Reviewing a Season on Arts and Liberalism with Benjamin Brophy

Reviewing a Season on Arts and Liberalism with Benjamin Brophy

Ben Brophy, vice president of strategic engagement at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, joins Rebecca Lowe and Henry Oliver to reflect on the first season of The Street Porter and the Philosopher. They discuss questions that arose across the episodes, including the extent to which a work of art can count as liberal, how artistic experiences can contribute to a good life, and why classical liberals should appeal to the arts and philosophy alongside economics. They also look ahead to a new season focused on big arguments, including episodes on pluralism, the relation between liberalism and conservatism, and the possibility of alien life… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pursuitofliberalism.com [https://www.pursuitofliberalism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

F. A. Hayek and the Heart of Viennese Intellectual Culture with Erwin Dekker

Erwin Dekker [https://substack.com/profile/84937351-erwin-dekker], historian of economic thought and a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center [https://www.erwindekker.com/], joins Henry Oliver to discuss his book, The Viennese Students of Civilization. They explore the intellectual world that shaped F. A. Hayek, how Austrian liberalism differs from rights-based, utilitarian, and libertarian traditions, why markets and law should be understood as evolved cultural institutions, what Vienna's café culture contributed to modern social science, how American individualism reshaped Austrian economics, and much more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pursuitofliberalism.com [https://www.pursuitofliberalism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Declaration of Independence with Zena Hitz and Hollis Robbins

Welcome to the sixth episode of our new podcast season about liberalism and the arts. Zena Hitz, founder of the Catherine Project, and Hollis Robbins, professor of English, join Rebecca Lowe to read and debate the Declaration of Independence. They discuss its place in American life and education, its political context, its poetic and rhetorical qualities, its powerful impact over time, and much more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pursuitofliberalism.com [https://www.pursuitofliberalism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Chaïm Soutine and the Extremes of Art with Celeste Marcus

Welcome to the fifth episode of our new podcast season about liberalism and the arts. Celeste Marcus, executive editor of Liberties and author of the first English-language biography of Chaïm Soutine, joins Henry Oliver to discuss Soutine's life and work. They explore his journey from a small village near Minsk to the center of the Paris art world, his obsession with artistic originality, and the extremes of his work from carcasses to tenderness. Along the way, they discuss Rembrandt, Dostoevsky, the idea of the ‘art monster’, and the relevance of Soutine's success to the promise of liberal society. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pursuitofliberalism.com [https://www.pursuitofliberalism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Benjamin Britten, War, and Pacifism with Tyler Cowen

Welcome to the fourth episode of our new podcast season about liberalism and the arts. Tyler Cowen is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University, the co-author of the Marginal Revolution blog, and the writer of many books, including, most recently, The Marginal Revolution: Rise and Decline, and the Pending AI Revolution. He joins Rebecca Lowe to discuss whether Britten’s War Requiem is a liberal work of art. They consider it in the context of pacifism, religion, universalism, experimentation, and oppression, and debate the best anti-war works. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pursuitofliberalism.com [https://www.pursuitofliberalism.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]