simplistic description of the conservative point of view and try to describe the much deeper ideals behind conservative thought. By this point, we're pretty fed up with George Lakoff and are committing to a new goal: MLGA - Make Linguistics Great Again!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
As we all know, conservatives simply view the legal system in a very simple formula: more punishment = more good. Conservatives are certainly not concerned with a millenia-old theological, philosophical, legal, and moral tradition that argues for the responsibility of an individual's free will or anything like that. Join us as we discuss George Lakoff's theories on how conservatives and liberals view crime, covering topics such as the death penalty, societal factors, and nature vs. nurture.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Ignoring his horrible takes on conservatism, George Lakoff actually does a decent job of explaining the liberal worldview on social programs and taxes. Maybe this shouldn't be surprising - he definitely agrees with the liberals on everything. Join us as we discuss his analysis of liberal and conservative approaches to economic and social problems, ranging from immigration to military spending to charitable organizations!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
George Lakoff is right about one thing: conservatives do not like Hillary Clinton. In this episode, we look at Lakoff's descriptions of how liberals and conservatives categorize the ideal and worst citizens. Do conservatives really just care about upholding the current authority? Are liberals the only ones who believe in virtues? Lakoff seems to think so, and we criticize him heavily! Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinionsGive us your opinions here!
Send us a Text Message.In this episode, we actually give Lakoff some credit! He is embarking on a good project: analyzing liberal and conservative speech into a cohesive cognitive worldview. Unfortunately, he still can't seem to understand conservatives. We look at his descriptions of how liberals misunderstand conservatives (and his simplistic counters to those misunderstandings), how conservatives misunderstand conservatives, and how exactly he plans to create his model.Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions
Send us a Text Message.Despite not really understanding morality, Lakoff does accurately describe the views of the nurturant parent! Join us as we discuss his description of this moral system that believes that people who need help should be treated like children, that promoting your self-interest is a moral good, and sensuality is a virtue! We discuss what we think is wrong (and very briefly what is right) about this moral system and how Lakoff describes it somewhat effectively!Follow us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/UlmtdOpinions
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