Nature and the Nation
Nature and the Nation is a podcast that explores politics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and economics from a naturalistic, paleoconservative perspective. Each episode uses a book review format to examine these topics in depth. The show offers a thoughtful, right-leaning critique of modern society through the lens of human nature and tradition.
Episodes
Review: A History of Philosophy Vol 3 by Frederick Copleston
In this episode I discuss the third volume of Copleston's remarkable History of Philosophy. I continue to examine the relationship between philosophy and theology, and take a bird's eye view of Late Medeival and Renaissance philosophy.
Review: A History of Philosophy vol 2 by Frederick Copleston
In this episode I examine medieval philosophy and its tangled relationship with Christian theology.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Aquinas) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I look at the connections and distinctions between Aquinas and Aristotle in Ernest Fortin's essay Aquinas. I focus on the four cardinal virtues and the different between natural law and human law.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Augustine) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I look at Augustine's distinction between the city of God and the earthly city, as described in the History of Political Philosophy essay by Ernest L. Fortin. I focus on the disctinction between Pagan and Christian patriotism.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Cicero) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I return once again to the magnificent History of Political Philosophy to look at James E. Holton's essay on Cicero. I focus on the mixed regime and Cicero's conservative tendencies.
Review: A History of Philosophy vol 1 (Epicureanism) by Frederick Copleston
In this episode I look at the first volume of Frederick Copleston's nine volume History of Philosophy. I focus on the Epicureans, with a special focus on their proposal of pleasure as the purpose or end of life.
Review: Stoicism by John Sellars
In this episode I look at John Sellars' Stoicism, exploring Stoicism's grappling with the eternal question of whether virtue is its own reward, or if happiness is the reward of a virtuous life.
Review: The Republic of Plato by Allan Bloom
In this episode I examine Allan Bloom's interpretative essay on Plato's Republic, focusing on Book 1 of the Republic and its attempt to define justice.
Review: Revolt Against the Modern World (Part 2) by Julius Evola
In this episode I return to Revolt Against the Modern World, Julius Evola's most famous book about the metaphysical nature of the Traditional life and culture. I focus in this episode on Monarchy, Aristocracy, and the materialist reading of Evola's anti-materialism.
Review: A Million and One Gods by Page duBois
In this episode I look at Page duBois' examination of polytheism in theory and practice in her book A Million and One Gods. I focus on the Greek Gods Artemis and Dionysus, and the political implications of polytheism.
Review: The Rage and the Pride by Oriana Fallaci
In this episode I look at Oriana Fallaci's controversial book, The Rage and the Pride. I focus on her examination of the effects of migration of Italy and her relationship with Christianity.
Review: Return of the Strong Gods by R. R. Reno
In this episode I look at Reno's phenomenal examination of the gods as shared loves and social values. I focus on his analysis of Popper, Hayek and Durkheim.
Review: Atheopaganism by Mark Green
In this book I look at Mark Green's exposition of his religious system, Atheopaganism. I focus on the evolutionary aspect of religion, and Green's positions on values and hierarchy.
Review: The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray
In this episode I explore Douglas Murray's phenomenal best-seller, The Strange Death of Europe, with a focus on the history of post-war migration into the United Kingdom.
Review: The New Polytheism by (Hillman) by David Miller and James Hillman
In this episode I return to The New Polytheism by David Miller, focusing exlusively on the the essay in the appendix by James Hillman called Psychology: Monotheistic or Polytheistic. This essay discusses how our theological inclinations affect our approach to psychoanalysis.
Review: The New Polytheism (Miller) by David Miller and James Hillman
In this episode I look at David Miller's insightful examination of polytheism in sociology, psychology, and philosophy. I focus on his discussions of Niebuhr, Cornford, and Heidegger.
Review: Existence and Being (Holderlin and the Essence of Poetry) by Martin Heidegger
In this episode I look at Heidegger's theories about the role of the poet in carrying the message of the gods to the people, as described in his 1936 essay Holderlin and the Essence of Poetry.
