Special Guest Ben arrives on the program to give a succinct summary of  Charles Taylor's "Secular Age" and saves the boys several months of reading. Stephen's main man David Foster Wallace makes an angst-filled return. Sam steals several of Brevin's transitions, and everyone successfully passes the All Souls College Entrance Exam. Have a Listen!

306 The Problem with..."Online PE Classes and a Secular Age" ft. Ben

We're back at it with the Master and His Emissary Chapter 10, and we've brought a special guest to throw water on our enthusiasm! Nik has some choice words to say about McGilchrist's analysis of the Enlightenment (and everything else), Brevin is ready to go to war with birds, and Stephen takes the controversial position of disliking group projects. Have a listen!

307 The Problem with..."McGilchrist, RPG Novels, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 13" ft. Nik

While this podcast is supposed to be about the industrial revolution's creation of a dystopian hellscape, the Master and His Emissary sort of breezes by the topic, and the boys do too. Instead they talk about who to vote for in 2020, how many whole fried chickens one can stuff into a Bloody Mary, and even a mask/vaccine politics. Have a listen!

308 The Problem with “Romanticism, Blood Marys, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 14"

It's the homestretch as the Master and His Emissary stares at modernism and postmodernism. There's plenty more about why modern art is bad--what's not to like!? Also, Brevin brings an article about kickstarter board game bloat, Sam laments self-inviting relatives, and Stephen goes on an expectative-laced rant against innocent car enthusiasts. Have a listen!

309 The Problem with... "Modernism, Bad Neighbors, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 15"

It's finally the end of the Master and His Emissary. As they finish up the final chapter, the boys reflect on a long journey well spent, as well as critique a few gaps in the book's conclusion. Also, firebombing freemasons, sinophillic sociologists, Covid nonsense, and comic sans psychopathy. Have a listen!

310 The Problem with…"Zarathustra, Sociology, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 16"

First of two episodes on the ever-relevant "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman, as well as some meditations on our reemergent nuclear moment. Also--Stephen has new appreciation for water torture, Sam's mind is collapsing attempting to answer the question "Are there more doors or wheels?", and Brevin thinks the Orthodox made lousy DnD classes. Have a listen!

402 The Problem with... "Wheels, Nukes, and Amusing Ourselves to Death, Part 1"

Chase joins Brevin and Stephen to discuss the looming AI threat.  Robots can chat, paint, seduce lonely (mystic) programmers, and write their own code. So will civilization be ended by Terminators or overly friendly Chatbots? The answer will surprise you. Also--reminiscences about beating kids in card games, how to make a ham sandwich according to Pope Francis, and why you shouldn't buy new things.  

Articles: 
~ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence
~youtube.com/watch?v=jPhJbKBuNnA
~science.org/content/article/ai-learns-write-computer-code-stunning-advance
~cbc.ca/news/science/ai-consciousness-how-to-recognize-1.6498068
~theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence-writing-ethics/672386
~vice.com/en/article/akex34/chatgpt-is-a-bullshit-generator-waging-class-war
~mashable.com/article/microsoft-bing-ai-chatbot-weird-scary-responses
~wired.com/story/picture-limitless-creativity-ai-image-generators
~unherd.com/2022/05/the-anti-christ-now-rules-us-all/
~medium.com/@lindynewsletter/is-culture-stuck-eb3171262f9e
~medium.com/@lindynewsletter/refinement-culture-51d96726c642
~nytimes.com/2022/04/24/business/akihiko-kondo-fictional-character-relationships.html

411 The Problem with..."ChatGPT and Ham Sandwiches" ft. Chase

The day has finally come to give DFW the treatment he deserves, and Stephen couldn’t be happier. We’ve brought on Liv as backup to explore the heavily foot- and endnoted fiction and non-fiction projects of David Foster Wallace. We discuss the importance of paying attention, the danger of entertainment, the struggle to escape postmodern cynicism, if the only way out is through, and finally what metamodernism may have to offer. Have a listen!
 
