Podcasts about machiavelli

Italian politician, writer and author

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The Create Your Own Life Show
Machiavelli's Power Playbook: Lessons from The Prince

The Create Your Own Life Show

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 12:52


Step into the ultimate power playbook with this insightful episode of the Jeremy Ryan Slate Show! In "Machiavelli's Power Playbook: Lessons from The Prince," we take a deep dive into the cunning strategies of Cesare Borgia, Niccolò Machiavelli's muse for his timeless masterpiece, *The Prince.* This critical examination unpacks the rise and fall of Borgia, a warlord who dazzled Machiavelli with his ruthless brilliance but ultimately fell victim to misfortune and over-reliance on his father, Pope Alexander VI. Was Cesare the perfect prince or a cautionary tale in what not to do?Join me, Jeremy Ryan Slate—CEO of Command Your Brand and a passionate advocate for liberty and freedom—as we explore Machiavelli's unique perspective on power, from Renaissance Italy's chaotic city-states to the modern political and corporate landscapes of 2025. We'll uncover how Machiavelli's principles, from "better to be feared than loved" to hedging against Fortuna, shape today's leaders, CEOs, and even election strategies. This must-watch episode challenges you to question who's pulling the strings in your world and how you can control your own narrative.Let's spark a conversation! What lessons can we take from Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia in navigating power, politics, and life today? Drop your thoughts in the comments, hit the like button, and subscribe for more episodes that dive deep into history's greatest minds. Ready to command your own brand of power? Follow along and stay tuned for more thought-provoking content. Don't miss out—your journey to mastering modern power begins here.#cesareborgia #thelifeofcesareborgia #popealexandervi #machiavelli #darksideofgoodness___________________________________________________________________________⇩ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ⇩THE WELLNESS COMPANY: Health without the propaganda, emergency medical kits before you need it. Get 15% off now by using our link: https://twc.health/jrsCOMMAND YOUR BRAND: Legacy Media is dying, we fight for the free speech of our clients by placing them on top-rated podcasts as guests. We also have the go-to podcast production team. We are your premier podcast agency. Book a call with our team https://www.commandyourbrand.com/book-a-call MY PILLOW: By FAR one of my favorite products I own for the best night's sleep in the world, unless my four year old jumps on my, the My Pillow. Get up to 66% off select products, including the My Pillow Classic or the new My Pillow 2.0, go to https://www.mypillow.com/cyol or use PROMO CODE: CYOL________________________________________________________________⇩ GET MY BEST SELLING BOOK ⇩Unremarkable to Extraordinary: Ignite Your Passion to Go From Passive Observer to Creator of Your Own Lifehttps://getextraordinarybook.com/________________________________________________________________DOWNLOAD AUDIO PODCAST & GIVE A 5 STAR RATING!:APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-create-your-own-life-show/id1059619918SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5UFFtmJqBUJHTU6iFch3QU(also available Google Podcasts & wherever else podcasts are streamed_________________________________________________________________⇩ SOCIAL MEDIA ⇩➤ X: https://twitter.com/jeremyryanslate➤ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/jeremyryanslate➤ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jeremyryanslate_________________________________________________________________➤ CONTACT: JEREMY@COMMANDYOURBRAND.COM

Quantitude
S6E21 Quantitude: How the Sausage is Made

Quantitude

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 57:21


In this week's episode, the last of Season 6,  Patrick and Greg pull back the curtain and reveal how the Quantitude sausage is actually made. Their motivation is to share their own joys and challenges in making a podcast in the hope that others might consider doing this themselves, whether it be for simple self-satisfaction or for using it as a free speech platform in a time when other avenues of communication are feeling increasingly compromised. Along the way they also discuss baring your soul, being 20 minutes away, losing money, Guglielmo Marconi, palak paneer, Taylor Swift, Machiavelli's bad rap, Quincy Jones, hostage negotiations, two blind squirrels, our Innies, for love of the game, Jiffy (in moderation), Blood Meridian, and Edmund Burke.Stay in contact with Quantitude! Web page: quantitudepod.org TwitterX: @quantitudepod YouTube: @quantitudepod Merch: redbubble.com

The Create Your Own Life Show
The Borgias' Playbook: Lessons for Modern Power Games

The Create Your Own Life Show

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 12:50


Get ready for an insightful episode as we take a deep dive into "The Borgias' Playbook: Lessons for Modern Power Games." In this must-watch video, we critically examine the rise and fall of the infamous Borgia family, from Pope Alexander VI's daring schemes to Cesare Borgia's ruthless conquests. Drawing parallels between Renaissance power plays and modern leadership strategies, we unpack their legacy of ambition, alliances, and betrayal. Were the Borgias masterminds of political innovation or victims of their own overreach? Join me, Jeremy Ryan Slate, CEO of Command Your Brand, as we explore these timeless lessons. With a unique perspective, we connect their controversial tactics—bribery, propaganda, and strategic alliances—to today's political and corporate power structures. From conspiracies of hidden wealth to Machiavelli's admiration of Cesare, this episode offers a fascinating lens on how history's power games still influence America's future, sovereignty, and even global elites in 2025.Don't miss this thought-provoking journey into the Renaissance crime family that rewrote the rules of power and inspired "The Prince." Let's discuss how their playbook resonates with today's dynasties, from lobbying to insider deals. Comment below with your take, hit that like button, and subscribe to join the conversation. Stay curious, stay sharp, and let's uncover the lessons history can teach us about navigating modern power struggles. Your insights matter—let's build a community that challenges the status quo!#pope #popealexandervi #politics #cesareborgia #weirdhistory___________________________________________________⇩ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ⇩THE WELLNESS COMPANY: Health without the propaganda, emergency medical kits before you need it. Get 15% off now by using our link: https://twc.health/jrsCOMMAND YOUR BRAND: Legacy Media is dying, we fight for the free speech of our clients by placing them on top-rated podcasts as guests. We also have the go-to podcast production team. We are your premier podcast agency. Book a call with our team https://www.commandyourbrand.com/book-a-call MY PILLOW: By FAR one of my favorite products I own for the best night's sleep in the world, unless my four year old jumps on my, the My Pillow. Get up to 66% off select products, including the My Pillow Classic or the new My Pillow 2.0, go to https://www.mypillow.com/cyol or use PROMO CODE: CYOL________________________________________________________________⇩ GET MY BEST SELLING BOOK ⇩Unremarkable to Extraordinary: Ignite Your Passion to Go From Passive Observer to Creator of Your Own Lifehttps://getextraordinarybook.com/________________________________________________________________DOWNLOAD AUDIO PODCAST & GIVE A 5 STAR RATING!:APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-create-your-own-life-show/id1059619918SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5UFFtmJqBUJHTU6iFch3QU(also available Google Podcasts & wherever else podcasts are streamed_________________________________________________________________⇩ SOCIAL MEDIA ⇩➤ X: https://twitter.com/jeremyryanslate➤ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/jeremyryanslate➤ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jeremyryanslate_________________________________________________________________➤ CONTACT: JEREMY@COMMANDYOURBRAND.COM

TRENDIFIER with Julian Dorey
#302 - Wolf of Wall Street's Ex-Wife UNLOADS on What Really Happened | Nadine Macaluso

TRENDIFIER with Julian Dorey

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 139:24


SPONSORS HERE: 1) Download PRIZEPICKS & use Code "JULIAN" to get $50 w/ your first $5 play: https://shorturl.at/2XCLm 2) American Financing: Go to https://www.AmericanFinancing.net/Dorey or call 888-991-9788 today! PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in Description Below) ~ Nadine Macaluso, formerly Belfort, is a British-born American psychotherapist, author, internet personality, and former model. She was the second wife of the stockbroker and financial criminal Jordan Belfort, to whom she was married from 1991 to 2005. NADINE'S LINKS: BUY HER BOOK: https://drnae.com/giveaway-book/ YouTubet: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealDrNadine INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrnadine/?hl=en FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 - Wolf of Wall Street (Margot Robbie), Reaction to Movie, Working w/ Margot Robbie 06:40 - Nadine on Jordan's Book, Growing Up in Brooklyn, British Aristocracy Connection (Duchess) 13:23 - 1st Time Meeting Jordan Belfort, Modeling Career Taking Off & Wild Ride Stories 22:09 - Trauma Bonding Explained, Manipulation & Power Breakdown of Jordan, 26:09 - Nadine's Mother & Male Void in Life, Jordan's High Expectations 32:43 - Night Before Wedding Story 39:20 - Living in Long Island (Start Educating Herself), Seeing Therapist & Lifestyle 45:52 - Jordan Getting in Trouble with SEC, Dealing w/ Addictions, Story of Jordan being Stoned at Family Dinners 50:31 - Jordan Needs Help (Drug Addict), Final Straw Before Divorce (Almost Physically Harmed), Telling FBI Agent He's a D**K 01:04:36 - $10 Million Bail for Jordan, Mental Health Clinic & Breaking Through Trauma, Divorce Proceeding 01:12:33 - Meeting Current Husband, 2nd Husband Listened to Her, Moving to California 01:25:42 - Getting PHD & Doctorate, Sales Ability, Becoming Movie 01:30:01 - Starting Social Media & Sharing Story, Watching Wolf of Wall Street with Jordan Day of Release, 01:36:13 - Accuracies w/ Film vs Reality, Sopranos Writer 01:41:25 - Relationships & Psychoanalysis of Jordan Belfort Today 01:45:09 - Beating Cancer, Nature vs Nurture 01:51:21 - Psychological Traits: Satanism, Dark Tetrad, Machiavelli, Kids Today are Scewed 02:07:45 - True Love with Jordan Belfort CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - In-Studio Producer: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 302 - Nadine Macaluso Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mises Media
Engines of Destruction in the Great War: Artillery, Society, War Finance, and the Emergence of the Total State

Mises Media

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025


How did the state grow from Machiavelli to World War I? Hunt Tooley reveals the shocking story of how artillery, arms dealers, and bankers turned war into profitable, prolonged carnage.Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on May 16, 2025.

Octothorpe
134: In the Framework of Linear Time

Octothorpe

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 58:31


John has shortlisted, Alison has worked in large organisations, and Liz has done a spot-the-difference. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: LLMs Letters of comment Chris Garcia Clarrie Maguire Colette Reap Roseanna Pendlebury Her Death of Stalin review Tobes Valois We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Ang Rosin, Brian Nisbet, Caroline Mullan, DC, Doug Faunt, Ed Morland, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Farah Mendlesohn, Gareth Kavanagh, Ivan Sinha, Jonathan Baddeley, Jonathan Cowie, Kin-Ming Looi, Lilian Edwards, Meg MacDonald, Neil Ottenstein, Phil Dyson, Raj, Sandra Bond, Shi Lala, Tammy Coxen, Tony Keen, TrishEM, ‪Zoë O'Connell‬ Corflu FAAn Award Winners Ada Palmer runs a class called “The Italian Renaissance: Dante, Machiavelli, and the Wars of Popes and Kings,” better known by students as “pope class” or “pope LARP” Archive.is Chris Barkley has sued Dave McCarty Shot Chaser Locus 2025 fundraiser Revenue is flat and costs are up 21% Clarke Award The shortlist has been announced Worldcon 2025: Seattle “Statement from the Worldcon Chair” “Apology and Response From Chair” “May 6th Statement From Chair and Program Division Head” Resignation statement from WSFS division Picks John: The Mark by Frìða Ìsberg Alison: Sinners Liz: Blue Prince Credits Cover art: “Sample FAAn Award” by Alison Scott Alt text: A photograph of a yellow square on a mantlepiece. On the yellow square is black text and a red shape with yellow text. The text reads “Corflu 42. 2025 FAAn Awards. Best Immutable Object: Octothorpe”. Text overlaid on the photograph reads ‘Octothorpe 134. “Don't believe everything you read on ChatGPT.”' Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Nature and the Nation
Review: Be Like the Fox by Erica Benner

Nature and the Nation

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025 58:43


In this episode I revisit Niccolo Machiavelli through the lens of Erica Benner's biography of the Renaissance Italian thinker, Be Like the Fox. I examine Machiavelli's dedication to the ideals of the Florentine Republic and his opposition to leaders who come to rule by the blessings of Fortune.

FM4 HipHop Lesekreis
Blue Devil von Key Glock

FM4 HipHop Lesekreis

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 7:17


Key Glock Rapper aus Memphis , harte Kindheit Eltern im Gefängnis von Oma aufgezogen, Cousin von Young Dolph der 2022 erschossen wurde. Key Glock großer Fan des kürzlich verblichenen Waffenproduzenten aus Friesach Kärnten und des unsterblichen florentinischen Renaissance Diplomaten und Philosophen Niccolò dei Machiavelli Wir sprechen heute über eine Nummer Blue Devil vom neuen Key Glock Album Glockiaveli die auch auf dem Presidential Mixtape sein könnte wegen Zeilen wie: „When I got richer these hoes got wetter „Mahdi Rahimi , Trishes , Natalie Brunner über die musikalischen Referenzen in Blue Devil und die ganz prinzipielle Frage was Machiavelli referenzierende Rapper so auf ihrer Leseliste haben könnten und sollten.FM4 Homebase 07.05.2025 20 Uhr

Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast
Why can't we work together? (1 & 2 )

Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 52:19


MAY. 4, 2025Why can't we work together? (1)"Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence." 3Jn v. 9 NKJVReason one: insecurity. The Florentine philosopher Machiavelli said, "The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." Insecure leaders are threatened by talented individuals, so they surround themselves with weak people. As a result, the work suffers, and everybody involved suffers too. When a leader responds to a genuine question by saying, "How dare you challenge my authority," they're dangerous and often not worth following. Insecure leaders usually fail for two reasons: They want to maintain control over everything, or they're afraid of being replaced by someone more competent.Either way, leaders who don't encourage teamwork weaken their own potential and discourage those around them. President Woodrow Wilson said, "We should not only use all the brains we have, but all that we can borrow." John the Apostle tells us that Diotrephes, a leader in the church, "loves to have the preeminence." What was this man's problem? He wanted to blow everybody else's light out in order to let his own light shine. So, John writes: "When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God" (3Jn vs. 10-11 NLT). Let God's approval— which you already have—make you secure!Why can't we work together? Let God's approval make you secure!Share This Devotional"Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." 1Sa 14:7 NIVReason two: naivety. An old Chinese proverb says, "Behind every able man there are always other able men." Even if you can do the job yourself, isn't it wise to stop and ask, "Who do I know who could help me to do it better?" That question defines the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Business consultant John Ghegan keeps a sign on his desk that reads, "If I had it to do all over again, I'd get help." We all need that sign! When you have a few victories under your belt, you're at an increased risk of thinking you can do anything and everything by yourself. But when your dream is from God, it will always be greater than your individual capacity and gifts, which means you will have to reach for others. Two men, Jonathan, and his armor-bearer, wiped out an entire Philistine garrison. How? "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 'Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf.Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.' 'Do all that you have in mind, his armor-bearer said. 'Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul'" (vv. 6-7 NIV). Jonathan, the leader, needed the encouragement and support of his armor-bearer. And his armor-bearer needed the courage and leadership of Jonathan. Together they accomplished amazing things for God.The truth is teamwork is at the heart of all impressive triumphs. The question isn't whether teams have value; it's whether you are humble enough to acknowledge that fact and become a better team player.Why can't we work together?  Become a better team player.Share This DevotiSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