Review: He: Understanding Masculine Psychology by Robert A. Johnson
In this episode I explore the myth of Parsifal and the quest for the Holy Grail as presented in Robert Johnson's Jungian analysis, He: Understanding Masculine Psychology.
Review: Man and his Symbols (Von Franz) edited by Carl Jung
In this episode I look at The Process of Individuation, an essay by Jung's close friend and colleague, Marie-Louise von Franz, in the anthology Man and his Symbols. I focus on the shadow and the anima, as well as the individualist nature of Jungian psychoanalysis.
Review: Man and his Symbols (Jung) edited by Carl Jung
In this episode I look at Carl Jung's bird's eye view of his whole life's work, as presented in his contribution to the anthology Man and his Symbols, edited by Jung and published after his death.
Review: Existence and Being (What is Metaphysics?) by Martin Heidegger and Werner Brock
In this essay I look at Heidegger's famous essay 'What is Metaphysics?' as well as the accompanying essay by Werner Brock that examines and interprets the essays in the book. I explore Heidegger's assertion that nothingness is a critical component of metaphysics and that metaphysics is a critical compenent of science and the human experience.
Review: The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton
Edith Hamilton's The Greek Way is a masterpiece in helping the reader really understand the vital spirit and love of life that contributed to Classical Greek greatness. In this episode I cover this Greek vitalism and also look at Pindar and the true value of Greek aristocracy.
Review: Adaptation and Natural Selection by George Williams
In this episode I look at George Williams' famous rebuke to group selection theory as outlined in Adaptation and Natural Selection. I focus on secondary adaptations, sexual reproduction as an organic adaptation, and the difference between male and female mating strategies.
Review: Essays in Radical Empiricism by William James
In this episode I examine William James' 1904 address to the American Psychological Association, The Experience of Activity, as presented in Essays in Radical Empiricism. I focus on the illusory aspect of agency and the need to operate within the version of reality that accessible to our experiences.
Review: Essays in Experimental Logic by John Dewey
In this episode I look at John Dewey's 1900 essay Some Stages in Logical Thought, as published in this 1916 collection, Essays in Experimental Logic. I focus on Dewey's assertion that both some fixity and some flexibility is required on the part of ideas for them to serve in the human task of overcoming obstacles.
Review: History of Politics (Kant) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I return to Strauss and Cropsey's magisterial History of Political Philosophy to examine the essay on Kant. I focus on the split between science and morality, and the contradiction formed by Kant's fundamental mistake.
Review: Heidegger by Michael Inwood
In this episode I engage in an extra-long two-hour examination of the basic philosophy of Martin Heidegger, as described in Michael Inwood's study, Heidegger. Inwood focuses primarily on Heidegger's magnum opus, Being and Time. In this episode I pay particular attention to Heidegger's discussion of the state of being he calls 'ready-to-hand,' as well as authenticity and being-toward-death.
Review: Be Like the Fox by Erica Benner
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.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Machiavelli) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
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.
Review: The Oldest Dead White European Males by Bernard Knox
In this episode I look again at the Sophists with a focus on their dedication to rhetoric, as described by classicist Bernard Knox in his collection of essays, The Oldest Dead White European Males.
Review: Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne
In this episode I examine sexual selection and basic mating strategies, plus a look at the possibility of escaping the our evolutionarily acquired behaviors as described in Jerry Coyne's Why Evolution is True.
Review: The Philosophy of Aristotle by D. J. Allan
In this episode I review the basic elements of Aristotle's philosophy, discussing his conception of nature, the four causes, and the four elements. I also continue the discussion from the previous two episodes regarding eudaimonia, phronesis, ethics, and politics.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Aristotle) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I review Aristotle's political and ethical premises with a focus on eudaimonia, arete, and the mixed regime, as described by Carnes Lord in Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey's essay collection, History of Political Philosophy.
