Conservative Conversations with ISI

Conservative Conversations Episode 46—David Whalen on Wonder, Literature as Political, and Books that Inspire In this episode: Dr. David Whalen, a longtime English professor at Hillsdale College, describes what the telos of the university is The difference between wonder and curiosity How literature intersects with the political Texts Mentioned: King Lear by William Shakespeare On the Unseriousnes...

Conservative Conversations Episode 45—Victor Davis Hanson on The Dying Citizen In this episode: Victor Davis Hanson, winner of ISI’s Conservative Book of the Year Award, discusses his book “The Dying Citizen” during a special live podcast recording How elites have warped what citizenship is How identity politics has eroded citizenship and become an issue of national security Texts Mentioned: The D...

Conservative Conversations Episode 44—Josh Craddock on SCOTUS, Overturning Roe, and Building a Culture of Life In this episode:  Josh Craddock, affiliated scholar with the James Wilson Institute for Natural Rights and the American Founding, discusses the Supreme Court’s leaked majority opinion from an abortion case The legal history of abortion in America and the originalist case for prenatal pers...

Conservative Conversations Episode 43—Michael Gibson on Tech, Elon Musk’s Twitter, and the Paper Belt on Fire In this episode:  Tech venture capitalist Michael Gibson discusses working for Peter Thiel and investing in talented college dropouts and renegades The concept of the “Paper Belt” and how credentialism can obscure true education Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and what that might mean f...

Conservative Conversations Episode 42—Daniel Schmidt and the Future of Campus Journalism A Student Journalist’s Question That Rattled The Elites In this episode:  Daniel Schmidt, a freshman and senior editor at the University of Chicago’s Collegiate Network newspaper, discusses Anne Applebaum’s reaction to a question he asked about disinformation that went viral Why no one is asking influential le...

Conservative Conversations Episode 41—Matthew Schmitz on Compact Magazine, Right Liberalism and Left Libertinism In this episode:  Matthew Schmitz, co-founder and editor of the new Compact Magazine, discusses the juncture of the labor populist left and the populist right Editorial positions the nascent magazine has already taken that have caused a stir among the left and right What the editors mea...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 40—Christine Emba on Rethinking Sex In this episode:  The Washington Post’s Christine Emba describes her new book, “Rethinking Sex” How today’s sexual ethics are failing Americans Why consent is an ethical floor but not the ceiling of intimacy Texts Mentioned: Rethinking Sex: A Provocation by Christine Emba Become a part of ISI: Become a Member Support...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 39—Kevin Roberts on The Future of the Heritage Foundation, Criminal Justice Reform, and the Pro-Life Movement In this episode... Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, discusses the storied conservative institution How conservatives ought to approach “Defund the Police”  Why “social” conservatives shouldn’t be the junior partner in the mov...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 38—Steven F. Hayward on Reagan, M. Stanton Evans, and Lessons for Today  In this episode...  The “unsung” hero of conservatism, M. Stanton Evans The failures of liberalism leading up to President Reagan’s presidency The notion of free expression and its metaphysical roots Texts Mentioned: M. Stanton Evans: Conservative Wit, Apostle of Freedom by Steven...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 37—Matthew Continetti on Neoconservatism  In this episode...  Matthew explains the history of American conservatism, the topic of his upcoming book “Engaged nationalism” and the US’s role in international relations is described Listeners learn why Irving Kristol cautioned against traditionalism Texts Mentioned: The Right: The Hundred-Year War for Americ...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 36—David Goldman on American Innovation & Great Power Competition In this episode... David P. Goldman is an American economist, music critic, and author, best known for his series of online essays in the Asia Times under the pseudonym Spengler. He writes frequently for Asia Times, Law & Liberty, Claremont Review of Books, and First Things on pol...

Elbridge Colby on Creating a Conservative Foreign Policy In this episode... Elbridge Colby, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development at the Department of Defense, discusses foreign policy fault lines on the right, America’s biggest adversaries today, and his thoughts on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine Texts Mentioned: The Strategy of Denial: American...

Michael Brendan Dougherty on Populist Chaos, the Parental Principle And What Ireland Taught Him About Tradition. In this episode... Michael Brendan Dougherty, senior writer at National Review, discusses the implications of what he witnessed at his child’s school board meeting, his evolution as a conservative, and the parentless generation that was orphaned by history Texts Mentioned: My Father Lef...