New Books in Christian Studies
Donald S. Prudlo, "Governing Perfection" (St. Augustine's Press, 2024)

New Books in Christian Studies

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 24:18


"In the beginning, God administrated." For as Donald Prudlo observes, "There can be no achievement without administration." In this book he seeks to restore the idea that while administration is necessary even in the institutional Church, holiness is not only possible for those charged with governance, but is a fulfillment and type of Christus Rector omnium, or "Christ, Ruler of all." Scrutinizing the relevant thought of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Thomas Aquinas, and Nietzsche, among others, Prudlo pursues the notion of order in governance and confronts both the bloat of bureaucracy and the "intoxicating nature of power." How can men and women who strive to live out humility and holiness likewise establish and participate in the structures that wield the powers of governance? Four early popes are given close attention for their respective administrations: Damasus I, Leo I, Gelasius I, and Gregory I. Emphasis is also given to the specific administrative genius that emerges from the monastic orders, including the 'Pachomian solution' and the Benedictine Rule. Governing Perfection (St. Augustine's Press, 2024) is an important contribution to the history of the papacy and origins of the modern-day Roman Curia, ecclesiology and its relevance to legal ordering, and administration within governance as affected by multiple legal and cultural traditions. It is a masterful presentation that provides both the framework and reflection needed to inspire true perfection the in administrative forum. The relevance and force of Prudlo's Governing Perfection makes it a choice follow-up to his recent translation of Bartholomew of the Martyr's classic, Stimulus Pastorum: A Charge to Pastors (2022). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

New Books Network
Donald S. Prudlo, "Governing Perfection" (St. Augustine's Press, 2024)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025 24:18


"In the beginning, God administrated." For as Donald Prudlo observes, "There can be no achievement without administration." In this book he seeks to restore the idea that while administration is necessary even in the institutional Church, holiness is not only possible for those charged with governance, but is a fulfillment and type of Christus Rector omnium, or "Christ, Ruler of all." Scrutinizing the relevant thought of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Thomas Aquinas, and Nietzsche, among others, Prudlo pursues the notion of order in governance and confronts both the bloat of bureaucracy and the "intoxicating nature of power." How can men and women who strive to live out humility and holiness likewise establish and participate in the structures that wield the powers of governance? Four early popes are given close attention for their respective administrations: Damasus I, Leo I, Gelasius I, and Gregory I. Emphasis is also given to the specific administrative genius that emerges from the monastic orders, including the 'Pachomian solution' and the Benedictine Rule. Governing Perfection (St. Augustine's Press, 2024) is an important contribution to the history of the papacy and origins of the modern-day Roman Curia, ecclesiology and its relevance to legal ordering, and administration within governance as affected by multiple legal and cultural traditions. It is a masterful presentation that provides both the framework and reflection needed to inspire true perfection the in administrative forum. The relevance and force of Prudlo's Governing Perfection makes it a choice follow-up to his recent translation of Bartholomew of the Martyr's classic, Stimulus Pastorum: A Charge to Pastors (2022). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

New Humanists
Replacing Machiavelli with Francesco Patrizi, feat. James Hankins | Episode LXXXVII

New Humanists

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 81:12


Send us a textNiccolo Machiavelli is often held up as the paradigmatic political philosopher of the Italian Renaissance. But as James Hankins argued in an earlier book, Virtue Politics, Machiavelli in fact repudiates the framework common to many of the humanists of the Renaissance. Machiavelli is an outlier. Who then can replace him as the Renaissance's paradigmatic political philosopher? In his new book, Political Meritocracy in Renaissance Italy, Hankins proposes the little-known Francesco Patrizi, friend and protege of Pope Pius II, as Machiavelli's replacement. Hankins joins the show to make his case for Patrizi as emblematic of Renaissance political philosophy and to explain some aspects of Patrizi's life and thought.James Hankins's Political Meritocracy in Renaissance Italy: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780674274709James Hankins's Virtue Politics: https://amzn.to/4d0f0buAdrian Wooldridge's Aristocracy of Talent: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781510775558The Patrizi Project: https://patrizisiena.hsites.harvard.edu/Nate Fischer's Meritocracy Must Not Be Our Goal: https://americanmind.org/salvo/meritocracy-must-not-be-our-goal/James Hankins and Allen Guelzo's The Golden Thread: https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Thread-Ancient-World-Christendom/dp/1641773995New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

SWR2 Hörspiel
Niccolò Machiavelli: Mandragola

SWR2 Hörspiel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 63:44


Es ist ein altes Thema, das in der bekanntesten Renaissance-Komödie ganz neu verhandelt wird: Der junge Callimaco begehrt die mit Nicia verheiratete schöne Lucrezia. Um sie zu bekommen, muss er mithilfe des gewitzten Ligurio eine Intrige in Gang setzen, in der ein angeblich tödlicher Zaubertrank und ein korrupter Mönch entscheidende Rollen spielen. Machiavellis “Mandragola” veranschaulicht mit viel Esprit sein Konzept der virtù und ist damit die ideale Ergänzung zu seinem berühmten Hauptwerk “Il Principe / Der Fürst”. Nach der gleichnamigen Komödie Von Niccolò Machiavelli In der Fassung von Ashley Dukes und Ingeborg Strudthoff Mit: Wolfgang Stendar, Hans Mahnke, Rolf Kutschera, Peter Lühr, Hans-Helmut Dickow, Lieselotte Rau u. a. Musik: Rolf Unkel Hörspielbearbeitung: Carl Dietrich Carls Regie: Oskar Nitschke SDR 1958

Betrouwbare Bronnen
500 - Triomf en Tragiek. 400 Jaar Johan de Witt

Betrouwbare Bronnen

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 117:31


Geen Nederlands politicus steeg zo jong zo hoog en stortte na 19 jaar op de toppen van de macht in Europa zo diep de afgrond in. Het is het verhaal - en een indrukwekkende tentoonstelling in Dordrecht - van een politiek leven in tijden van mercantiele macht wereldwijd en expansie over heel de aardbol. Van een leven in tijden van ongekende weelde en culturele bloei. Ook een leven van intellectuele brille en vriendschappen en een verhaal van een grote liefde. Een leven dat gruwelijk eindigt. In een staatsgreep, moord en een wanhopige oorlog tegen de grootmachten van Europa. Jaap Jansen en PG Kroeger duiken in deze vijfhonderdste editie van Betrouwbare Bronnen in het leven en werk en de mens Johan de Witt (1625 - 1672). In dit verhaal komen alle thema's samen die deze podcast sinds het begin in 2018 kenmerken. Van Habsburg tot Lubbers. Van Rutte tot India. Van Kissinger tot West-Afrika, innovatie, wetenschap, kunsten, Machiavelli, de Oranjes en krachtige vrouwen. Gast is kenner en romancier over Johan de Wit, Jean-Marc van Tol, zonder wie er bovendien geen Fokke & Sukke zouden zijn. We duiken in vragen als 'Had De Witt humor?' 'Haatte hij de Oranjes heus zo erg?' 'Wat was zijn geheim als wiskundig genie?' ***Deze aflevering is mede mogelijk gemaakt met donaties van luisteraars die we hiervoor hartelijk danken. Word ook vriend van de show! Vrienden kunnen meedingen naar een van de vijf door Uitgeverij Catullus beschikbaar gestelde exemplaren van Vrouwen rondom Johan de Witt met een exclusieve tekening door Jean-Marc!Heb je belangstelling om in onze podcast te adverteren of ons te sponsoren? Zend een mailtje naar adverteren@dagennacht.nl en wij zoeken contact.Op sommige podcast-apps kun je niet alles lezen. De complete tekst plus linkjes en een overzicht van al onze eerdere afleveringen vind je hier***Johan de Witts jeugd was die van een razend slimme scholier in Dordrecht; een bemiddelde jongen die op 'Grand Tour' kon gaan. Plots werd hij politicus in een diepe politieke crisis. Hijzelf en zijn omgeving ontdekten toen zijn uitzonderlijk talent voor 'persuasie'. Doordacht, bijna wiskundig-rationeel argumenteren en overtuigen.De Witt bleek een volleerd polderaar, een subliem onderhandelaar, scherp rekenaar met macht, geld, timing en daadkracht. Verrassend modern ook zijn bewuste soberheid en scherp oog voor integriteit. Er zit veel Mark Rutte in hem en minstens zoveel Ruud Lubbers.Hij saneerde krachtdadig en uitermate effectief de begrotingschaos van de Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden. Zijn wiskundig vernuft bleek onmisbaar. Zijn visionaire investeringen in wetenschap, innovatie en kunsten vormden het fundament voor zijn 'nationaal groeifonds' waarmee hij over jaren kon investeren in de meest geavanceerde, technologisch up to date zeemacht. Zijn admiraal Michiel de Ruyter konden rekenen op het allerbeste van hightech der marine. De Witt was geen dorknoper. Hij ging met een leuke Nassau-prinses naar de kermis en genoot met volle teugen. Roddels gonsden over het Binnenhof. Hij speelde viola da gamba en was een gangmaker op feesten en partijen. Maar zijn echte passies waren zijn innig geliefde Wendela Bicker, mathematische raadsels en regeren. Vanuit een klein ambtelijk vertrek in het gebouw waar in onze tijd de Eerste Kamer zit, leidde hij met enkele klerken het Republikeins bewind dynamisch en met korte lijnen. Met zijn netwerk van 'de vrunden' regeerde hij de Staten van Holland, de Staten-Generaal, de hele Republiek, maar ook over de machtsverhoudingen in Europa en de wereldwijde koloniale handelsimperia. Onder zijn bondgenoten zelfs de sultan in Istanboel en de Mughal heersers van India.Twee mensen met een groot machtsinstinct en grote allure als vorsten waren cruciaal voor zijn succes. En voor zijn ondergang. Oranje-weduwe Amalia van Solms koos - in het belang van haar strategie voor de dynastie - voor een alliantie met Johan de Witt, tegen de manipulaties van het Britse hof. De jonge koning Lodewijk de Veertiende van Frankrijk vleide 'mon bon ami et allié conféderé', maar kreeg allengs schoon genoeg van De Witts gedurige triomfen in het verdeel- en heersspel van de grootmachten. Lodewijk bleek een machiavellist waar zelfs De Witt door overrompeld werd. 'L'état c'est moi' hield een gewetenloosheid en strategische visie in die hij zich vermoedelijk niet kon voorstellen.Johans geopolitieke visie en zijn hondsbrutale militaire acties joegen de vijanden in Londen en Versailles in elkaars armen. Ineens trokken ze samen op tegen de mercantiele en koloniale oppermacht van dat kleine, overmoedige staatje aan de Noordzee. De Witt moest een kopje kleiner gemaakt. Hun oorlog mikte erop dat Frankrijk België, Brabant en Limburg zou kapen, Duitse vorsten het Oosten en Noorden van de Republiek en de Britten Holland en Zeeland als vazalstaatje onder Oranje bewind. Paniek brak los. Het volk was redeloos, het land reddeloos en de regering radeloos.De Witt verloor de greep op de Haagse politiek. De Oranje-factie greep de macht, hitste het volk op en liet Johan en zijn broer Cornelis in 1672 gruwelijk vermoorden.De jonge prins Willem III – als ‘Kind van Staat' opgevoed onder leiding van Johan - won de oorlog met veel geluk en vernuft. Kissinger was niet voor niks zo'n bewonderaar van Willem III. Zijn triomf in 'the Glorious Revolution' van 1688-89 - een soort anti-Brexit! - was postuum ook die van De Witt en zijn grootmoeder Amalia.400 haar geleden is Johan de Witt geboren. Met Jean-Marc van Tol belichten Jaap en PG vele nieuwe aspecten van zijn leven en werk. Zijn ruim 25.000 brieven die nu worden ontsloten, de documenten en kunstwerken in de grote expositie en de psychologische inzichten dankzij Van Tols romans maken het beeld van zo'n turbulent en rijk leven fris en vernieuwd. De Witt is weer helemaal van nu.***Verder lezenJohan de Witt en EngelandJohan de Witt en FrankrijkJohan de Witt en het RampjaarVrouwen rondom Johan de WittMuschBuatNog meer van Jean-Marc van Tol***Verder kijkenLezing Jean-Marc van Tol over Buat***Verder luisterenDe Witt en leiders na hem461 - Ruud Lubbers zag het een slag anders193 - Kabinetsformatie 2021: Mark Rutte en de slijtage van zijn leiderschap (oa over De Witt en Oldenbarnevelt)De Witt en zijn tijd472 - Winterboekeneditie - Premiers, Leiderschap, Macht441 - Extra zomeraflevering: boekenspecial! (oa over de Bickers)08 - Paul Rem over Willem III, de Britten en Het Loo387 - Niets is zó politiek als opera - 100 jaar Maria Callas (oa over Lodewijk XIV, balletdanser)284 - Quatorze Juillet: komt onder Macron een einde aan De Gaulles Vijfde Republiek? (over Franse heersers)311 - De wereld volgens Simon Sebag Montefiore (oa over Minette)49 - De koningen van Hispanje die wij altijd hebben geëerd158 - Aan zee is een land nooit klein: EU-voorzitter Portugal (oa: de relatie van Portugal met de Republiek)313 - Zweden, land met een roemruchte geschiedenis (rivaal van de Republiek)262 - Waarom India - ook voor Nederland - steeds belangrijker wordt (bondgenoot van de Republiek)48 - Adam Smith en De Welvaart van LandenDe Witt en zijn actualiteit200 - De Heerser: Machiavelli's lessen zijn nog altijd actueel359 - Nederland en de slavernij, 150 jaar na de afschaffing312 - Schurend verleden - over cancelculture, politiek en geschiedenis300 - Ethische politiek: het bijzondere Nederland met zijn 'moreel hoogstaande opvattingen'350 - 100 jaar Henry Kissinger***Tijdlijn00:00:00 – Deel 100:42:27 – Deel 201:39:09 – Deel 301:57:31 – Einde Zie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Keen On Democracy
Episode 2509: David A. Bell on "The Enlightenment"