Review: Aristotle's Way by Edith Hall
In this episode I examine various forms of happiness, the difference between happiness and eudaimonia, and the basics of Aristotelian virtue ethics as described by Edith Hall in Aristotle's Way.
Review: Industrial Policy for the United States by Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher
In this episode I cover Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher's new, massive, authoritative tome on industrial policy, Industrial Policy for the United States. I look particularly at the qualities of advantageous industries, England's initiation of industrial policy under Henry VII, and Sematech's creation and development.
Review: The Death of the West by Pat Buchanan
In this episode I look at how birthrates and population prompt replacement migration, and how it all ties to feminism as described in another Pat Buchanan masterpiece, The Death of the West.
Review: Men Among the Ruins by Julius Evola
In this episode I examine Evola's impression of the nation and it's constrast to the state, as well as his discussion of population and birth rates, as described in his primary political work, Men Among the Ruins.
Review: Immigration and the American Identity edited by Thomas Fleming
In this episode I look at the immigration crisis is terms of population control and the environment, as well as the long failure of politicians to respond to the overwhelming opposition of the American public to the ongoing flood of both legal and illegal immigration, as detailed in Immigration and the American Identity from Chronicles Magazine and Thomas Fleming.
Review: The Conservative Movement by Paul Gottfried
In this episode I look at the Goldwater campaign, the battle over human nature in academia, and the revival of antiestablishment fusionism among the paleocons and paleolibertarians, as described by Paul Gottfried in The Conservative Movement.
Review: The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America by George Nash
In this episode I look at the birth of National Review, its controversies, and the resolution provided by Fusionism, all described in George Nash's expansive Conservative Intellectual Movement in America SInce 1945.
Review: The Betrayal of the American Right by Murray Rothbard
In this episode, I look at the Old Right, its birth in the lead-up to World War 2, and its death at the hands of Wall Street Republicans, Dwight Eisenhower, and National Review as described in the fantastic book, The Betrayal of the American Right by Murray Rothbard.
Review: The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James (Part 2)
In this episode I continue my exploration of William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience, with a focus on the conversion process and the subconscious mind.
Review: The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James (Part 1)
In this episode I dive into the healthy mind and the sick soul, the foundational concepts of William James' masterpiece, The Varieties of Religious Experience. This is the first of a two-part series.
Review: The Odyssey of the American Right by Michael W. Miles
In this episode I explore the early nationalism of the Republican Party from the New Deal to the Cold War, as described in Michael Miles' Odessey of the American Right, with particular attention paid to US foreign policy at that time.
Review: The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand
In this episode I look at the contrast, ruptures, and uncertainties among three early Pragmatists: Charles Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, as detailed in Louis Menand's bestselling The Metaphysical Club. I also examine Randolph Bourne's use of Pragmatism to justify cosmopolitan immigration and the unaccountable bureaucracy of the American Association of University Professors.
Review: Prophets on the Right by Ronald Radosh
In this episode I look at the two writers Oswald Garrison Villard and John Flynn, and their associations with the America First Committee as depicted in Ronald Radosh's Prophets on the Right.
Review: Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre
In this episode I look at Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism and Human Emotions with a focus on the failure of existentialism to acknowledge human nature.
Review: William James' Essays on Faith and Morals edited by Ralph Barton Perry
In this episode I dive deeper into William James' lecture series Talks to Students with the essays On a 'Certain Blindness in Human Beings' and 'What Makes a Life Significant' as presented in Ralph Barton Perry's collection of James' essays, Essays on Faith and Morals. I look particularly at the practicality of this blindness and the balance between ideals and practicality.
Review: Ideas Have Consequences by Richard Weaver
In this episode I arrive at Richard Weaver's classic statement of post-war Conservatism, Ideas Have Consequences, in particular the the traditionalist, hierarchical, formal aspects of enduring culture.
