Developing Classical Thinkers

Latest Episodes:

The Joy of Economics with Brian Balfour May 25, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Winston Brady talks with Brian Balfour about economics, schools of economic thought, and the role that a right understanding of economics plays in a free society.
For context, Brian Balfour is Senior Vice President of Research for the John Locke Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s research and analysis on a variety of issues. He specializes in fiscal policy issues and is also the author of the e-book “Economics in Action,” which teaches the free-market principles of the ‘Austrian School’ of economics.
Check out "Economics in Action" here: https://www.nccivitas.org/econbook/

The Founder, the Senior, and the Teacher May 18, 2021

Show notes

In this panel discussion, Bob Luddy (founder of Thales Academy), Josh Herring (Dean of Students), and Ethan Delves (Class of 2021) discuss the importance of Classical education, the value of reading a lot of books, and the Thales experience.
Ethan Delves has been at Thales Academy since kindergarten and we are all very proud of his accomplishments. Congratulations, Ethan!

Rolesville Senior Send-Off (Class of 2021) May 11, 2021

Show notes

Ashley Bahor and Josh Herring interview five members of the Thales Academy Rolesville Class of 2021. Morgan Taylor, Joojoo Rahim, Sophia Bany, Grayson Sakell, and Gabriel Walker discuss their time at Thales Academy, ways the unique classical education has benefited them, and where they are going next. Check it out!

All Things Debate Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Winston Brady and Josh Herring talk about all things debate: debate tips, debate skills, debate strategy, plans for new debate tournaments and debate electives at Thales Academy, as well as an upcoming look at Josh Herring's new podcast and YouTube show, The Optimistic Curmudgeon, coming in August of 2021.

Paying Attention with Andrew Kern Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

Winston Brady speaks with Andrew Kern, President of the CiRCE Institute. In this episode, Winston and Andrew talk about virtue and the role of a Great Books education in cultivating virtue and the role Classical education has in helping students to form good character and cultivate good habits, as well as the incredible importance of teaching students how to pay attention and resolve discord in an age where such things are increasingly hard to do.
More information about CiRCE, or the Center for Independent Research on Classical Education, can be found at their website: https://www.circeinstitute.org/

The Socratic Method Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

In this brief episode, we take a look at the Socratic Method. We look at how Benjamin Franklin used the Socratic Method in his own life, how Socrates asked questions of his interlocutors to encourage them to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty, and how the Socratic Method is used in the Classical classroom to help teach students how to think, not what to think.

Interview with Wilfred McClay Apr 06, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, Winston Brady speaks with Dr. Wilfred McClay, an intellectual historian and the author of the recent textbook on American history, “Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story.” Dr. McClay is currently the G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma but will soon be joining the faculty at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
In this episode, they discuss trends in contemporary American politics, the influences on, and the education of, the Founding Fathers, and the enduring importance of studying history for character formation and the cultivation of virtue.
Check out “Land of Hope” available here: https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/land-of-hope-paperback/

Reading Wendell Berry Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

In today's episode, Josh Herring, Matt Ogle, and Travis Copeland discuss three poems by Wendell Berry: 'What We Need is Here,' 'The Peace of Wild Things,' and 'A Small Porch in the Woods.'
Wendell Berry is a novelist, poet, essayist who lives and farms in Henry County, Kentucky. He studied English literature at both the University of Kentucky and New York University before returning to his hometown to again take up the life of a farmer. His agrarian style elevates the beauty of the natural, wild world focused on the particularities of place.
For more information about Wendell Berry checkout theberrycenter.org.
'What We Need is Here':
https://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=2144
'The Peace of Wild Things':
https://onbeing.org/poetry/the-peace-of-wild-things/
'A Small Porch in the Woods': https://drive.google.com/file/d/125v0eSFpCBYWBZYrJoJipDw2PoeHARDd/view?usp=sharing

Interview with Connor Boyack Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Winston speaks with Connor Boyack, the founder of the Libertas Institute, a Utah-based non-profit thinktank. He is also the author of the Tuttle Twins books, a children’s book series that introduces young readers to economic, political, and civic principles. On the show they discuss the creative process behind the books and the key thinkers and ideas of Austrian economics.
More information about the Libertas Institute can be found here: https://libertas.org/

Why Study History? Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode, we look at the value of studying history as a subject in and of itself. Today, many people criticize history as an academic enterprise on several fronts: one, whether or not history is useful to study at all and two, if we study history, we tend to focus on certain monumental figures to the neglect of other voices within the historical narrative.
To that end, what people, places, and voices in history should we focus on in studying history? What are the principles upon which we should study history? What is the goal of studying history, and how might the study of history contribute to positive character development and human flourishing?
In this episode, we examine these questions and solicit answers from a wide array of opinions from teachers and educators on the content, purpose, and value of studying history, including Wilfred McClay, an intellectual historian at Hillsdale College, Leah Klein, the Chair of the History Department at Thales Apex, Clifford Humphrey, Director of Admissions at Thales College, Terry Stoops, Director for the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation, and Bob Luddy, the founder of Thales Academy.
For further reading, please check out:
Shannon Watkins, “Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History”: https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2020/02/reinvigorating-the-teaching-of-american-history/
Wilfred McClay’s “Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story": https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/land-of-hope-paperback/
Robert Strassler’s “The Landmark Herodotus,” and “The History of the Peloponnesian War,”
DCT Survey Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/1MQ69P9i_EGLA6vIY7v2PH9HSDkZ38RW59xqTUJtRDkY/edit?usp=forms_home&ths=true

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