Articles:
-“This is Water” by David Foster Wallace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCbGM4mqEVw)
-“A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again” by David Foster Wallace
-“The View from Mrs. Thompson's” by David Foster Wallace
-“ An Interview With David Foster Wallace” by Larry McCaffery
-“Philosophizing With Lightning?: a Review Of 'Metamodernism: The Future Of Theory'” by By Peter Fousek (https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/philosophizing-with-lightning-a-review-of-metamodernism-the-future-of-theory?)

417 The Problem with…“David Foster Wallace” ft. Liv

In which we begin our next book journey and introduce "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes" by the philosopher/sociologist/theologian Jacques Ellul. There's numerous reasons to read this book: the year, our technological stage, our memetic ecology. But also, it sounds fun. Pick up a copy and read along with us!

(Free online text: theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jacques-ellul-propaganda)

421 The Problem with... "Propaganda by Jacques Ellul"

The quest for peasant illiteracy has finally led to the belly of the beast: the Publishing Industry. And literary agent Ellen is the perfect intrepid insider to explain its nuances and absurdities, explicate Booktok, and also talk down the boys from getting book burnings going again. At the end, everyone pitches their novel ideas. Have a listen!

428 The Problem with..."Booktok and Publishing" ft. Ellen

We finally reach the fifth and final chapter of Jacques Ellul's Propaganda: The Socio-Political Effects. In a world where ideology itself is subject to propagandistic forces, do ideas like democracy and freedom mean anything? Can religion use propagandistic techniques and escape unscathed? The answers will depress you! Have a listen!

427 The Problem with..."Democracy, Televised Mass, and Propaganda, Part 6"

**Dear Listener, if you listened to our Propagandistic escapades, or even just one or two episodes, we'd love to hear your questions, hot takes, and objections. Submit questions, written or audio, to "The Problem with Reading Podcast" Facebook page, and we'll endeavor to answer them in a future episode!**

In this packed episode, we close out our journey through Jacques Ellul's "Propaganda" with all the top takeaways you need to know. Can we beat propaganda? How should we think about advertising and social media? Did the Unabomber have a point? These answers and more!

429 The Problem with..."Final Thoughts, the Unabomber, and Propaganda, Part 7"

As we delve deeper into winter, it’s worth one last quick look back at the year past. 

For your consideration, The Problem with Reading presents the eight best articles of 2024 as chosen by elite and erudite past podcast guests. From Monks to Mathematically-Challenged Medicalists, from Gym Rats to Gambling Addicts, from Anti-culture to Architecture—we have the best of 2024 all in one place, and from the best people. Have a listen!

~Inside the Dangerous, Secretive World of Extreme Fishing: theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/10/extreme-fishing-montauk-wetsuiting-striped-bass/679574/
~"[Don't] Call Me Daddy": Manosphere influencers are not your father: cracksinpomo.substack.com/p/dont-call-me-daddy-manosphere-influencers
~The Last Rave: newyorker.com/magazine/2024/07/08/a-pandemic-breakup
~'I literally can't stop.' The descent of a modern sports fan: nytimes.com/athletic/5777632/2024/10/14/sports-betting-addiction-problem-fans/
~Apparently, Calculus Was Invented In 1994: forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/11/10/apparently-calculus-was-invented-in-1994/
~Literature, Culture and the Western Soul: stmichaelschool.us/forming
~Cities for Humans: firstthings.com/cities-for-humans/
~The Carthusians of Vermont: firstthings.com/the-carthusians-of-vermont/


501 The Problem with..."2024"

In which we begin our new book: "Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed" by James C. Scott. High Modernism, maps, peasant anthropology, utopian schemes, evil architects...this book has it all, and we're excited for the journey. 

502 The Problem with..."Seeing Like a State"

German Scientific Forestry goes horribly wrong! Cadastral mapping allow for state exploitation of otherwise illegible localities! Appearance of order does not imply efficiency! Also, Sam breaks his toe, Brevin enjoys Shamrock Shakes, and Stephen is an Engineer™.

503 The Problem with…“Forstwissenschaftlers and Seeing Like a State, Part 1”

Is your Last Name a government conspiracy? Is 2xPi overrated? Is illegibility of local conditions and terrain a protection against state control? The answer to all these questions is “Yes.”