Review: The Heart of William James edited by Robert Richardson
In this episode, I discuss William James' consequential essay Philosophical Conceptions and Practical Results and his lecture to students, The Gospel of Relaxation, as collected in The Heart of William James, edited by Robert Richardson.
Review: Darwinism and Human Affairs (Part 2) by Richard D. Alexander
In this episode I continue my examination of Darwinism and Human Affairs, this time exploring the connections between cultural evolution and genetic evolution. I focus on ways that cultural evolution both aligns with and betrays our genetic drive to reproduction.
Review: Darwinism and Human Affairs (Part 1) by Richard D. Alexander
In this episode I return to evolutionary theory, discussing the controversy surrounding group selection and its relationship with kin selection and inclusive fitness as described by Richard Alexander in his book Darwinism and Human Affairs.
Review: Talks to Teachers by William James
In this episode I look at William James' further discussions of psychology in Talks to Teachers, in which he draws on prior psychological writings to address the needs of teachers. I pay particular attention to the practical and pragmatic aspect of his discussion of competing drives and ideas, and his limited domain of the activity of the will.
Review: Pragmatism: The Classic Writings (Part 2) edited by H. S. Thayer
In this episode I return to John Dewey for a look at his essay The Practical Character of Reality, included in the compilation Pragmatism: The Classic Writings edited by H. S. Thayer. I focus on Dewey's examination of the nature of knowledge and awareness.
Review: Pragmatism: The Classic Writings (Part 1) edited by H. S. Thayer
In this episode I look at John Dewey's overview of the early history of pragmatism as described in Pragmatism: The Classic Writings edited by H. S. Thayer. I examine the major themes of pragmatism, including the importance of consequences, human conduct, the vaguery of ends, and the approximateness of knowledge.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Plato) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I revisit History of Political Philosophy to look at Leo Strauss' examination of the political theory of Plato. I look at the attempts to define Justice, the viability of absolute communism, and make my first foray into Plato's theory of ideas.
Review: Plato by Constance Meinwald
In this episode I look at the classic text of Western philosophy, Plato's Republic, as detailed by Constance Meinwald in her wide-ranging book Plato. I focus on the early portions of The Republic dealing with the quest for a definition of Justice, including the arguments of Glaucon and Thrasymachus.
Review: The Trial of Socrates by I. F. Stone
In this episode I analyze I. F. Stone's critique of Socrates and his followers, as described in his book The Trial of Socrates. I focus on Socrates' hostility to democracy, the inadequecy of universalist philosophy, and the classical understanding of the gods.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Thucydides) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I revisit Thucydides as discussed by David Bolotin in the classic History of Political Philosophy edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey. I focus on Alcibiades, Nicias, and the Sicilian Expedition.
Review: Thucydides on Justice, Power, and Human Nature edited by Paul Woodruff
In this episode I look at the conflict between Democracy and Oligarchy in the Peloponnesian War as described by Thucydides and translated and abridged by Paul Woodruff.
Review: Social Darwinism in American Thought by Richard Hofstadter
In this episode I look at the late 19th Century Darwinian Conservatism of Herbert Spencer, William Graham Sumner, and reactions by William James and others as described in Richard Hofstadter's Social Darwinism in American Thought.
Review: The Social Contract Theorists (Hobbes's War of All Against All) edited by Chris Morris
In this episode I look at Gregory Kavka's 'Hobbes's War of All Against All' in The Social Contract Theorists edited by Christopher W. Morris, with a special focus on the prisoner's dilemma and nation size.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Rousseau) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I return to Strauss and Cropsey collection, History of Political Philosophy, to focus on Alan Bloom's examination of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the general will, and the potential conflict between nature and custom.
Review: The Reveries of the Solitary Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
In this episode I wander through Rousseau's final book, published posthumously, The Reveries of the Solitary Walker. I look at the difference between youth and old age, trusting yourself and others, and the nature of reverie itself.
