The New Thinkery
The New Thinkery is a podcast devoted to political philosophy and its history, along with its many guises in literature, film, and human experience generally. Named after Socrates’ infamous “Thinkery” in Aristophanes’ Clouds, The New Thinkery strikes a balance between the seriousness of academia and the playfulness of casual conversation among friends.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 64 minutes
- Episodes
- 262
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Aristophanes' Assemblywomen | The New Thinkery Ep. 59
In this week's episode of The New Thinkery, the guys are overthrown and replaced by a distinguished, all-female panel of four guests: Lisa Leibowitz, Linda Rabieh, Carly Herold, and Anna Mansfield. T…
Interview: Dr. Laurence Cooper on Alcibiades' Speech | The New Thinkery Ep. 58
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Laurence Cooper of Carleton College. Together, the group discuss Plato's Symposium in TNT's penultimate episode on the subject, this ti…
Interview: Professor Steven Smith on Oakeshott's "Political Education" | The New Thinkery Ep. 57
In this edition of The New Thinkery Alex and Greg visit the Jack Miller Center where they are joined by Professor Steven Smith. The group discuss Michael Oakeshott's famous work, "Political Education…
The Death of Ivan Ilyich | The New Thinkery Ep. 56
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys analyze a frequent read of David's: The Death of Ivan Ilyich. A tome by one of the great Russian authors, Leo Tolstoy, the crew have much to discu…
Interview: Dr. Arlene Saxonhouse on Women in Plato's Republic | The New Thinkery Ep. 55
In this week's installment of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Arlene Saxonhouse, Professor of Political Science and Women's Studies and a former chair of the Department of Political Scie…
Interview: Dr. Michael Grenke on Warspeak | The New Thinkery Ep. 54
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Michael Grenke, a tutor (professor) at St. John's College to discuss Warspeak: Nietzsche's Victory Over Nihilism, a book by Lise Van Bo…
Aristophanes' The Clouds | The New Thinkery Ep. 53
The New Thinkery is officially a year old! To celebrate a year of podcasting, the guys analyze the comic play from which TNT gets its name: Aristophanes' The Clouds. Topics discussed include the valu…
Socrates' Speech Continued: Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part VIII | The New Thinkery Ep. 52
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys return to Plato's Symposium for their penultimate episode on the book. This time around, they continue their discussion of Socrates' Speech on Eros. Plus…
Interview: Dr. Joshua Parens on the Philosophy of Maimonides | The New Thinkery Ep. 51
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Joshua Parens, Dean of the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts and Professor of Philosophy and Politics, to discuss the philosophy …
Interview: Dr. Thomas Cleveland on Minos | The New Thinkery Ep. 50
In this edition of The New Thinkery, Alex and Greg are joined by Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Academics Program Officer for the Jack Miller Center. They discuss the very nature of law using Plato's Minos as…
Interview: Dr. Michael P. Zuckert on Abraham Lincoln | The New Thinkery Ep. 49
In this Fourth of July edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Michael P. Zuckert, the Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. Togethe…
Plutarch on Coriolanus | The New Thinkery Ep. 48
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys follow up last week's episode on Alcibiades with Plutarch's paired work on the life of Coriolanus. The guys discuss the similarities and key differences …
Plutarch on Alcibiades | The New Thinkery Ep. 47
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys begin an analysis of Plutarch's Parallel Lives, specifically diving into the life of Alcibiades. The guys discuss Alcibiades' life, philosophy, and why e…
Strauss' Persecution and the Art of Writing | The New Thinkery Ep. 46
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys dive into the work of Leo Strauss, one of the foremost political philosophy professors of the twentieth century. Strauss was and continues to be s…
Interview with Bill Kristol | The New Thinkery Ep. 45
In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by William Kristol, founder and editor-at-large of The Weekly Standard and now editor-at-large of The Bulwark. Hear about his upbringing and …
Conrad's Typhoon | The New Thinkery Ep. 44
In this week's edition of The New Thinkery the guys break away from philosophy to take a deep dive into Joseph Conrad's Typhoon. The group discuss everything from the text's themes to its literary de…
Socrates' Speech: Analyzing Plato's Symposium, Part VII | The New Thinkery Ep. 43
In the seventh installment of an ongoing series breaking down Plato's Symposium, the guys begin to dissect Socrates' speech on love, how Socrates attempted to subvert the format of the speeches, and …
Interview: Professor Jeff Sikkenga on Tocqueville | The New Thinkery Ep. 42
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Professor Jeff Sikkenga, Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center (Greg's boss) and a professor of political science. Together, the group anal…
Interview: Dr. Charles Butterworth on Alfarabi's Book of Religion | The New Thinkery Ep. 41
In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Dr. Charles Butterworth, Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Who better to discuss Alfar…
Rousseau's First Discourse Live at ACTC | The New Thinkery Ep. 40
This week's episode is a recording of a live conversation at the Association for Core Texts and Courses (ACTC). The guys discuss Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "Discourse on the Sciences and Arts," also kn…