Bradley Lectures Podcast

The Story of Ain't: America and Its Language Jul 12, 2021

Things change, norms shift, and even the language we use alters with time.

But despite being commonplace, change isn't always easy. This month we'll listen to David Skinner -- editor of Humanities magazine and formerly of The Weekly Standard -- deliver a 2012 lecture on how a crisis among the literary classes was sparked by a change...in a dictionary.

Change also comes to the Bradley Lectures Podcast itself. We're a month off our normal schedule, in part because of changes we hope to bring to our episodes and guests in the near future. To stay up to date on these plans, follow us on twitter @BradleyLectures or subscribe to our newsletter here.

Preserving Our Natural Capital May 10, 2021

For decades, our appreciation for natural beauty has been tempered by an awareness of its impermanence. Our environment, its species, and the very climate in which we live all exist under conditions of duress.

In this month’s lecture, we will hear from Pulitzer prize winner E.O. Wilson, one of the most influential biologists of the last 70 years and pioneer of the field of sociobiology. His lecture, delivered in 2001, addresses the dangers facing our environment, strategies for slowing its decline, and the importance of preserving our natural capital.

European questions, American answers Apr 12, 2021

The European Union has lost a major member. Several EU countries are facing COVID crises. The German-backed European vaccine rollout has been widely derided as a disaster.

Trust in the European Union and German leadership are in question.

What will be the answer?

This month, we hear a 2014 lecture from Professor Brendan Simms of Cambridge University on the importance of German stability for Europe, what may happen if this stability is challenged, and the possibility of a Europe organized in a more American model.

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If you would like to keep in touch with the Bradley Lectures Podcast, or recommend topics from the archive you'd like to hear lectures on in the future, please follow us on twitter @BradleyLectures or email us at BradleyLecturesPod@AEI.org.

The Limits of Realpolitik Mar 08, 2021

A new administration. A renewed American bombing campaign in Syria. An apparently reconsidered relationship with Saudi Arabia.

After four years of comparative international quietude, is the United States reasserting its position as a forceful manager of world affairs?

And if so, should it?

This month we will hear a 1997 lecture from journalist and foreign affairs scholar Fareed Zakaria on the limits of realpolitik, and the challenges of realism.

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If you would like to keep in touch with the Bradley Lectures Podcast, or recommend topics from the archive you'd like to hear lectures on in the future, please follow us on twitter @BradleyLectures or email us at BradleyLecturesPod@AEI.org.

Can We Predict the Future? Feb 08, 2021

From the 2016 election through the present pandemic, the world has seemed anything but predictable over the last four years. In a world of Congressional chaos and a seething stock market, we might not be blamed for asking:

"Can we really predict anything at all?"

This month, we will hear a 2015 lecture from Prof. Philip Tetlock, co-founder of the Good Judgment Project, on the potential of Super-Forecasters, and the possibility of sifting through the noise to find the signposts toward the future.

The Iron Curtain of "Alternative Facts:" Ideology and History in Soviet Russia Jan 11, 2021

How does a great lie become believed? How can a small, passionate minority dictate reality for a whole nation? When does history become subordinate to fiction?

This month, we will hear Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum address these questions through the lens of the Soviet crushing of Eastern Europe from 1944 to 1956.

While her lecture was originally delivered in 2012, its story of an impassioned minority, a totalitarian ideology, and the thrall of "alternative facts" remains trenchant in these opening weeks of 2021.

God and the Astronomers Dec 14, 2020

In November and December, many of us slip into a familiar rhythm of renewed focus on our friends, our families, and the things we have faith in. As this particular year draws to a close with several COVID-19 vaccines potentially on the way, it is good to remember that science, too, can be something worth believing in.

In this episode we will hear a lecture entitled "God and the Philosophers" from Dr. Robert Jastrow, first chairman of NASA's Lunar Exploration Committee, and founding director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

This lecture, delivered in November 1992, displays a conviction in the importance of dialogue between science and faith that remains vital today.

Political Order, Electoral Chaos - ft. Francis Fukuyama Nov 09, 2020

Elections come and go, but the more fundamental basis of state society--political order--endures.

Or does it?

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, please join the Bradley Lecture Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Fukuyama on his 2012 lecture, "The Origins of Political Order," and the question of whether that order is durable enough to survive whatever happens next.

Capitalism and Its Failures Oct 12, 2020

Is capitalism working? How is it supposed to work? And what do we do if it fails?

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis these questions were more relevant than ever. Now, in the midst of economic turmoil and uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, they are questions once again on everyone's mind.

To help consider these old questions in a new context, Yuval Levin joins us to revisit his 2010 Bradley Lecture, "Recovering the Case for Capitalism."

The text of Levin's 2010 lecture can be found at AEI.org.

This speech was originally delivered in 2010.