Review: The Rise and Fall of Scottish Common Sense Realism by Douglas McDermid
In this episode I take a first look at Scottish Common Sense Philosophy as described by Douglas McDermid in The Rise and Fall of Scottish Common Sense Realism, with the aim of providing an overview of the major themes of Thomas Reid and his contemporaries.
Review: A Republic, Not an Empire by Patrick Buchanan
In this episode I examine Buchanan's case for non-interventionism, or isolationism, as made in A Republic, Not an Empire. I take a look a the League of Nations and US policy after the Cold War.
Review: Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
In this episode I look at Jonah Goldberg's examination of the fascist tendencies of President Woodrow Wilson in his classic book, Liberal Fascism.
Review: To Make Men Free by Heather Cox Richardson
In this episode I look at two Republican Presidents, Taft and Harding, as detailed in Heather Cox Richardson's history of the Republican Party, To Make Men Free.
The Pursuit of Certainty by Shirley Robin Letwin
In this episode I look at Letwin's collection of philosophical biographies, The Pursuit of Certainty, with a special focus on David Hume and his thoughts on virtue, prudence, and politics.
Review: The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
In this episode, I explore Eric Hoffer's description of the various types of people that constitute the leaders and followers of mass movements, as described in his classic 1951 book, The True Believer.
Review: The Sophists by W. K. C. Guthrie
In this episode I examine the competing forces of Physis (Nature) and Nomos (Custom) as detailed in the erudite examination The Sophists by W. K. C. Guthrie.
Review: From Religion to Philosophy by F. M. Cornford
In this episode I examine the connections between Nomos, Physis, and Moira in early Greek philosophy as detailed by Cornford in From Religion to Philosophy.
Review: The Iliad by Homer
In this episode I look at the violent glory of war in Homer's Iliad, as detailed in Bernard Knox's introduction to the Robert Fagles translation of this classic epic poem of war, and several choice readings of the battle for the Argive ships.
Review: Sailing the Wine Dark Sea by Thomas Cahill
In this episode I look at Thomas Cahill's examination of Ancient Greece in Sailing the Wine Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter. I pay special attention to the first three chapter where Cahill discusses Homer and his great works, The Iliad and the Odessey.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Hume) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I explore another essay in Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey's massive History of Political Philosophy 3rd Edition. This time it's David Hume and his so-called skepticism, which I call into question on account of his deference to habit and custom. This episode is the fourth of a series.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Montesquieu) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I explore another essays in Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey's massive History of Political Philosophy 3rd Edition, this time looking at an essay by David Lowenthal that discusses Montesquieu and the various types of regimes, and the English synthesis of them. This episode is the third of a series.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Locke) edited by Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey
In this episode I explore another essays in Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey's massive History of Political Philosophy 3rd Edition, this time looking at an essay by Robert A. Goldwin discussing John Locke and his theories of the state of nature vs the state of war, and his thoughts on the right of rebellion. This episode is the second of a series.
Review: History of Political Philosophy (Hobbes) edited by Joseph Cropsey and Leo Strauss
In this episode I examine one of the many essays in Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey's massive History of Political Philosophy 3rd Edition, detailing the thoughts of Thomas Hobbes. This essay by Laurence Berns discusses the weaknesses of Hobbes' conception of sovereignty. This episode is the first of a series.
Review: Trade Wars Against America by WIlliam Gill
In this episode I revisit the history of trade policy in America, with Gill's book Trade Wars Against America. I look especially at the 2nd half of the 19th Century and Woodrow Wilson.
Review: Pragmatism: A Reader (Part 2) edited by Louis Menand
In this episode I revisit Louis Menand's collection of Pragmatist writings, Pragmatism: A Reader, with an eye toward the more recent writers. I discuss Richard Rorty's Postmodernist Bourgeois Liberalism and Richard Bernstein's Pragmatism, Pluralism, and the Healing of Wounds.
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