Keen On Democracy

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 46:24


So what, exactly, was “The Enlightenment”? According to the Princeton historian David A. Bell, it was an intellectual movement roughly spanning the early 18th century through to the French Revolution. In his Spring 2025 Liberties Quarterly piece “The Enlightenment, Then and Now”, Bell charts the Enlightenment as a complex intellectual movement centered in Paris but with hubs across Europe and America. He highlights key figures like Montesquieu, Voltaire, Kant, and Franklin, discussing their contributions to concepts of religious tolerance, free speech, and rationality. In our conversation, Bell addresses criticisms of the Enlightenment, including its complicated relationship with colonialism and slavery, while arguing that its principles of freedom and reason remain relevant today. 5 Key Takeaways* The Enlightenment emerged in the early 18th century (around 1720s) and was characterized by intellectual inquiry, skepticism toward religion, and a growing sense among thinkers that they were living in an "enlightened century."* While Paris was the central hub, the Enlightenment had multiple centers including Scotland, Germany, and America, with thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant, Hume, and Franklin contributing to its development.* The Enlightenment introduced the concept of "society" as a sphere of human existence separate from religion and politics, forming the basis of modern social sciences.* The movement had a complex relationship with colonialism and slavery - many Enlightenment thinkers criticized slavery, but some of their ideas about human progress were later used to justify imperialism.* According to Bell, rather than trying to "return to the Enlightenment," modern society should selectively adopt and adapt its valuable principles of free speech, religious tolerance, and education to create our "own Enlightenment."David Avrom Bell is a historian of early modern and modern Europe at Princeton University. His most recent book, published in 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, is Men on Horseback: The Power of Charisma in the Age of Revolution. Described in the Journal of Modern History as an "instant classic," it is available in paperback from Picador, in French translation from Fayard, and in Italian translation from Viella. A study of how new forms of political charisma arose in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the book shows that charismatic authoritarianism is as modern a political form as liberal democracy, and shares many of the same origins. Based on exhaustive research in original sources, the book includes case studies of the careers of George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Toussaint Louverture and Simon Bolivar. The book's Introduction can be read here. An online conversation about the book with Annette Gordon-Reed, hosted by the Cullman Center of the New York Public Library, can be viewed here. Links to material about the book, including reviews in The New York Review of Books, The Guardian, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, Le Monde, The Los Angeles Review of Books and other venues can be found here. Bell is also the author of six previous books. He has published academic articles in both English and French and contributes regularly to general interest publications on a variety of subjects, ranging from modern warfare, to contemporary French politics, to the impact of digital technology on learning and scholarship, and of course French history. A list of his publications from 2023 and 2024 can be found here. His Substack newsletter can be found here. His writings have been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Hebrew, Swedish, Polish, Russian, German, Croatian, Italian, Turkish and Japanese. At the History Department at Princeton University, he holds the Sidney and Ruth Lapidus Chair in the Era of North Atlantic Revolutions, and offers courses on early modern Europe, on military history, and on the early modern French empire. Previously, he spent fourteen years at Johns Hopkins University, including three as Dean of Faculty in its School of Arts and Sciences. From 2020 to 2024 he served as Director of the Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies at Princeton. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a corresponding fellow of the British Academy. Bell's new project is a history of the Enlightenment. A preliminary article from the project was published in early 2022 by Modern Intellectual History. Another is now out in French History.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. FULL TRANSCRIPTAndrew Keen: Hello everybody, in these supposedly dark times, the E word comes up a lot, the Enlightenment. Are we at the end of the Enlightenment or the beginning? Was there even an Enlightenment? My guest today, David Bell, a professor of history, very distinguished professor of history at Princeton University, has an interesting piece in the spring issue of It is One of our, our favorite quarterlies here on Keen on America, Bell's piece is The Enlightenment Then and Now, and David is joining us from the home of the Enlightenment, perhaps Paris in France, where he's on sabbatical hard life. David being an academic these days, isn't it?David Bell: Very difficult. I'm having to suffer the Parisian bread and croissant. It's terrible.Andrew Keen: Yeah. Well, I won't keep you too long. Is Paris then, or France? Is it the home of the Enlightenment? I know there are many Enlightenments, the French, the Scottish, maybe even the English, perhaps even the American.David Bell: It's certainly one of the homes of the Enlightenment, and it's probably the closest that the Enlightened had to a center, absolutely. But as you say, there were Edinburgh, Glasgow, plenty of places in Germany, Philadelphia, all those places have good claims to being centers of the enlightenment as well.Andrew Keen: All the same David, is it like one of those sports games in California where everyone gets a medal?David Bell: Well, they're different metals, right, but I think certainly Paris is where everybody went. I mean, if you look at the figures from the German Enlightenment, from the Scottish Enlightenment from the American Enlightenment they all tended to congregate in Paris and the Parisians didn't tend to go anywhere else unless they were forced to. So that gives you a pretty good sense of where the most important center was.Andrew Keen: So David, before we get to specifics, map out for us, because everyone is perhaps as familiar or comfortable with the history of the Enlightenment, and certainly as you are. When did it happen? What years? And who are the leaders of this thing called the Enlightenment?David Bell: Well, that's a big question. And I'm afraid, of course, that if you ask 10 historians, you'll get 10 different answers.Andrew Keen: Well, I'm only asking you, so I only want one answer.David Bell: So I would say that the Enlightenment really gets going around the first couple of decades of the 18th century. And that's when people really start to think that they are actually living in what they start to call an Enlightenment century. There are a lot of reasons for this. They are seeing what we now call the scientific revolution. They're looking at the progress that has been made with that. They are experiencing the changes in the religious sphere, including the end of religious wars, coming with a great deal of skepticism about religion. They are living in a relative period of peace where they're able to speculate much more broadly and daringly than before. But it's really in those first couple of decades that they start thinking of themselves as living in an enlightened century. They start defining themselves as something that would later be called the enlightenment. So I would say that it's, really, really there between maybe the end of the 17th century and 1720s that it really gets started.Andrew Keen: So let's have some names, David, of philosophers, I guess. I mean, if those are the right words. I know that there was a term in French. There is a term called philosoph. Were they the founders, the leaders of the Enlightenment?David Bell: Well, there is a... Again, I don't want to descend into academic quibbling here, but there were lots of leaders. Let me give an example, though. So the year 1721 is a remarkable year. So in the year, 1721, two amazing events happened within a couple of months of each other. So in May, Montesquieu, one of the great philosophers by any definition, publishes his novel called Persian Letters. And this is an incredible novel. Still, I think one of greatest novels ever written, and it's very daring. It is the account, it is supposedly a an account written by two Persian travelers to Europe who are writing back to people in Isfahan about what they're seeing. And it is very critical of French society. It is very of religion. It is, as I said, very daring philosophically. It is a product in part of the increasing contact between Europe and the rest of the world that is also very central to the Enlightenment. So that novel comes out. So it's immediately, you know, the police try to suppress it. But they don't have much success because it's incredibly popular and Montesquieu doesn't suffer any particular problems because...Andrew Keen: And the French police have never been the most efficient police force in the world, have they?David Bell: Oh, they could be, but not in this case. And then two months later, after Montesquieu published this novel, there's a German philosopher much less well-known than Montesqiu, than Christian Bolz, who is a professor at the Universität Haller in Prussia, and he gives an oration in Latin, a very typical university oration for the time, about Chinese philosophy, in which he says that the Chinese have sort of proved to the world, particularly through the writings of Confucius and others, that you can have a virtuous society without religion. Obviously very controversial. Statement for the time it actually gets him fired from his job, he has to leave the Kingdom of Prussia within 48 hours on penalty of death, starts an enormous controversy. But here are two events, both of which involving non-European people, involving the way in which Europeans are starting to look out at the rest of the world and starting to imagine Europe as just one part of a larger humanity, and at the same time they are starting to speculate very daringly about whether you can have. You know, what it means to have a society, do you need to have religion in order to have morality in society? Do you need the proper, what kind of government do you need to to have virtuous conduct and a proper society? So all of these things get, you know, really crystallize, I think, around these two incidents as much as anything. So if I had to pick a single date for when the enlightenment starts, I'd probably pick that 1721.Andrew Keen: And when was, David, I thought you were going to tell me about the earthquake in Lisbon, when was that earthquake?David Bell: That earthquake comes quite a bit later. That comes, and now historians should be better with dates than I am. It's in the 1750s, I think it's the late 1750's. Again, this historian is proving he's getting a very bad grade for forgetting the exact date, but it's in 1750. So that's a different kind of event, which sparks off a great deal of commentary, because it's a terrible earthquake. It destroys most of the city of Lisbon, it destroys other cities throughout Portugal, and it leads a lot of the philosophy to philosophers at the time to be speculating very daringly again on whether there is any kind of real purpose to the universe and whether there's any kind divine purpose. Why would such a terrible thing happen? Why would God do such a thing to his followers? And certainly VoltaireAndrew Keen: Yeah, Votav, of course, comes to mind of questioning.David Bell: And Condit, Voltaire's novel Condit gives a very good description of the earthquake in Lisbon and uses that as a centerpiece. Voltair also read other things about the earthquake, a poem about Lisbon earthquake. But in Condit he gives a lasting, very scathing portrait of the Catholic Church in general and then of what happens in Portugal. And so the Lisbon Earthquake is certainly another one of the events, but it happens considerably later. Really in the middle of the end of life.Andrew Keen: So, David, you believe in this idea of the Enlightenment. I take your point that there are more than one Enlightenment in more than one center, but in broad historical terms, the 18th century could be defined at least in Western and Northern Europe as the period of the Enlightenment, would that be a fair generalization?David Bell: I think it's perfectly fair generalization. Of course, there are historians who say that it never happened. There's a conservative British historian, J.C.D. Clark, who published a book last summer, saying that the Enlightenment is a kind of myth, that there was a lot of intellectual activity in Europe, obviously, but that the idea that it formed a coherent Enlightenment was really invented in the 20th century by a bunch of progressive reformers who wanted to claim a kind of venerable and august pedigree for their own reform, liberal reform plans. I think that's an exaggeration. People in the 18th century defined very clearly what was going on, both people who were in favor of it and people who are against it. And while you can, if you look very closely at it, of course it gets a bit fuzzy. Of course it's gets, there's no single, you can't define a single enlightenment project or a single enlightened ideology. But then, I think people would be hard pressed to define any intellectual movement. You know, in perfect, incoherent terms. So the enlightenment is, you know by compared with almost any other intellectual movement certainly existed.Andrew Keen: In terms of a philosophy of the Enlightenment, the German thinker, Immanuel Kant, seems to be often, and when you describe him as the conscience or the brain or a mixture of the conscience and brain of the enlightenment, why is Kant and Kantian thinking so important in the development of the Enlightenment.David Bell: Well, that's a really interesting question. And one reason is because most of the Enlightenment was not very rigorously philosophical. A lot of the major figures of the enlightenment before Kant tended to be writing for a general public. And they often were writing with a very specific agenda. We look at Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau. Now you look at Adam Smith in Scotland. We look David Hume or Adam Ferguson. You look at Benjamin Franklin in the United States. These people wrote in all sorts of different genres. They wrote in, they wrote all sorts of different kinds of books. They have many different purposes and very few of them did a lot of what we would call rigorous academic philosophy. And Kant was different. Kant was very much an academic philosopher. Kant was nothing if not rigorous. He came at the end of the enlightenment by most people's measure. He wrote these very, very difficult, very rigorous, very brilliant works, such as The Creek of Pure Reason. And so, it's certainly been the case that people who wanted to describe the Enlightenment as a philosophy have tended to look to Kant. So for example, there's a great German philosopher and intellectual historian of the early 20th century named Ernst Kassirer, who had to leave Germany because of the Nazis. And he wrote a great book called The Philosophy of the Enlightened. And that leads directly to Immanuel Kant. And of course, Casir himself was a Kantian, identified with Kant. And so he wanted to make Kant, in a sense, the telos, the end point, the culmination, the fulfillment of the Enlightenment. But so I think that's why Kant has such a particularly important position. You're defining it both ways.Andrew Keen: I've always struggled to understand what Kant was trying to say. I'm certainly not alone there. Might it be fair to say that he was trying to transform the universe and certainly traditional Christian notions into the Enlightenment, so the entire universe, the world, God, whatever that means, that they were all somehow according to Kant enlightened.David Bell: Well, I think that I'm certainly no expert on Immanuel Kant. And I would say that he is trying to, I mean, his major philosophical works are trying to put together a system of philosophical thinking which will justify why people have to act morally, why people act rationally, without the need for Christian revelation to bolster them. That's a very, very crude and reductionist way of putting it, but that's essentially at the heart of it. At the same time, Kant was very much aware of his own place in history. So Kant didn't simply write these very difficult, thick, dense philosophical works. He also wrote things that were more like journalism or like tablets. He wrote a famous essay called What is Enlightenment? And in that, he said that the 18th century was the period in which humankind was simply beginning to. Reach a period of enlightenment. And he said, he starts the essay by saying, this is the period when humankind is being released from its self-imposed tutelage. And we are still, and he said we do not yet live in the midst of a completely enlightened century, but we are getting there. We are living in a century that is enlightening.Andrew Keen: So the seeds, the seeds of Hegel and maybe even Marx are incant in that German thinking, that historical thinking.David Bell: In some ways, in some ways of course Hegel very much reacts against Kant and so and then Marx reacts against Hegel. So it's not exactly.Andrew Keen: Well, that's the dialectic, isn't it, David?David Bell: A simple easy path from one to the other, no, but Hegel is unimaginable without Kant of course and Marx is unimagineable without Hegel.Andrew Keen: You note that Kant represents a shift in some ways into the university and the walls of the universities were going up, and that some of the other figures associated with the the Enlightenment and Scottish Enlightenment, human and Smith and the French Enlightenment Voltaire and the others, they were more generalist writers. Should we be nostalgic for the pre-university period in the Enlightenment, or? Did things start getting serious once the heavyweights, the academic heavyweighs like Emmanuel Kant got into this thing?David Bell: I think it depends on where we're talking about. I mean, Adam Smith was a professor at Glasgow in Edinburgh, so Smith, the Scottish Enlightenment was definitely at least partly in the universities. The German Enlightenment took place very heavily in universities. Christian Vodafoy I just mentioned was the most important German philosopher of the 18th century before Kant, and he had positions in university. Even the French university system, for a while, what's interesting about the French University system, particularly the Sorbonne, which was the theology faculty, It was that. Throughout the first half of the 18th century, there were very vigorous, very interesting philosophical debates going on there, in which the people there, particularly even Jesuits there, were very open to a lot of the ideas we now call enlightenment. They were reading John Locke, they were reading Mel Pench, they were read Dekalb. What happened though in the French universities was that as more daring stuff was getting published elsewhere. Church, the Catholic Church, started to say, all right, these philosophers, these philosophies, these are our enemies, these are people we have to get at. And so at that point, anybody who was in the university, who was still in dialog with these people was basically purged. And the universities became much less interesting after that. But to come back to your question, I do think that I am very nostalgic for that period. I think that the Enlightenment was an extraordinary period, because if you look between. In the 17th century, not all, but a great deal of the most interesting intellectual work is happening in the so-called Republic of Letters. It's happening in Latin language. It is happening on a very small circle of RUD, of scholars. By the 19th century following Kant and Hegel and then the birth of the research university in Germany, which is copied everywhere, philosophy and the most advanced thinking goes back into the university. And the 18th century, particularly in France, I will say, is a time when the most advanced thought is being written for a general public. It is being in the form of novels, of dialogs, of stories, of reference works, and it is very, very accessible. The most profound thought of the West has never been as accessible overall as in the 18 century.Andrew Keen: Again, excuse this question, it might seem a bit naive, but there's a lot of pre-Enlightenment work, books, thinking that we read now that's very accessible from Erasmus and Thomas More to Machiavelli. Why weren't characters like, or are characters like Erasmuus, More's Utopia, Machiavell's prints and discourses, why aren't they considered part of the Enlightenment? What's the difference between? Enlightened thinkers or the supposedly enlightened thinkers of the 18th century and thinkers and writers of the 16th and 17th centuries.David Bell: That's a good question, you know, I think you have to, you, you know, again, one has to draw a line somewhere. That's not a very good answer, of course. All these people that you just mentioned are, in one way or another, predecessors to the Enlightenment. And of course, there were lots of people. I don't mean to say that nobody wrote in an accessible way before 1700. Obviously, lots of the people you mentioned did. Although a lot of them originally wrote in Latin, Erasmus, also Thomas More. But I think what makes the Enlightened different is that you have, again, you have a sense. These people have have a sense that they are themselves engaged in a collective project, that it is a collective project of enlightenment, of enlightening the world. They believe that they live in a century of progress. And there are certain principles. They don't agree on everything by any means. The philosophy of enlightenment is like nothing more than ripping each other to shreds, like any decent group of intellectuals. But that said, they generally did believe That people needed to have freedom of speech. They believed that you needed to have toleration of different religions. They believed in education and the need for a broadly educated public that could be as broad as possible. They generally believed in keeping religion out of the public sphere as much as possible, so all those principles came together into a program that we can consider at least a kind of... You know, not that everybody read it at every moment by any means, but there is an identifiable enlightenment program there, and in this case an identifiable enlightenment mindset. One other thing, I think, which is crucial to the Enlightenment, is that it was the attention they started to pay to something that we now take almost entirely for granted, which is the idea of society. The word society is so entirely ubiquitous, we assume it's always been there, and in one sense it has, because the word societas is a Latin word. But until... The 18th century, the word society generally had a much narrower meaning. It referred to, you know, particular institution most often, like when we talk about the society of, you know, the American philosophical society or something like that. And the idea that there exists something called society, which is the general sphere of human existence that is separate from religion and is