596: The Great Conversation In the Age of Screeching

Scott Hambrick is a home educating parent, entrepreneur, strength coach and the creator (Reader In Chief) of OnlineGreatBooks.com. He returns to discuss the power of questions in the Great Conversation, how to read philosophy, and what the hell is going on out there.Can Philosophical Engagement Bring Serenity In the Current Year?Scott and I run through some current events including Covington, AOC/Trump - I'm realizing the media has decayed faster than I have been able to keep up with it - how does this work fit into our current world? - How to maintain calm and rationality and in a hysterical irrational world - Prioritizing the pursuit of truth while so many are willing to abandon itThe Power of QuestionsScott discusses the role of the moderator in group discussions at Online Great Books. Good questions are open-ended. They are not pointed or leading. A good interlocutor asks honest questions and requests the same from the group, without attempting to teach or profess.Some examples:1. Why do people continue to read this book? There are lots of books from all periods of human history, but what makes thisbook so important? For instance, why is the Iliadand the Odysseyso seminal in Greek literature, instead of Prometheus Bound?2. Why was this book written?3. What can we learn about human nature from reading this book?4. Has human nature changed since this book was written? Are people the same now as they were at the time of writing?5. How did this book change the course of thought in history?How To read PhilosophyWhat do these books still have to tell us in the 21st century? - discovering and understanding the hidden assumptions and biases of the author - Adler's childlike curiosity approach; bringing a blank slate mind to a text - why it's often better to avoid reading extensive biographies or commentaries on philosophers, before reading their works - We discuss Plato and his Seventh Letter as an example for this processJoin the Great Conversation!Please Support School SucksWe do cool things! Thanks to your support.School Sucks is one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). Your support keeps the show going and growing, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further!Thanks for visiting this page. Before you do anything, please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With UsOne-Time Donation Options:Paypal/Venmo;Donate DASHDonate ETHEREUMDonate LITECOINDonate BITCOINDonate BITCOIN CASHDonate ZCASHRecurring Options:Support Us On PATREONHelp incentivize our production! Pledge $1 per content item and access dozens of Patron only audios and videos.Join the A/V ClubIf you're looking for more School Sucks content, the A/V Club option grants you access to a bonus content section with 400+ hours of exclusive audio and video. If you are a regular consumer of our media, please consider making a monthly commitment by selecting the best option for you...A/V Club - Basic Access - $8.00/MonthA/V Club - "Advanced" Access - $12.00/MonthSigma Sigma Pi - "Privileged" Access - $16.00/Month Crypto Addresses:DASH; XcZfPP6GZGVo9VKViNBVJZja5JVxZDB229ETHEREUM; 0x3c5504CE3401C028832173506fa30BD4db4b7D35LITECOIN; LKNp24f5wwvZ2QzeDbvxXgBxyVwi1yXnu2BITCOIN; 1KhwY836cfSGCK5aaGFv8Q7PHMgghFJn1UBITCOIN CASH 1AmqLVxjw3Lp9KT5ckfvsqfN2Hn3B1hCWSZCASH; t1by1ZGJ63LoLSjXy27ooJtipf4wMr7qbu4