Tom Woods on Folk Libertarianism, the Biomedical Security State and the Anti-War Movement In this episode... Tom Woods, host of the Tom Woods Show, discusses libertarianism, its drift away from Ron Paul’s values, and institutional libertarianism’s approach to government overreach during COVID-19 Texts Mentioned: Tom Woods’ Reading List The Revolution: A Manifesto , by Ron Paul Become a part of ISI...

Oren Cass on Breaking the College-for-All Model In this episode... Oren Cass, executive director of American Compass and author of The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America discusses his recent findings about the high-school-to-college pipeline, and potential solutions that could allow Americans on other paths to prosper Texts Mentioned: Coming Apart by Charles Murray...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 31—David Reaboi on National Divorce In this episode... David Reaboi, a fellow at the Claremont Institute, discusses why he believes a national divorce is inevitable in the U.S. due to the fundamental disagreements between the left and moderates and conservatives. Texts Mentioned: The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom A Conflict of Visions by T...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 30—Erica Bachiochi on The Rights of Women In this episode... Erica Bachiochi, legal scholar and author of the book “The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision,” discusses the feminist movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, and how far recent feminist activists have shifted on issues such as abortion when compared to the movement’s progenitors Text...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 29— Helen Andrews on the Boomers In this episode... Helen Andrews, a senior editor at The American Conservative, discusses her book about the Boomer Generation -- one which promised freedom and delivered disaster Texts Mentioned: " The Last Imperialist: Sir Alan Burns's Epic Defense of the British Empire " by Bruce Gilley " In the Ja...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 28—Josh Hammer, op-ed editor at Newsweek, discusses the conservative legal movement, a recent abortion case that places two foundational modern abortion precedents in the crosshairs, and Hamiltonian jurisprudence. In this episode... “Common Good Originalism” is defined Josh walks us through the conservative legal movement’s history Josh answers the ques...

Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 28 - Pedro Gonzalez on the Crisis of Manhood In this episode... Pedro Gonzalez, an editor at Chronicles Magazine, talks about online fitness subcultures, the left’s attack on masculinity, and the role of men in American society Books Mentioned: Sun and Steel by Yukio Mishima The New Right’s Strange and Dangerous Cult of Toughness by David French America...

Conservative Conversation with ISI: Episode 27 - James Poulos and the Cyborg Vivarium In this episode...  James Poulos discusses his new book “Human, Forever,” technology, and the soul Books Mentioned: Proud To Be Right: Voices of the Next Conservative Generation , Jonah Goldberg The Constant Gardener, John le Carré Become a part of ISI: Become a Member Support ISI Upcoming ISI Events

Conservative Conversation with ISI: Episode 26 - Yoram Hazony In this episode...  Yoram Hazony discusses what National conservatism is, and highlights from the National Conservatism 2 conference in Orlando. Books Mentioned: The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties , Christopher Caldwell The Virtue of Nationalism , Yoram Hazony Become a part of ISI: Become a Member Support ISI Upcoming ISI...

Conservative Conversation with ISI: Episode 25 - Dan McCarthy In this episode...  The Vice President of the Collegiate Network, Dan McCarthy, discusses how the media have discredited themselves in the eyes of many Americans, the journalists who are trailblazing in a hostile media landscape, and how students can help revitalize journalistic integrity Books Mentioned: Communism and Nationalism , Rom...

Conservative Conversation with ISI: Episode 24 - Elizabeth Corey and Jeff Polet on The Woke University In this episode...  ISI faculty members describe the type of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives campuses across America are coercing students and faculty to participate in Books Mentioned: Straight Man , Richard Russo Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Indus...

 Conservative Conversations with ISI: Episode 23 - Mary Harrington & Reactionary Feminism In this episode...  A listener question on the threats of progressivism on womankind An interview with UnHerd Contributing Editor, Mary Harrington Links:  Crisis is the New Normal The Case for Tory Anarchism Reactionary Feminist Substack The Lamp Books Mentioned: Full Surrogacy Now , Sophie Lewis The Righ...