separate from the political sphere, that's actually something which only really emerged at the end of the 1600s. And it became really the focus of you know, much, if not most, of enlightenment thinking. When you look at someone like Montesquieu and you look something, somebody like Rousseau or Voltaire or Adam Smith, probably above all, they were concerned with understanding how society works, not how government works only, but how society, what social interactions are like beginning of what we would now call social science. So that's yet another thing that distinguishes the enlightened from people like Machiavelli, often people like Thomas More, and people like bonuses.Andrew Keen: You noted earlier that the idea of progress is somehow baked in, in part, and certainly when it comes to Kant, certainly the French Enlightenment, although, of course, Rousseau challenged that. I'm not sure whether Rousseaut, as always, is both in and out of the Enlightenment and he seems to be in and out of everything. How did the Enlightement, though, make sense of itself in the context of antiquity, as it was, of Terms, it was the Renaissance that supposedly discovered or rediscovered antiquity. How did many of the leading Enlightenment thinkers, writers, how did they think of their own society in the context of not just antiquity, but even the idea of a European or Western society?David Bell: Well, there was a great book, one of the great histories of the Enlightenment was written about more than 50 years ago by the Yale professor named Peter Gay, and the first part of that book was called The Modern Paganism. So it was about the, you know, it was very much about the relationship between the Enlightenment and the ancient Greek synonyms. And certainly the writers of the enlightenment felt a great deal of kinship with the ancient Greek synonymous. They felt a common bond, particularly in the posing. Christianity and opposing what they believed the Christian Church had wrought on Europe in suppressing freedom and suppressing free thought and suppassing free inquiry. And so they felt that they were both recovering but also going beyond antiquity at the same time. And of course they were all, I mean everybody at the time, every single major figure of the Enlightenment, their education consisted in large part of what we would now call classics, right? I mean, there was an educational reformer in France in the 1760s who said, you know, our educational system is great if the purpose is to train Roman centurions, if it's to train modern people who are not doing both so well. And it's true. I mean they would spend, certainly, you know in Germany, in much of Europe, in the Netherlands, even in France, I mean people were trained not simply to read Latin, but to write in Latin. In Germany, university courses took part in the Latin language. So there's an enormous, you know, so they're certainly very, very conversant with the Greek and Roman classics, and they identify with them to a very great extent. Someone like Rousseau, I mean, and many others, and what's his first reading? How did he learn to read by reading Plutarch? In translation, but he learns to read reading Plutach. He sees from the beginning by this enormous admiration for the ancients that we get from Bhutan.Andrew Keen: Was Socrates relevant here? Was the Enlightenment somehow replacing Aristotle with Socrates and making him and his spirit of Enlightenment, of asking questions rather than answering questions, the symbol of a new way of thinking?David Bell: I would say to a certain extent, so I mean, much of the Enlightenment criticizes scholasticism, medieval scholastic, very, very sharply, and medieval scholasticism is founded philosophically very heavily upon Aristotle, so to that extent. And the spirit of skepticism that Socrates embodied, the idea of taking nothing for granted and asking questions about everything, including questions of oneself, yes, absolutely. That said, while the great figures of the Red Plato, you know, Socrates was generally I mean, it was not all that present as they come. But certainly have people with people with red play-doh in the entire virus.Andrew Keen: You mentioned Benjamin Franklin earlier, David. Most of the Enlightenment, of course, seems to be centered in France and Scotland, Germany, England. But America, many Europeans went to America then as a, what some people would call a settler colonial society, or certainly an offshoot of the European world. Was the settling of America and the American Revolution Was it the quintessential Enlightenment project?David Bell: Another very good question, and again, it depends a bit on who you talk to. I just mentioned this book by Peter Gay, and the last part of his book is called The Science of Freedom, and it's all about the American Revolution. So certainly a lot of interpreters of the Enlightenment have said that, yes, the American revolution represents in a sense the best possible outcome of the American Revolution, it was the best, possible outcome of the enlightened. Certainly there you look at the founding fathers of the United States and there's a great deal that they took from me like Certainly, they took a great great number of political ideas from Obviously Madison was very much inspired and drafting the edifice of the Constitution by Montesquieu to see himself Was happy to admit in addition most of the founding Fathers of the united states were you know had kind of you know We still had we were still definitely Christians, but we're also but we were also very much influenced by deism were very much against the idea of making the United States a kind of confessional country where Christianity was dominant. They wanted to believe in the enlightenment principles of free speech, religious toleration and so on and so forth. So in all those senses and very much the gun was probably more inspired than Franklin was somebody who was very conversant with the European Enlightenment. He spent a large part of his life in London. Where he was in contact with figures of the Enlightenment. He also, during the American Revolution, of course, he was mostly in France, where he is vetted by some of the surviving fellows and were very much in contact for them as well. So yes, I would say the American revolution is certainly... And then the American revolutionary scene, of course by the Europeans, very much as a kind of offshoot of the enlightenment. So one of the great books of the late Enlightenment is by Condor Say, which he wrote while he was hiding actually in the future evolution of the chariot. It's called a historical sketch of the progress of the human spirit, or the human mind, and you know he writes about the American Revolution as being, basically owing its existence to being like...Andrew Keen: Franklin is of course an example of your pre-academic enlightenment, a generalist, inventor, scientist, entrepreneur, political thinker. What about the role of science and indeed economics in the Enlightenment? David, we're going to talk of course about the Marxist interpretation, perhaps the Marxist interpretation which sees The Enlightenment is just a euphemism, perhaps, for exploitative capitalism. How central was the growth and development of the market, of economics, and innovation, and capitalism in your reading of The Enlightened?David Bell: Well, in my reading, it was very important, but not in the way that the Marxists used to say. So Friedrich Engels once said that the Enlightenment was basically the idealized kingdom of the bourgeoisie, and there was whole strain of Marxist thinking that followed the assumption that, and then Karl Marx himself argued that the documents like the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which obviously were inspired by the Enlightment, were simply kind of the near, or kind of. Way that the bourgeoisie was able to advance itself ideologically, and I don't think that holds much water, which is very little indication that any particular economic class motivated the Enlightenment or was using the Enlightment in any way. That said, I think it's very difficult to imagine the Enlightement without the social and economic changes that come in with the 18th century. To begin with globalization. If you read the great works of the Enlightenment, it's remarkable just how open they are to talking about humanity in general. So one of Voltaire's largest works, one of his most important works, is something called Essay on Customs and the Spirit of Nations, which is actually History of the World, where he talks learnedly not simply about Europe, but about the Americas, about China, about Africa, about India. Montesquieu writes Persian letters. Christian Volpe writes about Chinese philosophy. You know, Rousseau writes about... You know, the earliest days of humankind talks about Africa. All the great figures of the Enlightenment are writing about the rest of the world, and this is a period in which contacts between Europe and the rest the world are exploding along with international trade. So by the end of the 18th century, there are 4,000 to 5,000 ships a year crossing the Atlantic. It's an enormous number. And that's one context in which the enlightenment takes place. Another is what we call the consumer revolution. So in the 18th century, certainly in the major cities of Western Europe, people of a wide range of social classes, including even artisans, sort of somewhat wealthy artisians, shopkeepers, are suddenly able to buy a much larger range of products than they were before. They're able to choose how to basically furnish their own lives, if you will, how they're gonna dress, what they're going to eat, what they gonna put on the walls of their apartments and so on and so forth. And so they become accustomed to exercising a great deal more personal choice than their ancestors have done. And the Enlightenment really develops in tandem with this. Most of the great works of the Enlightment, they're not really written to, they're treatises, they're like Kant, they're written to persuade you to think in a single way. Really written to make you ask questions yourself, to force you to ponder things. They're written in the form of puzzles and riddles. Voltaire had a great line there, he wrote that the best kind of books are the books that readers write half of themselves as they read, and that's sort of the quintessence of the Enlightenment as far as I'm concerned.Andrew Keen: Yeah, Voltaire might have been comfortable on YouTube or Facebook. David, you mentioned all those ships going from Europe across the Atlantic. Of course, many of those ships were filled with African slaves. You mentioned this in your piece. I mean, this is no secret, of course. You also mentioned a couple of times Montesquieu's Persian letters. To what extent is... The enlightenment then perhaps the birth of Western power, of Western colonialism, of going to Africa, seizing people, selling them in North America, the French, the English, Dutch colonization of the rest of the world. Of course, later more sophisticated Marxist thinkers from the Frankfurt School, you mentioned these in your essay, Odorno and Horkheimer in particular, See the Enlightenment as... A project, if you like, of Western domination. I remember reading many years ago when I was in graduate school, Edward Said, his analysis of books like The Persian Letters, which is a form of cultural Western power. How much of this is simply bound up in the profound, perhaps, injustice of the Western achievement? And of course, some of the justice as well. We haven't talked about Jefferson, but perhaps in Jefferson's life and his thinking and his enlightened principles and his... Life as a slave owner, these contradictions are most self-evident.David Bell: Well, there are certainly contradictions, and there's certainly... I think what's remarkable, if you think about it, is that if you read through works of the Enlightenment, you would be hard-pressed to find a justification for slavery. You do find a lot of critiques of slavery, and I think that's something very important to keep in mind. Obviously, the chattel slavery of Africans in the Americas began well before the Enlightment, it began in 1500. The Enlightenment doesn't have the credit for being the first movement to oppose slavery. That really goes back to various religious groups, especially the Fakers. But that said, you have in France, you had in Britain, in America even, you'd have a lot of figures associated with the Enlightenment who were pretty sure of becoming very forceful opponents of slavery very early. Now, when it comes to imperialism, that's a tricky issue. What I think you'd find in these light bulbs, you'd different sorts of tendencies and different sorts of writings. So there are certainly a lot of writers of the Enlightenment who are deeply opposed to European authorities. One of the most popular works of the late Enlightenment was a collective work edited by the man named the Abbe Rinal, which is called The History of the Two Indies. And that is a book which is deeply, deeply critical of European imperialism. At the same time, at the same of the enlightenment, a lot the works of history written during the Enlightment. Tended, such as Voltaire's essay on customs, which I just mentioned, tend to give a kind of very linear version of history. They suggest that all societies follow the same path, from sort of primitive savagery, hunter-gatherers, through early agriculture, feudal stages, and on into sort of modern commercial society and civilization. And so they're basically saying, okay, we, the Europeans, are the most advanced. People like the Africans and the Native Americans are the least advanced, and so perhaps we're justified in going and quote, bringing our civilization to them, what later generations would call the civilizing missions, or possibly just, you know, going over and exploiting them because we are stronger and we are more, and again, we are the best. And then there's another thing that the Enlightenment did. The Enlightenment tended to destroy an older Christian view of humankind, which in some ways militated against modern racism. Christians believed, of course, that everyone was the same from Adam and Eve, which meant that there was an essential similarity in the world. And the Enlightenment challenged this by challenging the biblical kind of creation. The Enlightenment challenges this. Voltaire, for instance, believed that there had actually been several different human species that had different origins, and that can very easily become a justification for racism. Buffon, one of the most Figures of the French Enlightenment, one of the early naturalists, was crucial for trying to show that in fact nature is not static, that nature is always changing, that species are changing, including human beings. And so again, that allowed people to think in terms of human beings at different stages of evolution, and perhaps this would be a justification for privileging the more advanced humans over the less advanced. In the 18th century itself, most of these things remain potential, rather than really being acted upon. But in the 19th century, figures of writers who would draw upon these things certainly went much further, and these became justifications for slavery, imperialism, and other things. So again, the Enlightenment is the source of a great deal of stuff here, and you can't simply put it into one box or more.Andrew Keen: You mentioned earlier, David, that Concorda wrote one of the later classics of the... Condorcet? Sorry, Condorcets, excuse my French. Condorcès wrote one the later Classics of the Enlightenment when he was hiding from the French Revolution. In your mind, was the revolution itself the natural conclusion, climax? Perhaps anti-climax of the Enlightenment. Certainly, it seems as if a lot of the critiques of the French Revolution, particularly the more conservative ones, Burke comes to mind, suggested that perhaps the principles of in the Enlightment inevitably led to the guillotine, or is that an unfair way of thinking of it?David Bell: Well, there are a lot of people who have thought like that. Edmund Burke already, writing in 1790, in his reflections on the revolution in France, he said that everything which was great in the old regime is being dissolved and, quoting, dissolved by this new conquering empire of light and reason. And then he said about the French that in the groves of their academy at the end of every vista, you see nothing but the gallows. Nothing but the Gallows. So there, in 1780, he already seemed to be predicting the reign of terror and blaming it. A certain extent from the Enlightenment. That said, I think, you know, again, the French Revolution is incredibly complicated event. I mean, you certainly have, you know, an explosion of what we could call Enlightenment thinking all over the place. In France, it happened in France. What happened there was that you had a, you know, the collapse of an extraordinarily inefficient government and a very, you know, in a very antiquated, paralyzed system of government kind of collapsed, created a kind of political vacuum. Into that vacuum stepped a lot of figures who were definitely readers of the Enlightenment. Oh so um but again the Enlightment had I said I don't think you can call the Enlightement a single thing so to say that the Enlightiment inspired the French Revolution rather than the There you go.Andrew Keen: Although your essay on liberties is the Enlightenment then and now you probably didn't write is always these lazy editors who come up with inaccurate and inaccurate titles. So for you, there is no such thing as the Enlighten.David Bell: No, there is. There is. But still, it's a complex thing. It contains multitudes.Andrew Keen: So it's the Enlightenment rather than the United States.David Bell: Conflicting tendencies, it has contradictions within it. There's enough unity to refer to it as a singular noun, but it doesn't mean that it all went in one single direction.Andrew Keen: But in historical terms, did the failure of the French Revolution, its descent into Robespierre and then Bonaparte, did it mark the end in historical terms a kind of bookend of history? You began in 1720 by 1820. Was the age of the Enlightenment pretty much over?David Bell: I would say yes. I think that, again, one of the things about the French Revolution is that people who are reading these books and they're reading these ideas and they are discussing things really start to act on them in a very different way from what it did before the French revolution. You have a lot of absolute monarchs who are trying to bring certain enlightenment principles to bear in their form of government, but they're not. But it's difficult to talk about a full-fledged attempt to enact a kind of enlightenment program. Certainly a lot of the people in the French Revolution saw themselves as doing that. But as they did it, they ran into reality, I would say. I mean, now Tocqueville, when he writes his old regime in the revolution, talks about how the French philosophes were full of these abstract ideas that were divorced from reality. And while that's an exaggeration, there was a certain truth to them. And as soon as you start having the age of revolutions, as soon you start people having to devise systems of government that will actually last, and as you have people, democratic representative systems that will last, and as they start revising these systems under the pressure of actual events, then you're not simply talking about an intellectual movement anymore, you're talking about something very different. And so I would say that, well, obviously the ideas of the Enlightenment continue to inspire people, the books continue to be read, debated. They lead on to figures like Kant, and as we talked about earlier, Kant leads to Hegel, Hegel leads to Marx in a certain sense. Nonetheless, by the time you're getting into the 19th century, what you have, you know, has connections to the Enlightenment, but can we really still call it the Enlightment? I would sayAndrew Keen: And Tocqueville, of course, found democracy in America. Is democracy itself? I know it's a big question. But is it? Bound up in the Enlightenment. You've written extensively, David, both for liberties and elsewhere on liberalism. Is the promise of democracy, democratic systems, the one born in the American Revolution, promised in the French Revolution, not realized? Are they products of the Enlightment, or is the 19th century and the democratic systems that in the 19th century, is that just a separate historical track?David Bell: Again, I would say there are certain things in the Enlightenment that do lead in that direction. Certainly, I think most figures in the enlightenment in one general sense or another accepted the idea of a kind of general notion of popular sovereignty. It didn't mean that they always felt that this was going to be something that could necessarily be acted upon or implemented in their own day. And they didn't necessarily associate generalized popular sovereignty with what we would now call democracy with people being able to actually govern themselves. Would be certain figures, certainly Diderot and some of his essays, what we saw very much in the social contract, you know, were sketching out, you knows, models for possible democratic system. Condorcet, who actually lived into the French Revolution, wrote one of the most draft constitutions for France, that's one of most democratic documents ever proposed. But of course there were lots of figures in the Enlightenment, Voltaire, and others who actually believed much more in absolute monarchy, who believed that you just, you know, you should have. Freedom of speech and freedom of discussion, out of which the best ideas would emerge, but then you had to give those ideas to the prince who imposed them by poor sicknesses.Andrew Keen: And of course, Rousseau himself, his social contract, some historians have seen that as the foundations of totalitarian, modern totalitarianism. Finally, David, your wonderful essay in Liberties in the spring quarterly 2025 is The Enlightenment, Then and Now. What about now? You work at Princeton, your president has very bravely stood up to the new presidential regime in the United States, in defense of academic intellectual freedom. Does the word and the movement, does it have any relevance in the 2020s, particularly in an age of neo-authoritarianism around the world?David Bell: I think it does. I think we have to be careful about it. I always get a little nervous when people say, well, we should simply go back to the Enlightenment, because the Enlightenments is history. We don't go back the 18th century. I think what we need to do is to recover certain principles, certain ideals from the 18 century, the ones that matter to us, the ones we think are right, and make our own Enlightenment better. I don't think we need be governed by the 18 century. Thomas Paine once said that no generation should necessarily rule over every generation to come, and I think that's probably right. Unfortunately in the United States, we have a constitution which is now essentially unamendable, so we're doomed to live by a constitution largely from the 18th century. But are there many things in the Enlightenment that we should look back to, absolutely?Andrew Keen: Well, David, I am going to free you for your own French Enlightenment. You can go and have some croissant now in your local cafe in Paris. Thank you so much for a very, I excuse the pun, enlightening conversation on the Enlightenment then and now, Essential Essay in Liberties. I'd love to get you back on the show. Talk more history. Thank you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