504 The Problem with…"Tau, France, and Seeing Like a State, Part 2”

The hands of High Modernism have left their mark on world, nowhere more dramatically than on the form of the City. Le Corbusier, architect and supervillain, contends with Jane Jacobs, New York Lover and sidewalk-er. How many cubic meters of air does a person needs? How much empty pavement can put down? Is 18 lanes enough for the main street? All these questions and more, answered. Also, everyone is ill, or soon to be. 

505 The Problem with..."Architectural Despots, Jane Jacobs, and Seeing Like a State, Part 3"

We turn to Mother Russia, the Revolution, and a certain Mr. Lenin for another view into High Modernism. Weightlifting Socialists, vanguards, and alternative Marxisms are all on the table.  Separately, Stephen is a Doctor, ideas are special things, and we play out the episode with a special song. Have a listen! 

506 The Problem with..."Lenin, R&D, and Seeing Like a State, Part 4"

Dr. Mike joins the podcast to teach Metaphysics 101 and put Dr. Stephen in his place. We discuss the inescapability of metaphysics, the ontological argument (for perfect unicorns), and more. Plus, a game to decide the ultimate meta-metaphysician, and Mike hates basketball. Have a listen!

507 The Problem with..."Metaphysics" ft. Dr. Mike

Back in the day, all the cool kids were collectivizing farms, by force if necessary (it generally was). Did you know they were all High Modernists? James Scott tells the stories of Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Russia and their violent agricultural revolutions. The unfortunate meeting of capitalist and communist minds, united in the confidence of technocratic solutions, had immense the human cost, but led, inevitably, to legibility, and the reinforcement of the centralized state's position. Also, Spinal Tap for Sam, Stephen is mad about Grok, and Brevin's phone is going to explode. Have a listen!

508 The Problem with..."Communes, Spinal Tap, and Seeing Like a State, Part 5"

two lay catholics and an orthodox-adjacent nerd are unlikely roommates in a dystopian future where humans only exist as soundwaves. enjoy their attempts to discuss academic philosophy/words at all.

101 The Problem with..."Pilot Episodes and After Virtue, Part 1"

Why AirBnB Might be Okay, MacIntyre's Characters and Why He Kant Even, the Matrix and Reproduction, and the Horseshoe Theory Comes to Natalism. Have a listen.

Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers

102 The Problem with..."Natalism and the Matrix"

Thomas is away, but we welcome Sam to discuss our picks of the week. As it turns out, a recent book has finally killed God, now that religion is dead we've all joined cults, the Right and Left have their drugs of choice, and Christmas should be abolished. Have a listen. 

Articles: 
~nytimes.com/2012/03/25/books/review/a-universe-from-nothing-by-lawrence-m-krauss.html
~nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/andrew-sullivan-americas-new-religions.html
~chronicle.com/article/Dear-Humanities-Profs-We-Are/243100/

Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers

103 The Problem with..."Cults and Christmas" ft. Sam (Special Episode)

Stephen and Brevin are alone together this week as they tackle After Virtue Ch5 and discover that without Telos, there is no end to anything. They also speak for maladjusted millennials everywhere, decide that pre-blessed Matrimony is great, and that one should never forget strawberries.

Articles:
~buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/annehelenpetersen/millennials-burnout-generation-debt-work
~christandpopculture.com/taste-strawberries-tolkiens-imagination-good/

Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers

104 The Problem with..."Burnout and Strawberry Remembrance"

Sam joins the gang again to discern that the trolley problem meme really does explain all of philosophy, human rights are moral fictions, and that **Managers** are truly the architype of pure evil. We also vacillate between endless crippling loneliness (because of modernity) and totally justified boundless optimism (because of modernity). Stephen talks about David Foster Wallace again, and no one is surprised. Have a listen.