Liberal Democracy and Radical Reform Sep 14, 2020

Judge Stephen F. Williams (1936 – 2020) was not only a storied fixture of the United States Court of Appeals’ D.C. Circuit, but a prolific author with wide-ranging expertise. In this episode of the Bradley Lectures Podcast, AEI Senior Fellow Karlyn Bowman and Resident Scholar Adam J. White join to discuss Judge Williams’ lasting legacy […]

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Saving Jonah from the Will Apr 28, 2020

Should we impose term limits on members of Congress? Should we drastically expand the size of the House of Representatives? Are Republicans republicans and Democrats democrats? Jonah Goldberg joins the show to discuss George Will’s Bradley Lecture, how Dr. Will humbled Young Jonah with an answer that launched a thousand op-eds, and to ruminate on political […]

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The evolution of the Bobo Feb 17, 2020

The late 20th century brought into existence a new species of moneyed elite. This highly educated nouveau riche combined traditional bourgeois ethic with bohemian tastes to form a new species that David Brooks called the “Bobo.” What became of the Bobos, and how does their legacy live on — or not — in today’s elite? […]

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So you want to build an institution Feb 03, 2020

From Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France to Yuval Levin’s new book, A Time to Build, conservatives have long been fascinated by the relationship between the American individual, state, and mediating institutions. Building properly-functioning institutions of all kinds – media, religious, or educational — is crucial to the politics and social lives of […]

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What’s the matter with Hollywood? Jan 20, 2020

Decades prior to today’s political arguments about “coastal elites” misunderstanding “flyover country,” film critic, author, and talk show host Michael Medved made a cultural argument. Medved contended that the cloistered cultures of Hollywood were unresponsive to market demands, and chose to push a narrative—one that would not serve their own financial interests — about religion, […]

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Some reflections on Gertrude Himmelfarb Jan 07, 2020

Prolific historian, author, and social critic Gertrude Himmelfarb (1922–2019) leaves behind a legacy of scholarship transcending time and place. Her insights into the past, such as her studies of Victorian England, help fashion a worldview for the present, one emphasizing virtue, truth-seeking, and humility. AEI Senior Fellow Karlyn Bowman joins the podcast to memorialize Dr. […]

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Work, progress, and administration Dec 16, 2019

“In my business,” explained one immigrant entrepreneur in the mid-1930s, “I am the best economist.” So went the argument against centralized power acting for what it believed to be the common good. Knowledge is too diffuse for a command economy to function – just one lesson among many that historian and author Amity Shlaes gleaned […]

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A last gasp for the First Freedom (ft. Ramesh Ponnuru) Dec 03, 2019

The first Amendment to the Constitution provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” 200 years after its ratification, the Supreme Court determined that a nonsectarian prayer at a public high school’s graduation ceremony violated the Establishment Clause, and was not protected under the Free […]

The post A last gasp for the First Freedom (ft. Ramesh Ponnuru) appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Democracy with Chinese characteristics Nov 12, 2019

In 2019, everyone from seven-time NBA All-Star James Harden to the writers of South Park has something to say about China. The narrative is fairly simple: China is an economic behemoth, full of billions of consumers ready to support American business – as long as said business keeps quiet about Chinese authoritarianism and human rights […]

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Speech codes, bureaucracy, and the ‘shadow university’ Oct 14, 2019

College campuses play a central role in shaping the thinking of future leaders and current public intellectuals. But starting in the 1990’s, campuses took a strange tack, engaging in more banning than shaping. Speech codes developed by shadowy bureaucracies restricted activities that might offend – whether speech, laughter, or even pinning up a calendar. Professor […]

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Stork realities (ft. Lyman Stone) Sep 24, 2019

Are we doomed? Probably. But the reason for that doom depends on whom you ask. If you ask a candidate at a recent Democratic town hall event on climate change, we might be doomed because our planet cannot sustain current population levels. But if you ask writer Jonathan V. Last, he will write a book […]

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Back to America’s political future (ft. Karlyn Bowman) Sep 09, 2019

“Predictions are hard,” goes the proverb, “especially about the future.” But as the 2020 election season ramps up and Democrats compete for the opportunity to take the White House, it seems as though everyone will try anyway. Some predictions are based on a close look at demographic and other long-term political trends, while others depend […]

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The post-humanist counterculture Aug 12, 2019

Irving Kristol examines the origins and legacies of counterculture and how it continues to reverberate in the world of politics today.

The post The post-humanist counterculture appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

The measure of man Aug 02, 2019

“We use our conceptions of human nature to manage our relationships, to control our own behavior, and guide our policies in law and government.” But what is human nature?

The post The measure of man appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Making men normal Jul 15, 2019

Can the state order its culture to a higher good? Should it?

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We are all Jeffersonians. We are all anti-Jeffersonians. Jul 01, 2019

Nicole Penn joins the podcast to discuss Thomas Jefferson, a man of endless contradictions.