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Te lo spiega Studenti.it
Giulio II: biografia e pensiero politico del Papa guerriero

Te lo spiega Studenti.it

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 2:51


Giulio II, noto come il Papa guerriero, fu mecenate e stratega politico, sostenne le arti e fondò i Musei Vaticani, segnando il Rinascimento.

The Happy at Work Podcast
Breaking Free from Outdated Leadership Models with Luis Marrero

The Happy at Work Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2025 30:33 Transcription Available


Send us a textLuis Marrero, CEO of the Boston Institute for Meaningful Purpose, reveals how our deeply held unconscious beliefs about human nature prevent workplace engagement from improving despite decades of research and initiatives.• Working with Transaction Analysis Psychology within major companies like Disney and DEC before founding the Boston Institute in 1986• Distinguishing between meaning (about being) and purpose (about doing) - purpose fulfills meaning• Explaining why workplace engagement statistics haven't improved in 20 years despite abundant knowledge• Tracing how historical figures like Machiavelli and Adam Smith embedded harmful assumptions about human nature into organizational structures• Contrasting Theory X management (assuming employees are lazy and untrustworthy) with meaningful purpose psychology• Highlighting the importance of organizations leading with the social component before technical and business components• Describing the "Cassandra Effect" - having answers but being unable to see or believe them• Introducing the meaning analysis framework that helps identify quality of meanings through attribution, intelligence, health, harmony, and mindfulnessFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter for more happiness insights and email us at admin@happyatworkpodcast.com to collaborate on future episodes.To stay connected and continue the conversation, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out our previous episodes for more tips and strategies to boost your workplace happiness. You can find them on your favorite podcast platform or on our website. If you have any questions, comments, or topic suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!Stay inspired, stay motivated, and stay happy at work!

Nature and the Nation
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Machiavelli) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey

Nature and the Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 65:13


In this episode I return to Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey's History of Political Philosophy, to look at Strauss' own examination of Machiavelli. I focus on Machiavelli's strategic deployment of virtue and vice, and his comparison of Christianity and Paganism.

The Dinesh D'Souza Podcast
CRAZY MAN STRATEGY

The Dinesh D'Souza Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 50:30


In this episode, Dinesh unfurls the details of Trump’s “crazy man” strategy which has its roots in Nixon and, going further back, in Machiavelli. Dinesh argues that while there is a chance of a recession this year, tariff policies are not the main cause. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conservative Talk – The Weekly Worldview

Listen in as America’s most attractive audio engineer and her host talk craven politics, Machiavelli, infectious disease, trade wars, tariff’s, free trade , liberation day, and gullible evangelicals! Can someone please call the American Medical Association and let them know … Continue reading →

The Karl Schudt Show
Machiavelli on why we prefer the old days

The Karl Schudt Show

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 48:43


Also, the purpose of writing history, and a little bit of Scriabin talk.

The Troy Francis Podcast
Roy Cohn Was Evil — But He Got Sh*t Done Lessons (Lessons from Trump's Mentor)

The Troy Francis Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 30:50


Today's episode is about one of the most ruthless men in American history — Roy Cohn.A man who played the power game like Machiavelli with less heart. He mentored Donald Trump.He was the ultimate political fixer.And yes — he was morally bankrupt.But he was effective.And that's what most men don't understand:Power doesn't reward goodness. It rewards usefulness.******

Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters
WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT - The Rise and Fall of a Power Player (Ep. 69)

Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 41:38


In episode 69 we spotlight the PBS Masterpiece series WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT with a behind-the-scenes visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library exhibition, “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition” with the curator Dr. Heather Wolfe Curator of Manuscripts for the Folger (in Washington, DC), which holds the world's largest Shakespeare collection. WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT traces the final four years of Thomas Cromwell's life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time as a principal advisory to England's King Henry VIII. The series is based on the final novel by Hilary Mantel in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy. As an added bonus, Heather Wolfe shared documents from the Folger collection for the real-life Thomas Cromwell, Henry the VIII, and Henry's 4th wife, Anne of Cleves,. Go to the podcast website (for Ep. 69) to see images of these artifacts and for more information about the Foger Shakespeare Library's exhibit "How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition" on display through July 2025.------TIMESTAMPS0:19 - A Visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library (Washington, DC)0:56 - Folger “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Style” exhibit2:02 - “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” overview and cast3:18-  Heather Wolfe, Curator of Manuscripts at Folger Shakespeare Library3:30 - Roles and Responsibilities of Curator of Manuscripts4:22 - Paleography, the study of handwriting5:14 - Inspiration behind “How To Be A Power Player: Tudor Style” and relevance to 20256:48 - Tudor power players' relationships, skills, and power dynamics7:38 - Tudor "playbooks" from Machiavelli and Castiglione 12:19 - Power dressing, fashion policing, and personal branding in Tudor times15:13 - Hospitality power plays: napkin folding and meat carving22:48 - Break23:32 - Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII, and Anne of Cleves artifacts and letters29:57 - Class status and social mobility in Tudor Times32:36 - Women's power and influence in the Tudor court36:09 - Visitor takeaways from “How to Be A Power Playe: Tudor Edition”r exhibit38:21 - Folger Shakespeare Library resources38:50 - How to watch “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” on PBS “Masterpiece”41:04 - DisclaimerSUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite podcast platformLISTEN to past past podcasts and bonus episodesSIGN UP for our mailing listSUPPORT this podcast  SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstoreBuy us a Coffee! You can support by buying a coffee ☕ here — buymeacoffee.com/historicaldramasistersThank you for listening!

Te lo spiega Studenti.it
Confronto fra Dante e Machiavelli

Te lo spiega Studenti.it

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 2:42


Confronto fra Dante e Machiavelli: differenze e analogie tra i trattati politici dei due autori, il De Monarchia e Il Principe.

Wisdom of Crowds
Is Democracy Ending?

Wisdom of Crowds

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 51:20


Recent events suggest that the balance of power is breaking down. Trump is achieving executive supremacy. In less fancy terms, Trump looks like he's becoming a dictator. Rule of law might be slipping away. Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic agree about all this. But they disagree about which recent event is the true inflection point.Shadi thinks it's the Mahmoud Khalil case: it's a straightforward government action against freedom of speech, intended to have a chilling effect on the population. Damir believes it's the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to Nayib Bukele's megaprison in El Salvador: the policy relies on the bogus claim that we are at war with Venezuela, and it's the clearest example yet of executive defiance of the courts. How will we know when the constitutional order has truly taken a knock-out hit? Damir believes that, unless the Supreme Court votes 9-0 against Trump's Venezuelan deportation, the “the cracks [will] start opening” on the balance of powers. “How do you break the Supreme Court? That's the whole game right now. And you break it through pressure, through politics,” Damir argues. “Institutions are just beliefs,” he adds. “If you undermine these beliefs enough, it's over.”Shadi takes the conversation back to January 6 which, in retrospect, seems like it was the best opportunity to take down Trump. “Everyone seemed to make the wrong decision on how to deal with Trump, at precisely the time when it would have mattered most,” Shadi says. Shadi says that he is still surprised that more Republicans did not object to January 6. Damir is upset with how Democrats reached: “They had a theory of what is just and right, but no sense of politics or how to do things. They got the s**t kicked out of them and now the country is suffering for it.” What we are getting with Trump now, Damir says, is “a more lasting tribalism.”We are making this timely episode free for all subscribers.Required Reading:* CrowdSource about the Mahmoud Khalil case (WoC).* Santiago Ramos, “From the Harper's Letter to the Khalil Case” (WoC).* “Deported Brown University doctor acknowledged she attended Hezbollah leader's funeral on visit to Lebanon, source says” (CNN).* “Judge warns of consequences if Trump administration violated deportation order” (Reuters).* En Boca de León - León Krauze, “The scale of El Salvador's new prison is difficult to comprehend” (Washington Post).* “Amy Coney Barrett Sparks MAGA Fury Over Trump Supreme Court Decision” (Newsweek).* “Gavin Newsom and Steve Bannon find surprising agreement on Elon Musk” (CNN).* Machiavelli on Savonarola (The Municipal Machiavelli).Full video of the podcast below:This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

#WeAreChristChurch
Machiavelli's The Prince, an Intro

#WeAreChristChurch

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 55:18


Book 101 Review
Book 101 Review in its Fifth season, featuring Charles Spinosa as my guest.

