The American Age
Season 2
Episodes
Monday Jun 24, 2019
Monday Jun 24, 2019
077 – The hosts' extend their diagnoses of the intellectual misanthropy that has helped make Trump's populism palatable, by working through the arguments for civility in the public sphere.
Monday Jun 17, 2019
Monday Jun 17, 2019
076 – The election of Donald Trump in 2016 broke the mold of the modern American President. Countless factors undoubtedly contributed to his election, but one that is seldom discussed is Trump's compatibility with the critical intellectual fatalism common in continental philosophy.
Monday Jun 10, 2019
Monday Jun 10, 2019
075 – In a democracy the press serves a vital function--the dissemination of facts. Facts are slippery, but their faithful pursuit strengthens our national character. What has the election of Donald Trump revealed about fact-based media in America?
Monday Jun 03, 2019
Monday Jun 03, 2019
074 – Cultural progress requires change, but that change isn't always positive for its agents. For many years progressives ignored the cost of progress, but that bill came due in November, 2016. The 2016 election is a clear signal the world is changing, but what is it changing into?
Monday May 27, 2019
Monday May 27, 2019
073 – What do we mean when we say that someone does or does not "look presidential?" Is it still freighted with the same assumptions about race and gender (i.e. white and male)? The hosts discuss the possibility that it is convey a kind of dispassionate and benign ruthlessness.
Monday May 20, 2019
Monday May 20, 2019
072 – In most polling Joe Biden is the front runner amongst Democrats in the 2020 Presidential primaries. But he's a problematic candidate because many of his mannerisms put him out of step with the Democratic base. What kind of politician is Biden and can he secure the nomination?
Monday May 13, 2019
Monday May 13, 2019
071 – The 2020 Democratic field is crowded, but there are a few standouts. Assessing the field, the hosts make the argument that Elizabeth Warren stands far out ahead of the rest in terms of preparedness. But is she electable?
Monday May 06, 2019
Monday May 06, 2019
070 – Though it is widely accepted that Michael Jackson suffered from vitiligo, there is still much to be learned from looking at our own responses to his cosmetic transformation. What does Jackson's appearance say about our own racial imagination?
Monday Apr 29, 2019
Monday Apr 29, 2019
069 – Megastars like Michael Jackson seem to be exempted from critiques of their wealth. Rarely do you hear Jay-Z or Tom Hanks referred to derisively as "the one percent." Why don't we care about extremes of wealth in our entertainers?
Monday Apr 22, 2019
Monday Apr 22, 2019
068 – People are willing to sacrifice a lot to be near greatness. From Plato's Symposium to starfuckers, the desire to be near the powerful has been with us a long time. But to be near that kind of power requires a sacrifice.