The post We are all Jeffersonians. We are all anti-Jeffersonians. appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

What it means to be free Jun 17, 2019

Without our ugly history of slavery, are we able to truly cherish the gift of liberty as we should?

The post What it means to be free appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

What is American education? Feat. Frederick Hess Jun 03, 2019

AEI’s Frederick Hess joins the show to discuss whether Peltzman had the right answers — or was even asking the right questions.

The post What is American education? Feat. Frederick Hess appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

You can’t say that! Censorship in public discourse (feat. Sam Abrams) May 20, 2019

For challenging the campus orthodoxy, he was condemned with every slander imaginable.

The post You can’t say that! Censorship in public discourse (feat. Sam Abrams) appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

The Old New Israel May 06, 2019

Is Israel a Jewish state? Or just a state of Jews?

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How did we get here? The roots of American primacy Apr 22, 2019

We take for granted that America is the world’s preeminent superpower, with hegemony abroad and prosperity at home. But how did we get here? And what does it mean for the US to use its superpower status to be a world leader?

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Is civil society eroding or evolving? Apr 08, 2019

What is social capital? And whatever it is, are Americans losing it? In his 1998 lecture, “Bowling with Tocqueville”, Everett Carl Ladd explained that he did not think so: His data and analysis led him to optimism about the state of participation in civil society, such as churches, recreational leagues, and even local politics. But […]

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Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Abraham Lincoln at 200 with Walter Berns Feb 15, 2019

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, released for President’s Day 2019, Walter Berns discusses the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The ideas contained in this lecture were the fruits of life-long study and reflection, and Professor Berns offers us additional reasons for sharing his regard for Lincoln, a man supreme in […]

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Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Defining deviancy up with Charles Krauthammer Jan 29, 2019

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, Charles Krauthammer discusses “Defining Deviancy Up.” This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in 1993. Dr. Krauthammer worried that Americans were beginning to define typical, healthy behaviors as deviant, changing everything from middle-class family life to ordinary sexual relationships, all while giving a pass to genuine […]

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Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: What went wrong with the media and how to put it right with Paul Johnson Dec 21, 2018

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, Paul Johnson discusses “What went wrong with the media and how to put it right.” This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in October of 1994. This lecture predated “alternative facts” and “fake news,” and, most importantly, it was given before the internet became part of […]

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Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Conservative internationalism: Armed diplomacy under Jefferson, Polk, Truman, and Reagan with Henry Nau Nov 19, 2018

In this episode of the Bradley Lecture Series Podcast, Henry Nau discusses “Conservative internationalism: Armed diplomacy under Jefferson, Polk, Truman, and Reagan.” Two schools of thought typically emerge when Americans debate their place in the world: a realist, nationalist school and a liberal internationalist school. In simple terms, they ask, “Are we to be ‘Fortress […]

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Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: The clash of civilizations with Samuel Huntington Oct 04, 2018

Professor Samuel Huntington discusses his famous essay “The Clash of Civilizations" and his hypothesis that conflicts in the post–Cold War world will no longer be defined by ideology or economics. Rather, they will be about culture and culture’s broadest level of identity short of what distinguished human beings from other species — civilization.

The post Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: The clash of civilizations with Samuel Huntington appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Did we really lose the War on Poverty with Christopher Jencks Sep 25, 2018

Professor Christopher Jencks evaluates the impact of major social welfare programs dating back to the New Deal, concluding that, contrary to popular opinion, they have done a better job over the past generations than most of us realize.

The post Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Did we really lose the War on Poverty with Christopher Jencks appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: From Victorian virtues to modern values with Gertrude Himmelfarb Sep 17, 2018

Gertrude Himmelfarb speaks about the cultural transformation from Victorian virtues to modern values in a morally relativist society. She argues that people during the Victorian era developed policies and social norms to encourage hard work, self-reliance, self-respect, and pride in country, while people today have demoralized social debates.

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Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Human flourishing and human excellence with Leon Kass Sep 06, 2018

Leon Kass discusses the exploration of human flourishing in Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics” and its modern-day implications.

The post Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: Human flourishing and human excellence with Leon Kass appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Bradley Lecture Series Podcast: An introduction by Karlyn Bowman Aug 28, 2018

AEI’s Karlyn Bowman introduces the Bradley Lectures, the newest offering on the AEI Podcast Channel, launching early in September 2018.

The Bradley Lectures were a series of occasional lectures at the American Enterprise Institute, made possible by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which aimed to enrich debate in the Washington policy community through exploration of the philosophical and historical underpinnings of current controversies.

For more than a quarter century, they attracted some of the most distinguished intellectuals in the country, including Irving Kristol, Robert Bork, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Walter Berns, James Q. Wilson, Bernard Lewis, Samuel Huntington, and others who have added immeasurably to our nation’s discourse. AEI is delighted to continue the legacy of the Bradley Lectures by offering them to a fresh audience.

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