Book 101 Review

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 27:15


Leadership as Masterpiece Creation: What Business Leaders Can Learn from the Humanities about Moral Risk-TakingHow leaders can take the moral risks necessary to create “masterpieces”—admirable, distinctive, and high-achieving businesses that create meaningful lives for customers, employees, and themselves.In Leadership as Masterpiece Creation, Charles Spinosa, Matthew Hancocks, and Haridimos Tsoukas show how the humanities can help leaders create profitable, masterpiece organizations. Such organizations, they assert, are ones that possess the emotional and moral sensibilities of an artist, the wisdom of a statesperson, and the technical know-how of commerce. The authors draw on the works of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Bernard Williams, Shakespeare, and Machiavelli to conceptualize moral risk-taking, and then on the actions of Churchill, Madam C. J. Walker, Anita Roddick, Jeff Bezos, and others to show how the humanities can help create admirable businesses today.As management consultants and educators steeped in the humanities themselves, the authors discuss their experiences helping business leaders achieve successful masterpieces that bring good lives to many. After describing our contemporary business environment and examples of leaders who have created masterpiece organizations, the book turns to the basic skills of masterpiece creation: managing moods, building trust, listening for difference, and speaking truth to power. Then come the senior skills: moral risk-taking and creating a masterpiece organizational culture, strategy, and leadership style. Last, the authors explain why their leaders build an economy of gratitude.Want to be a guest on Book 101 Review? Send Daniel Lucas a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17372807971394464fea5bae3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinica Podcast
Live in Berkeley: Jessica Chen Weiss and Ryan Hass on the U.S. and China in 2025

Sinica Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 62:08


This week, a special episode taped live at the University of California, Berkeley — my alma mater — on March 6 and featuring Jessica Chen Weiss of Johns Hopkins SAIS and Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution, both well-known to people who follow U.S.-China relations. This episode was made possible by the Center for Chinese Studies at UC Berkeley's Institute for Asian Studies, and will be available on video as well — I'll update with the link.5:32 – Looking back on the Biden administration's approach to China12:28 – Attempting to outline the new Trump administration's approach to China20:34 – The view from Beijing of Trump 2.026:54 – The Kindleberger Trap (and other "traps")29:35 – China, the U.S., and the Russo-Ukrainian war, and the idea of a “reverse Kissinger” 34:23 – The problem with framing objectionable Trump policy moves as ceding victories to China 36:51 – How countries in the Western Pacific region are responding to the new administration 38:48 – Taiwan's concerns for Trump's shift on Ukraine41:45 – Predictions for how the Trump administration will handle technology competition with China, and the apparent abandonment of industrial policy 48:14 – What the affirmative vision for U.S.-China policy should look like Paying It Forward:Ryan: Patricia Kim and Jon Czin at BrookingsJessica: Jeffrey Ding at George Washington University and Jonas Nahm at Johns Hopkins SAIS Recommendations:Jessica: The movie Conclave (2024)Ryan: Derek Thompson's piece in The Atlantic, “The Anti-Social Century,” and Robert Cooper's The Ambassadors: Thinking about Diplomacy from Machiavelli to Modern Times Kaiser: The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wir. Der Mutmach-Podcast der Berliner Morgenpost
Habecks Drama, oder: Wenn Ehrlichkeit bestraft wird

Wir. Der Mutmach-Podcast der Berliner Morgenpost

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 28:04


Friedrich Merz, ein Schulden-Stunt und die Naivität des Moralischen: Der Scheck heiligt die Mittel. Trump, Musk, Bezos, Tate - die bekloppte Männlichkeit kehrt zurück. Und ein Dad Joke aus Nordkorea. Bester Laune präsentieren Paul und Hajo Schumacher die frische Wochenschau direkt aus dem Schöneberger Hinterhofstudio, mit diesem Themen: F35-Bomber stornieren? Wann kommt der Ozempic-Blocker? Was tut NoiseCancelling den Ohren an? Der innere Machiavelli muss Frieden finden. Sexdoping und Schwimmtraining in der Badewanne. Regenwurm im Eichenlaub und die Mammutmaus. Das Wetter und die friesische Dialektik. Plus: jeden Tag Pommes. Folge 908.Literaturempfehlungen: Suse SchumacherDie Psychologie des Waldes, Kailash Verlag, 2024Michael Meisheit + Hajo Schumacher Nur der Tod ist schneller – Laufende Ermittlungen, Kriminalroman, Droemer Knaur Verlag.Kathrin Hinrichs + Hajo SchumacherBuch: "Ich frage für einen Freund..." Das Sex-ABC für Spaß in den besten JahrenKlartext Verlag.Kostenlose Meditationen für mehr Freundlichkeit (Metta) und Gelassenheit (Reise zum guten Ort) unter suseschumacher.deDem MutMachPodcast auf Instagram folgen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wir. Der Mutmach-Podcast der Berliner Morgenpost
MutMachMeinung: Der mutige Move von Machiavelli Merz

Wir. Der Mutmach-Podcast der Berliner Morgenpost

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 9:14


Achtung, wir probieren was Neues: einen schnellen, aktuellen und meinungshaltigen Shortcast zum Gutfinden, Drüberärgern oder Weiterdenken. Heute: Warum Friedrich Merz mit seiner Kehrtwende Deutschland und Europa Mut macht.Ja, der Bald_Kanzler hat im Wahlkampf was ganz anderes erzählt. Aber bewegte Zeiten erfordern mutige Moves. Hajo Schumacher findet: Die Finanzwende von Friedrich Merz gegen seine eigenen Worte, gegen seine Partei und seine Fraktion sind ein richtiger Schritt für Deutschland und Europa, der weit mehr Probleme löst als schafft. Folge 907. Vorherige Podcast Folge 906 mit dem Mutbürger Klaus WalterLiteraturempfehlungen: Suse SchumacherDie Psychologie des Waldes, Kailash Verlag, 2024Michael Meisheit + Hajo Schumacher Nur der Tod ist schneller – Laufende Ermittlungen, Kriminalroman, Droemer Knaur Verlag.Kathrin Hinrichs + Hajo SchumacherBuch: "Ich frage für einen Freund..." Das Sex-ABC für Spaß in den besten JahrenKlartext Verlag.Kostenlose Meditationen für mehr Freundlichkeit (Metta) und Gelassenheit (Reise zum guten Ort) unter suseschumacher.deDem MutMachPodcast auf Instagram folgen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mere Mortals Book Reviews
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene – Book Review & Analysis

Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 17:28


Power is an elusive force, but Robert Greene distills it into 48 strategic laws that have stood the test of time. In this review, I break down the core themes, structure, and key takeaways from The 48 Laws of Power—a book that is equally revered and feared.This isn't just another self-help book; it's a deep dive into historical power dynamics, manipulation, and strategy. From Machiavelli to Napoleon, Greene extracts lessons from history's most cunning figures. But is this a manual for domination or a cautionary tale? And should you read it?00:00 - Introduction 00:45 - Book Overview 03:15 - Structure & Writing Style 06:40 - Controversial Aspects 10:20 - Key Lessons & Takeaways 14:00 - Should You Read This? 16:30 - Final Thoughts & Rating 17:00 - Call to Action (Subscribe, Support, Comment) ⚡ Key Takeaways:The book's unique structure, including its historical parables and red-highlighted maximsThe balance between strategy and ethics—how some laws feel Machiavellian while others are practical life lessonsHow The 48 Laws of Power can be used as a tool for self-awareness rather than manipulationSimilar reads: The Prince by Machiavelli, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegieIf you've read this book, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Do you think it's a dangerous text or an essential one?