Articles:
~nytimes.com/2018/11/23/opinion/loneliness-political-polarization.html
 ~quillette.com/2019/01/14/enlightenment-wars-some-reflections-on-enlightenment-now-one-year-later/
~scribd.com/doc/164736651/Joseph-Frank-s-Dostoevsky-David-Foster-Wallace

Music: Ratatata by Jeremiah Dangers

105 The Problem with..."Loneliness and Living in a Society" ft. Sam

Join Stephen and Brevin and the vaunted chapter eight, where everything is unpredictable! Also in this episode: sad bad grad school, why Webster's 3rd dictionary is an abomination, and more math than you want. 

Articles:
~blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-emotional-toll-of-graduate-school/
~claremont.org/crb/article/bourbon-neat/

Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers

107 The Problem with..."Chaos Theory and Bourbon"

Sam, Brevin, and Stephen choose between Nietzsche and Aristotle in After Virtue chapter nine. The crew takes a deep dive into the mystery of Florida Man, read a Cosmopolitan article on Purity Culture, and discover that we are trees, you are trees, humans and society are trees, etc. Also AI will kill us all, but we knew that. 

On an unrelated note, imagine a country populated entirely with Ayn Rands and Nietzsches, and then imagine how many trains there would be. 

Articles:
~wsj.com/articles/physics-biology-and-economic-inequality-11549061005
~slate.com/technology/2019/02/super-bowl-commercials-robots-sadness-terror-nervous-laughter.html
~cosmopolitan.com/politics/a26026217/sexual-abstinence-joshua-harris-purity-movement-scam/

Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers

108 The Problem with..."Anglicans and Florida Man"

The team explores heroic societies, absurdity, and After Virtue chapter ten. When they run out of jokes about Greeks, Stephen muses about gender and coding, Sam explains how we'll never find love, and Brevin encourages us all to take a second hard look at Fun Dip. Also in the mix: ISIS brides, underpopulation, and Plato.

109 The Problem with…“Arranged Marriages and Candy"

The crew's The Master and His Emissary reading series kicks off with the introduction (a very good place to start). Also, Brevin says words he may regret about the WHO, the internet gods disrupt the broadcast, and Sam thinks "problematic" is problematic. Have a listen!

213 The Problem with..."the WHO, Cooperative Board Games, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 1"

The boys go after chapter 2 and the neuroscience of our dual hemispheres. Plus, Sam explains what face blindness is, Stephen hates on a kids TV show, an interactive quiz for our dear listeners, and Brevin goes off on Frozen 2.

215 The Problem with… “The Dragon Prince, Cradling Babies, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 3”

Stephen and Brevin finish up Part 1 of the Master and His Emissary to great fanfare. Also--White House tree planting traditions are opaque, Blade Runner 2049 has surprisingly good bioethics, and cookies are mmm.

221 The Problem with…“Replicants, Hemisphere Asymmetries, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 8”

The fellas tackle another full chapter of the Master and His Emissary, grapple with our helplessness in the face of our idiot ruling class, and invent Gerbil Theory (NSA grant pending). Also, Sam stages a coup against Stephen, Brevin reads a poem, and Christianity may have killed the Roman Empire. Have a listen!

303 The Problem with... "Whining, Chest Theory, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 11"

It is time to fix the Renaissance and the Reformation, and the boys manage to do so in just under an hour. Brevin tries to convince everyone the Martin Luther was the biggest mistake in history, spies don’t care about you, and Covid is changing how we do friendships. Also, Stephen hates physicists approximating equations badly, Sam welcomed the Superbowl’s uncontroversial commercials, and Brevin proposes a tea farm. Have a listen!

304 The Problem with… “The Tea Farm, and the Master and His Emissary, Part 12”

A book appreciation club hosted by one catholic, one anglican, and one orthodox nerd. We talk about book chapters, special topics, and what we're drinking. 

Currently: 
-James Scott's Seeing Like a State (502-present)

Previously:
-Jacques Ellul's Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes (421-427, 429)
-Carl Trueman's Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (407-410, 412-413, 415-416)
-Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death (402 and 405)
-Richard Weaver's Ideas Have Consequences (314-318) 
-Iain McGilchrist's The Master and His Emissary (213-310)
-Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue (101-114,116-119)

You can find this podcast on most podcast applications, Itunes, Spotify, and Soundcloud.

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