ExplicitNovels
Cáel Leads the Amazon Empire, Book 2: Part 13

ExplicitNovels

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025


The UnconqueredBy FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Politically, this was manna from Heaven. Putin couldn't strong arm both the Ukraine and the PRC. His priorities had switched, so now NATO could jump into the Ukraine which would appease their democratic constituencies.There were also larger economic/political issues to look at. Europe had constantly been threatened by Russia's interference with the oil and natural gas pipelines that first pass through Russia before crossing the Ukraine and Belarus and heading off to Central and Western Europe. A great deal of that fuel originated in what was now the Khanate.If the Khanate survived, and viewed the US and UK favorably, the 'oil and natural gas' boot would be on the other foot. If Russia threatened the European Democracies' petrochemical supplies, the Khanate could threaten to cut off Russia as well. The old Republic of Kazakhstan never had the will to confront Russia. The Khanate was turning out to be a very different beast.Because the world didn't need any more ominous rumblings, catastrophe and madness collided in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea was an energy exporter, with most of its power coming from coal-fired plants and hydro-electric facilities. The problem was you can't run armored vehicles and combat aircraft on electric power. You needed oil.North Korea's oil came from China, Liaoning province to be precise, and Liaoning was getting hammered around the clock by the Khanate. The oil pipeline had ruptured and it would be months before it was fixed. In that situation, a sane nation would have shopped around for other avenue of imported oil. But we were talking about North Korea here.Kim Jung-un was looking down the barrels of another famine (trucks and tractors need petrol too) as well as the far more important reduction in the Korean People's Army's readiness. He saw himself possessing the World's 4th largest military and it was in danger of running out of fuel, and Liaoning province was sitting right across the Yalu River, all helpless-like.End World News Behind the Scenes ReportIn the annals of martial history, the bloodiest, costliest battles are when elites face elites. As corny and melodramatic as it sounds, the truth is that neither has 'surrender' in their creed. They attack, defend, ambush, shoot, stab and kill one another until one side loses the capacity to carry on the struggle. It is a grapple to the death.All of Ajax's men were hardened killers, ten year veterans of the Trojan Wars every; one of them. The ranks of the 22nd Mountain Troops Battalion were filled with numerous combat-tested soldiers of the Afghan War. These Romanians were some of the finest combatants produced by the Romanian Army. The two companies earmarked for sealing off the road as a retreat route were about to find out what the price of being elite really was.They were fighting for their homeland, avenging their slain (technically, the slaughtered Amazons were Romanians) and had generations of their own warriors, dating back to the First World War, whose legacy of ferocity they had to maintain. Ajax had the advantage in technology and surprise. The Romanians had numbers, experience with the terrain and the advantage of multi-dimensional warfare.The lead vehicles of the 22nd had rounded the hilly terrain to the East of the Castle of Seven Skulls when they collided with Ajax's team rolling away from those ruins. The Mountain Troops were fast, Ajax's team was faster. One soldier stepped out of his still-braking Eagle transport.He snap-shot a Panzerfaust 3, a light anti-tank weapon, blowing up the first Romanian Piranha IIIc. Two Eagles further down the column, a second team member put another Panzerfaust into the follow-up 22nd MLVN (armored personal carrier). That was as good as it got. The third vehicle, another MLVN swung partially around its burning brethren and poured automatic fire into Ajax's lead Eagle, turning huge chunks of that 'Hummer on Steroids' transport into shrapnel.Trading vehicle for vehicle wasn't something Ajax could afford. For the Romanians, they couldn't race past the blocked road without incurring horrendous losses themselves. Besides, by holding their ground and keeping the enemy focused on them, they were fulfilling their part of the plan. The Mountain Troops disgorged from their MLVN's, spreading out into the meadow on either side of the path and were quickly bounding forward by fire.Ajax reacted quickly. His heavy weapons would allow him to attrition the enemy in front of him, yet he'd be a fool to think they were alone. He knew he was facing army troops, not police. That spelled serious trouble. He ordered his column to reverse course back into the wood cover. He lost his second Eagle to intensive fire.The warriors in the main column bailed out once they reached the shelter of the trees. Machineguns came forward and established a withering cover fire. The two survivors at the first Eagle were badly wounded. With fatalistic resolve, they lashed the advancing Romanians with grenades and their assault rifles until they were both silenced. The second Eagle's demise was much harder.Three of the four crew were alive and unharmed. Their fate was decided by 25 meters of open ground between them and their compatriots. Ajax's gunners kept firing, but the Romanians refused to be suppressed. Worse, that second MLVN was proving impossible to kill. Its driver had parked it so that barely the front of his vehicle body and turret were exposed.Two more of Ajax's precious anti-tank rockets failed to connect, though one did knock the first destroyed IFV into that troublesome vehicle. These were Ajax's brothers-in-arms, yet he knew their situation was hopeless. He cursed that his opposition wasn't made up of raw conscripts. Despite their losses, they were not wavering. Their morale remained solid.The Romanians had spread out to the north and south. They were leap-frogging their machineguns forward and it was clear he was facing over 200 men. The 22nds advance was relentless. Soon they'd be right on top of his trapped men. As a final ploy he dropped two smoke grenades around the endangered trio and every other grenade launcher dropped their payloads onto the aggressive Romanians.The three men ran for it. Their enemy were nobody's fool and sprayed their retreat path with bullets. Only one made it to safety.For the Romanian battalion's commander in his command IFV, this was its own kind of Hell. His boys were getting murdered out there. He hadn't really believed the sketchy intelligence analysis that described his expected foes as the finest trained mercenaries the world has ever seen. Now he was a believer. His opponents reacted like an organic unit. Their weapons were incredibly lethal and their discipline was chilling. Ajax's snipers picked off anyone who seemed to be in charge. One Captain fell, as did two lieutenants. One section lost all its non-commissioned officers.Despite that, individual initiative kept the 'leaderless' men of the 22nd advancing. Their snipers came into play by targeting the opposing machineguns. One gunner went down, then the other. To get one man back, Ajax had lost five dead, or seriously wounded. Ajax ordered the remaining Eagles back to the castle. The rest of the Warband would have to make a fighting retreat.He'd killed or wounded a third of the Romanians out there, yet they were still coming. Even as he pulled out, he got two more pieces of bad:First, his scouts had reported hearing helicopters as they returned toward the castle; this latest enemy was somewhere behind him, to the east.Second, two Mig-21's dropped out of the sky and raked his area with rockets and auto-cannon fire; eight more men gone.Ajax may not have been the greatest military mind of all time, but wasn't a fool. He was being boxed in. Since it was highly unlikely the Hylonome Amazons had sacrificed themselves, this was an ad hoc plan to take him out. Instead of hunting down that male Amazon as he wanted, Ajax had let the Condottieri side-track him on this mission. Now, it was proving far too costly.A whistle, a few traded hand signals and the Mycenaeans started sprinting back upslope toward the castle ruins. It wasn't a rout. His men maintained their élan and cohesion. Ajax was trading space for time and the Romanians wouldn't chase his men as fast as the Mycenaeans were moving because there was always the threat of ambush. Or, they wouldn't have if an An-30 Reconnaissance Aircraft hadn't been tracking his progress from high above.Just coming on-line, it identified the heat signatures of the Greeks and let the soldiers of the 22nd know that their enemies were trying to put some distance between them. The battalion commander knew his men had been mangled, yet believed they were still more than willing carry the fight to the enemy. Right as the 'pursuit' order went out, the promised company from the 24th Mountain troops rolled up, with the 61st Brigade's 385th artillery battalion. 'Now things were really going to get hot for those bastards', he thought.(The Seven Skulls, Cáel)I was true to my nature. I sent off my plan, Operation Funhouse, to the Russians via their attaché (a hot looking, curvaceous blonde Major) and to the Khanate through the offices of the US and UK. Only after that was done, did I ask for my favor. I wasn't going to bargain with the fate of Temujin's people. I couldn't.My only chip to play was that people in strange places thought well of me. I wasn't so naïve to believe that I got what I wanted because I'd forged emotional bonds that superseded personal ambitions or national loyalties. No, I was now on my own self-inflicted 'Ride of the Valkyries' because people in authority felt I could still be useful and they were willing to risk the lives a few hundred Romanian soldiers to pander to my eccentricities.Our intelligence came from Google Maps, a woman's recollections from twenty-five years ago and the frighteningly precise memories of a battle-scarred 11 year old girl. For the 24th Mountain Troops battalion intelligence officer, it was a stunning introduction to Amazons. The girl was one year away from her Rite of Passage and she'd been raised to take in the terrain and the sounds of battle.Several times, he tried to trick her, altering information she had provided minutes earlier, but the girl corrected him every time. Seventeen minutes and the man relayed to his battalion commander his belief that the girl's story was solid. The men and women of the 24th may not have known the specific of the valley we were going to, yet this was their backyard.They knew the rocks, trees and bushes. They knew the ground was crinkled and what marsh soil looked like, without stepping into it. They could do this, attack a rogue mercenary band threatening their native land. They were going to do this and do it quick. Me and mine coming along was problematic. But Me being one of the first ones in, I had to play my trump card."I am Magyarorszag es Erdely Hercege," I proclaimed. "I have returned to my people in their hour of need. Besides, I'm the only one who can kill their leader.""You can kill Ajax?" Riki snorted in disbelief. "Ajax from the Trojan Wars? That Ajax?""Don't sweat it," I put my arm around her shoulder. "I got this covered. Get me close and I can make him dead.""You've lost your mind," Rachel muttered."I love you to," I grinned. To the Captain of the first company to rappel next to the ruins, "I'm your Prince. Let's do this.""Do you have any combat experience?" he shook his head."There are a whole bunch of dead Chinese who think so," I assured him."Let him go," Sakuniyas stated regally. "He is the Scion of Alal. He is invincible in battle." Hey, I liked that. Someone believed in me."Do you believe that?" Pamela asked Saku."Of course not, but if he's about to die, he should be allowed to feel good about himself," she told Pamela. Shit, I wish I hadn't heard that part."Oh, in that case, I agree. Let him go," Pamela added her preference to the final decision. The real weight in that Captain's final call was the small, well-armed group of supporters who seemed rather insistent that I get a chance at Valhalla.He took it well. The officer even announced to the entire battalion that their feudal overlord was leading them into the fight. My codename was 'Prince'. I hope I didn't turn out like the singer, I had no aspirations for being Machiavelli's 'hero', but being remember as someone like Prince Harry wouldn't be so bad.What I did know was this was my choice of actions and I couldn't send others into the madness I had inspired. I didn't blame myself for the deaths. Those were inevitable if Ajax was going to die. I didn't blame myself for Ajax, that was the Weave of Fate being a bastardly bitch. No, I had to kill Ajax because I was an idiot, and I loved my companions, and if it wasn't me making the attempt and possibly dying, it would be one of them. Not on my watch.Our IAR 330 Puma Helicopter lifted off into the sky. Our two companion birds, another troop carrier and an assault variant of the Puma, followed suit and soon we linked up with the rest of the company that was going to rappel into the clearing next to the ruins. Could I rappel? Sure, I lied. Hey, I'd made it to the top of the rope in gym class at the end of my senior year. That had to count for something.I was even lucky to have the lynchpin of my master plan sitting next to me. One in sixteen, what were the odds? "You, what's your name?" I asked the soldier barely older than me. "Master Corporal Menner," he grinned. Maybe he sensed my insanity. "Székely?" I asked. He nodded.   "Do you believe I am your Prince?""Either that, or you are crazy," he kept grinning. I leaned over and after some helmet shuffling, I whispered my request in his ear. I didn't demand that he agree, only that if he didn't, he wouldn't turn me in. Our eyes met."Why?" he was now filled with disbelief. I had passed beyond the realm of comedian to the land where all crazy ideas go off to die."It is the only way. Trust me, I don't love this plan either, but it is the only way I can think of to keep as many of you alive as possible," I explained. "He's a monster.""How will this help?" he was still confused, even if he was being swept away with my intensity."I don't have time to explain. All I can tell you is that I'm not crazy and I don't want to die, but this is the only thing I can think of to keep my people alive," I remained firm and confident in my beliefs."I will have to think about it," he conceded. At least he wasn't insisting I be forcibly committed to a mental institution. I did annoy one of the two crewmen in the back with the rest of us combatants when I stood up and looked out the side window. I glimpsed it, her, flowing through the forest beneath us. After I sat back down, the Captain flagged me.I had forgotten to cut on my communications rig on. "First Force (the two companies of the 22nd) has encountered the enemy before they could exit into the flatlands," he paused, somewhat shocked. "They are taking heavy casualties. It is just like you warned us. These foes are exceedingly lethal." "Don't worry about it," I overflowed with charisma. "Just follow me and we'll be fine." "But, I thought you said you didn't know anything about the compound?" the Captain looked at me funny."I don't. I'm relying on luck," I pumped my eyebrows. The Captain knew enough English to groan."I have a sudden desire to club a baby seal," Rachel stared at me intently. Who, me? "Let me and my men take the point," the Captain insisted. "Captain, either I'm diving headfirst out of our ride, or you are letting me rappel down in the first wave, either way, my boots are the first on the ground," I demanded. "No," the Captain shook his head. "You are a civilian." "Captain," I leaned forward. "Everyone else is fighting and dying because I made a judgment call. You can't ask me to hold back now."That shone through. Over his battalion frequency, he could hear the confusion and chaos chiseling away at his brethren in the 22nd. He could tell by my countenance that I both knew the enemy he was going to fight and that I wasn't ruled by guilt, or a death wish. I wanted to go first because I thought I could make the difference between someone else's life and death. "Who are the other three with you?" he stated. Four could rappel down at a time. "Rachel, Chaz and Master Corporal Menner here," I indicated. Rachel didn't freak, the Colour Sergeant looked my way and gave his acknowledgement, as did Menner. "I'll go down with you, Captain," Pamela spoke up.Of my group, Delilah, Wiesława and Virginia had stayed behind to guard Odette, Riki, the Lovasz sisters and the Loma family. Two troopers of the 24th joined them to provide extra security if needed. Vincent had pulled seniority to be the sole American going. With Chaz and Delilah, there hadn't been a real discussion about it. Chaz was the professional ground-pounder.Selena had volunteered to go even though this wasn't really her fight. She claimed the right of revenge for Ajax's attempt to kill the Vizsla, but I thought it was something else, some desire to step forward and make the point that the Black Hand were invested in this global struggle. There had been no doubt that Rachel  and  her team plus Sakuniyas and Pamela would be joining me.In my estimation, we were over the target area way too fast. I hadn't thought of a good reason to talk myself out of this harebrained scheme of mine. The side doors of the Puma opened. Rachel would be going down on my side."Look and see what Rachel does and do the same thing," Pamela yelled to me over the roar of the engines."And don't lock your knees or you'll sprain your ankles," she added. It was just another day of 'on the job' training at Havenstone Commercial Investments, I rationalized. I was scared, which was also a good indicator that I was still marginally sane. Rachel made her movements slow and steady.I went down a second later, barely remembering to avoid rope burn through my gloves and not bust my feet when I hit bottom. Rachel crouched. She was waiting for follow up troops before advancing. Me, I ran straight toward the ruins. Why? It was Alal once more. From the relayed chatter from the 22nd and whatever spy plane the Romanians had above, I 'knew' that Ajax hadn't made it back to the fortifications yet.If we hurried, we could beat him there. Then we would be ambushing his ass for a change. It almost worked. Whatever Chaz and Menner thought of my actions, they kept it to themselves. I didn't have to be a psychic to realize Rachel wasn't a fan. I leapt over the first Amazon corpse. The second one I passed was sitting with her back to the tree, hands tied around the trunk and had been tortured before she died.I believed that was when the momentum shifted. This was barbarism and the three following me knew it. Menner relayed our findings to his Captain even as the first helicopter was pulling away. My mind was picking up the details and processing somewhere in the back of my mind so as not to distracting me from the task of staying alive.A pile of bodies lumped too close together, they had been executed. A small girl, three, or four, with a close-contact wound to the temple. The smell of burnt flesh, more torture. Whatever Code of Military Conduct the Mycenaeans had, it wasn't the rules we, their opponents, fought by today. We were outraged and help was coming.We were running in from the northeast. Three meter from what had once been a doorway, I broke free of the underbrush and saw the closest Greek and the row of vehicles behind him. He was to my east, maybe ten meters away. I wasn't stopping. The terrain had funneled us down so that we weren't coming directly from the helicopter's noise.That must have been the reason he wasn't staring at us when we appeared. I didn't stop. Chaz and Menner were right behind me. Rachel only slowed enough to fire her P-90 at full-auto at the man as she ran. She killed him. The three of us ran across the open-aired, ruined room until we found the doorway to the other side of the building. From there, we had a good view of Ajax's remaining Eagles and the eight remaining men with them."I'm going for higher ground," Chaz growled before he took off."Rachel, go back and secure the corner we came in by," I shouted. She grimaced but obeyed. Menner had his own ideas. He fired off his first rocket-propelled grenade from his AG-7 at the farthest Eagle he could clearly see, blowing it to smithereens. I added the

Holy Smokes Podcast
Lessons in Faith and Persuasion - The Ken Coleman's Story

Holy Smokes Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 90:47


Ken Coleman chats with Steve Reiter. Welcome to another episode of the Holy Smokes podcast, where we explore the intersection of faith, friendship, fine tobacco, and drink. In this episode, host Steve Reiter sits down with Ken Coleman at Papa P's in Franklin, Tennessee, surrounded by a lively group of the Holy Smokes community. Ken shares insights into his life journey, from growing up as a pastor's kid in Virginia to navigating the world of politics at a young age. They delve into Ken's experiences working for the governor and later transitioning into the private sector and his passion for helping people find clarity and purpose in their professional lives. Ken opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped his career in broadcasting, his coaching philosophy, and the importance of connection and understanding, especially in today's polarized society. Join us for an enlightening conversation that blends storytelling, personal growth, and a touch of humor while enjoying the camaraderie of a Holy Smokes gathering. Outline:  (00:03) Mastering Political Persuasion (07:58) Career Journey from Leadership to Consulting (15:28) Dan Cathy Controversy Radio Show (16:37) Chick-fil-A Family Values Controversy (22:04) Unexpected Interview: Overcoming Misunderstandings (35:03) "Unexpected Spiritual Awakening" (47:43) "Therapy: Uncovering a Motivational Moment" (54:53) "The Proximity Principle Origin" (01:02:14) Unexpected Commitment to Cover Event (01:07:13) "Value of Genuine Friendships" (01:15:35) "Cigar Bonding in the Dominican Republic." (01:24:38) "Transformative Power of Weightlifting Reset" (01:26:35) "Power of Brotherhood Fellowship" About the Guest:  Ken Coleman embarked on his journey into the complex world of politics with a strong foundation in political theory and history, studying influential figures like Machiavelli. However, Ken quickly realized that true mastery came from practical experience. Fresh out of college, he found himself navigating the intricate dynamics of state politics, often sitting across from seasoned bureaucrats and lawmakers. Despite the age and experience gap, Ken excelled in the art of persuasion. He adeptly lobbied for legislation by representing the governor, skillfully convincing others to align with his objectives. Ken's career became a testament to the power of effective communication and strategic influence in the political arena.

Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu
Who's REALLY in Charge? AI, The Deep State & The Global Power War You're Not Supposed to See | The Tom Bilyeu Show

Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 58:20


In this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, we delve into the intricate and often concealed machinations of global politics and technological advancements. Tom and Producer Drew dissect the revelations from Mike Benz's appearance on Joe Rogan, exposing the covert operations conducted by USAID, blurring the lines between governmental actions and public perception. As they explore the shifting dynamics of power, Tom highlights the influence of deep-seated political maneuvers and their implications on the world stage. Meanwhile, the rapid advancements in AI, spearheaded by figures like Sam Altman, are set to transform industries at an unprecedented pace. This episode navigates the complex interplay between emerging technologies, political strategies, and their impact on society, offering listeners a thought-provoking insight into the undercurrents shaping our future. Tune in as we unravel the layers of intrigue, power, and innovation in today's world. SHOWNOTES 00:00 Government Spending Manipulation Exposed 05:45 "Unveiling Colonel Jessup's Justification" 08:48 Turbulent Times: Authoritarianism vs. Chaos 11:51 "Machiavelli's Predictable Political Science" 13:21 Modern Machiavellian Politics Unfold 17:56 Man as Political Animal 21:34 AI Model's Rapid Competitive Growth 26:17 Hollywood's Decline: Industry Insights 28:13 AI Revolutionizes Content Creation 30:25 Evolving Media Consumption Trends 35:22 Algorithm-Driven Content Strategies 39:03 Putin Holds the Real Power 40:49 Trump's International Negotiations Analyzed 46:18 Middle East Tensions and Strategic Dynamics 49:31 Sugar's Impact on Gaming Hands 50:23 Subscribe & Connect: Discord Details CHECK OUT OUR AMAZING SPONSORS: Range Rover: Range Rover: Explore the Range Rover Sport at  https://landroverUSA.com Audible: Sign up for a free 30 day trial at https://audible.com/IMPACTTHEORY  Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out. iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACT when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu  Tax Network: Stop looking over your shoulder and put your IRS troubles behind you. Call 1-800-958-1000 or visit https://tnusa.com/impact  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact  Found Banking: Try Found for FREE at https://FOUND.COM/IMPACT  American Alternative Assets: If you're ready to explore gold as part of your investment strategy, call 1-888-615-8047 or go to https://TomGetsGold.com  ITU: Ready to breakthrough your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALE  ********************************************************************** What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.  Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here. If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. Join me live on my Twitch stream. I'm live daily from 6:30 to 8:30 am PT at www.twitch.tv/tombilyeu LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Take Over the World
Niccolo Machiavelli

How to Take Over the World

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 81:57


The name of Machiavelli is synonymous with deceit, oppression, atrocity, and naked power. But his legacy is much more complicated than that. His thinking shaped the world we live in, and his advice can help anyone get further on their journey to taking over the world. 04:25 - The biography of Niccolo Machiavelli 34:30 - Advice from Machiavelli's works 01:05:30 - How to start a philosophy or movement that takes over the world --- Sponsors: Gains In Bulk - Use code BEN for 20% off VanMan - Use code TAKEOVER for 10% off Vesto Speechify.com/Ben - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify Premium HTTOTW Premium - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium --- Stay in touch: Twitter/X: @BenWilsonTweets Instagram: @HTTOTW Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com --- Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Hammer Podcast
Machiavelli and The Prince Updated for Today

Alex Hammer Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2025 14:56


500 years ago (a little more) not 600. Machiavelli and The Prince Updated for Today

Athens Corner

Subscriber-only episodeThis is the first of two discussions where I discuss Pierre Manent's writings on Leo Strauss. Here I discuss Manent's analysis of the relationship between Nietzsche and Strauss, which unfolds into a broad introduction to the thought of Leo Strauss beginning with Rousseau and going back though Machiavelli and Hobbes into the Medieval Islamic and Jewish thinkers before returning to a critique of Hegel and entering into a discussion of Nietzsche.

Old Blood
Renaissance Virago: Caterina Sforza, Tigress of Forli

Old Blood

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 57:19


Countess Caterina Sforza was raised in the Renaissance court of Milan and survived the assassination of her father and husbands. She then proceeded to confront Cesare Borgia and his father, Pope Alexander VI. Who would win: the papacy or a woman? Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with my link: https://www.magicmind.com/OLDBLOODJAN #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformanceSources:Allison, Charlie. “One Wrong Foot: An Alternate History of the Siege of Forli.” Sea Lion Press. 25 May, 2020. https://www.sealionpress.co.uk/post/one-foot-wrong-an-alternate-history-of-the-siege-of-forliBrunelli, Giampiero. “SFORZA, Caterina.” Treccani: Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia. 2018. https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/caterina-sforza_(Dizionario-Biografico)/Clarke, Michelle Tolman. “On the Woman Question in Machiavelli.” The Review of Politics 67, no. 2 (2005): 229–55. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25046410.Hairston, Julia L. "Skirting the Issue: Machiavelli'sCaterina Sforza," Renaissance Quarterly 53 (2000): 687-712.Lev, Elizabeth. The Tigress of Forli: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de' Medici (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.)Zarevich, Emily. “Did Caterina Sforza Flash an Army?” JSTOR. 20 July, 2023. https://daily.jstor.org/did-caterina-sforza-flash-an-army/Other links:https://www.caterinasforza.it/en/https://www.lacittadicaterinasforza.it/Music: Credits to Holizna, Fesilyan Studios & Virginia ListonFor more information, visit www.oldbloodpodcast.com

Empires, Anarchy & Other Notable Moments
Leonardo Da Vinci Part IV: The Curious Case of Leonardo's Friends

Empires, Anarchy & Other Notable Moments

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 80:26


This is the fourth in a series of five episodes on the original Renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci.  This episode covers the year that our artist spent with Niccolo Machiavelli and Cesare Borgias.  This period would go on to serve as the inspiration for Machiavelli's seminal work on Power, "The Prince."  Borgias, the corrupt son of one of the history's most corrupt Popes, is an odd choice for Da Vinci, whose fame had now spread beyond the borders of the Italian city-states.  We'll examine the artists' thought process as well as the infamous banquet of chestnuts and the spread of syphilis across the peninsula.   Contact the show at resourcesbylowery@gmail.com or on Bluesky @EmpiresPod If you would like to financially support the show, please use the following paypal link. Or remit PayPal payment to @Lowery80.  And here is a link for Venmo users. Any support is greatly appreciated and will be used to make future episodes of the show even better.   Expect new shows to drop on Wednesday mornings from September to May. Music is licensed through Epidemic Sound

Not Just the Tudors
Cesare Borgia

Not Just the Tudors

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 37:03


Cesare Borgia, one of history's most controversial figures, was known for his ruthless ambition and political cunning. From his dramatic rise to power through to his notorious military campaigns and the legends surrounding his alleged crimes and complex relationships, he inspired Machiavelli's The Prince and left a lasting mark on the Renaissance era.In the second of our special series on the Borgias, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Catherine Fletcher to investigate whether Cesare's reputation is well-deserved or a product of historical exaggeration.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Stil
Samtal med Stil: Bernard Arnault – modets Machiavelli satsar på svenskt märke

Stil

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 25:13


Han har kallats för vargen i kashmir och liknats vid Ludvig XIV. Bernard Arnault är en av världens rikaste män och som VD för lyxkonglomeratet LVMH kontrollerar han stora delar av modevärlden. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. I första avsnittet av vårt nya program Samtal med Stil diskuterar Susanne Ljung och Samanda Ekman modevärldens mäktigaste – och rikaste – man Bernard Arnault. Nyligen köpte lyxkonglomeratet han driver, LVMH, in sig i det svenska modemärket Our Legacy.Det som gjort Bernard Arnault så extremt framgångsrik är att han var bland de första att fatta att lyx, det är något som många kommer att vilja ha, eller köpa. Och han har varit väldigt bra på att plocka, och damma av, rätt sorts modemärken, i rätt tid. Men vem är denne man som fransk press har kallat för ”finansvärldens Machiavelli”? Det pratar Susanne Ljung och Samanda Ekman om i veckans Samtal med Stil.

New Books Network
Bernard J. Dobski, "Mark Twain's Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2024)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 54:57


Political Theorist B.J. (Bernard J.) Dobski has a new book focusing on Mark Twain's final published novel, Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. As Dobski notes in his work and in our conversation, this is one of the more obscure texts by Twain, but Twain considered it his best work. Dobski's book is a close reading of Twain's Joan of Arc and an analysis of how this particular work, focusing on Joan of Arc's life through the narration of Sieur Louis De Conte (Joan's childhood friend and her secretary during her military undertakings), is part of Twain's larger efforts to understand the turn towards modernity, and all that entails. Mark Twain's Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity is part of series at Palgrave/MacMillan focusing on recovering political philosophy, and this book fits into that series particularly well. Mark Twain had a lifelong fascination with Joan of Arc. Twain's Joan serves, in the novel, as a kind of path out of the Middle Ages, and, in this way, is being positioned as a Machiavellian “princess”— embodying a political science more effectively than can the Church at the time. Dobski's interpretation explores the ways in which Joan of Arc, according to Twain, refounded and reformed France, taking many of Machiavelli's teachings into account. Another dimension of Twain's Joan of Arc is seen in context of the “historical maid” Joan of Arc and how both renderings are positioning a woman serving in a man's role. Dobski explains the controversy over Joan's attire—wearing men's clothing as a woman, which was one of the charges brought against her—and how these laws were designed to foreground the Church's teaching on modesty and decency and a means to regulate sexual ethics. This also reflects the maleness of Christ, which is not incidental to preserving the moral teachings that are rooted in the distinction between the sexes. But Joan is very much a woman in a man's world, and her success in the man's world challenges the Church's basis for these distinctions between female and male. Many of these entanglements are the focus of Twain's novel, and thus of Dobski's analysis of Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. Ultimately, Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity digs into overarching and universal concerns, including the theological-philosophical conundrum, the claim of divine right by monarchs, and how to live a good life. B.J. Dobski skillfully follows Twain's curvy path through Joan of Arc's life and reputation to unpack Twain's own thinking about these perennial questions. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

New Books in Literary Studies
Bernard J. Dobski, "Mark Twain's Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2024)

New Books in Literary Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 54:57


Political Theorist B.J. (Bernard J.) Dobski has a new book focusing on Mark Twain's final published novel, Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. As Dobski notes in his work and in our conversation, this is one of the more obscure texts by Twain, but Twain considered it his best work. Dobski's book is a close reading of Twain's Joan of Arc and an analysis of how this particular work, focusing on Joan of Arc's life through the narration of Sieur Louis De Conte (Joan's childhood friend and her secretary during her military undertakings), is part of Twain's larger efforts to understand the turn towards modernity, and all that entails. Mark Twain's Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity is part of series at Palgrave/MacMillan focusing on recovering political philosophy, and this book fits into that series particularly well. Mark Twain had a lifelong fascination with Joan of Arc. Twain's Joan serves, in the novel, as a kind of path out of the Middle Ages, and, in this way, is being positioned as a Machiavellian “princess”— embodying a political science more effectively than can the Church at the time. Dobski's interpretation explores the ways in which Joan of Arc, according to Twain, refounded and reformed France, taking many of Machiavelli's teachings into account. Another dimension of Twain's Joan of Arc is seen in context of the “historical maid” Joan of Arc and how both renderings are positioning a woman serving in a man's role. Dobski explains the controversy over Joan's attire—wearing men's clothing as a woman, which was one of the charges brought against her—and how these laws were designed to foreground the Church's teaching on modesty and decency and a means to regulate sexual ethics. This also reflects the maleness of Christ, which is not incidental to preserving the moral teachings that are rooted in the distinction between the sexes. But Joan is very much a woman in a man's world, and her success in the man's world challenges the Church's basis for these distinctions between female and male. Many of these entanglements are the focus of Twain's novel, and thus of Dobski's analysis of Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. Ultimately, Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity digs into overarching and universal concerns, including the theological-philosophical conundrum, the claim of divine right by monarchs, and how to live a good life. B.J. Dobski skillfully follows Twain's curvy path through Joan of Arc's life and reputation to unpack Twain's own thinking about these perennial questions. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

New Books in Political Science
Bernard J. Dobski, "Mark Twain's Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2024)

New Books in Political Science

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 54:57


Political Theorist B.J. (Bernard J.) Dobski has a new book focusing on Mark Twain's final published novel, Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. As Dobski notes in his work and in our conversation, this is one of the more obscure texts by Twain, but Twain considered it his best work. Dobski's book is a close reading of Twain's Joan of Arc and an analysis of how this particular work, focusing on Joan of Arc's life through the narration of Sieur Louis De Conte (Joan's childhood friend and her secretary during her military undertakings), is part of Twain's larger efforts to understand the turn towards modernity, and all that entails. Mark Twain's Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity is part of series at Palgrave/MacMillan focusing on recovering political philosophy, and this book fits into that series particularly well. Mark Twain had a lifelong fascination with Joan of Arc. Twain's Joan serves, in the novel, as a kind of path out of the Middle Ages, and, in this way, is being positioned as a Machiavellian “princess”— embodying a political science more effectively than can the Church at the time. Dobski's interpretation explores the ways in which Joan of Arc, according to Twain, refounded and reformed France, taking many of Machiavelli's teachings into account. Another dimension of Twain's Joan of Arc is seen in context of the “historical maid” Joan of Arc and how both renderings are positioning a woman serving in a man's role. Dobski explains the controversy over Joan's attire—wearing men's clothing as a woman, which was one of the charges brought against her—and how these laws were designed to foreground the Church's teaching on modesty and decency and a means to regulate sexual ethics. This also reflects the maleness of Christ, which is not incidental to preserving the moral teachings that are rooted in the distinction between the sexes. But Joan is very much a woman in a man's world, and her success in the man's world challenges the Church's basis for these distinctions between female and male. Many of these entanglements are the focus of Twain's novel, and thus of Dobski's analysis of Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc. Ultimately, Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity digs into overarching and universal concerns, including the theological-philosophical conundrum, the claim of divine right by monarchs, and how to live a good life. B.J. Dobski skillfully follows Twain's curvy path through Joan of Arc's life and reputation to unpack Twain's own thinking about these perennial questions. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-host of the New Books in Political Science channel at the New Books Network. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). She can be reached @gorenlj.bsky.social Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Not Just the Tudors
Machiavelli

Not Just the Tudors

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 46:26


Niccolo Machiavelli's name has become synonymous with cunning, deceit and a lack of morality to achieve one's goals in politics or business. He was a pivotal figure of the Renaissance, who witnessed the turbulence of Medici rule, radical religious reform, and the dangerous politics of European courts.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by the renowned political philosopher, historian and author Dr. Erika Benner to explore Machiavelli's journey from diplomat to revered writer. Related episodes on the Renaissance:Michelangelo >Lorenzo de Medici >Marguerite de Navarre >Erasmus >Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

London Review Podcasts
Close Readings: Marcus Aurelius

London Review Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2024 60:09


This week on the LRB Podcast, a free episode from one of our Close Readings series. For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Said by Machiavelli to be the last of the ‘five good emperors' who ruled Rome for most of the second century CE, Marcus oversaw devastating wars on the frontiers, a deadly plague and economic turmoil. The writings known in English as The Meditations, and in Latin as ‘to himself', were composed in Greek in the last decade of Marcus' life. They reveal his preoccupation with illness, growing old, death and posthumous reputation, as he urges himself not to be troubled by such transient things.To listen to more Among the Ancients and all other Close Readings series in full, subscribe:Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadingsOr purchase a gift subscription: https://lrb.me/audiogiftsFurther reading in the LRB:Mary Beard: Was he quite ordinary?https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v31/n14/mary-beard/was-he-quite-ordinaryEmily Wilson: I have gorgeous hairhttps://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n11/emily-wilson/i-have-gorgeous-hairShadi Bartsch: Dying to Make a Pointhttps://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v29/n22/shadi-bartsch/dying-to-make-a-pointM.F. Burnyeat: Excuses for Madnesshttps://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v24/n20/m.f.-burnyeat/excuses-for-madness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The History of Literature
657 Auden's England (with Nicholas Jenkins) | My Last Book with Gabriele Pedulla

The History of Literature

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 69:36


From the beginning of his career as a poet, W.H. Auden wrestled with the meaning of Englishness. He came out with a collection of poems entitled On This Island, but what exactly was this island? A world in ruins? A beautiful (if morally compromised) haven? In this episode, Jacke talks to Nicholas Jenkins (The Island: War and Belonging in Auden's England) about Auden's relationship with the land of his birth, including his preoccupations with the vicissitudes of war, the trials of love, and the problems of identity. PLUS Italian scholar Gabriele Pedullà (On Niccolò Machiavelli: The Bonds of Politics) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read. Additional listening: 595 Machiavelli (with Gabriele Pedulla) 479 Auden and the Muse of History (with Susannah Young-ah Gottlieb) 138 Why Poetry (with Matthew Zapruder) The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Art of Manliness
A Bible for Heroes — The Influential Book Read By History's Eminent Men

The Art of Manliness

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 52:51


In 18th century America, this book was second in popularity only to the Bible.It was a favorite of many thinkers and leaders throughout history, including Emerson, Napoleon, Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and even President Truman.Yet, you probably haven't read it.It's Plutarch's Parallel Lives.If you're not familiar with Plutarch's Lives, you're in for a treat, as today's episode offers a great intro. My guest, Alex Petkas, found that even though he's a former classicist and professor, Plutarch's Lives is still a tough read, which is why he started a podcast, The Cost of Glory, to make it more accessible to people. He does the same thing on today's episode, sharing the background on Plutarch's set of biographies and its major themes. Alex explains why Plutarch thought that biography was a powerful way to transmit morals and how the Homeric virtue he had in mind differed from that of just having good, upstanding character. Alex then gives us a taste of Plutarch as we discuss the lives of two obscure Greek and Roman figures. We end our conversation with how to get started studying Plutarch yourself.Resources Related to the PodcastCost of Glory websiteAlex's resource on how to read Plutarch's Lives, with links to the mentioned Penguin editionsAlex's recommended episodes of the Cost of Glory podcast:Pompey I: Kid ButcherCrassus I: Richest Man in RomeAoM Article: An Intro to EnvyAoM Article: Envy, Ressentiment, and the Inversion of ValuesAoM Podcast #949: Unpacking The Emotion No One Likes to Talk AboutSullaEumenesSertoriusBlood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West by Hampton Sides + AoM podcast episode about the bookConnect with Alex PetkasAlex on LinkedInAlex on XAlex on IG