I’m enjoying Brad. My son’s a few years younger, and I’d offer them both the same advice: relax a little when you talk, use some humor, and slow the pace. Rapid‑fire delivery can make listeners anxious — and at my age and after the COVID insanity, my trigger threshold isn’t what it used to be. LOL
Great point about class mobility being possible in every society. America and its founding are very special and worthy of reverence, but for many many years I have winced at the platitude that we are uniquely upwardly mobile.
Thanks! That would have been fun to see. The Harvard Crimson has a review of it. Shalhoub was the nephew (perfect casting) and Jeremy Geidt played the philosopher. It must have been a hoot to perform the nephew, one of the all time over the top maniacs. It was adapted and directed by Andrei Belgrader, who also directed Shalhoub in 9 episodes of the TV series Monk. The book was one of Isaiah Berlin's favorites, which is how I ran across it.
Isaiah Berlin has a terrific essay on Machiavelli titled The Originality of Machiavelli. He begins it with a review of the commentary on Machiavelli and remarks that despite writing in clear straightforward prose, Machiavelli has engendered an astonishing number of interpretations of his political opinions. Berlin spends the first 14+ pages of his essay cataloging these interpretations. I think you will find interesting Berlin's thesis on why Machiavelli seems to be so disturbing as to engender this wide variety of intense reactions. The essay is about 50 pages and in Berlin's usual style immensely readable. It can be found in the anthology of his works, The Proper Study of Mankind, and in his book Against the Current, Essays in the History of Ideas. An early version of the essay based on a lecture can be found online here: https://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/lists/nachlass/machiavelli.pdf
Proverbs expresses this: “There’s safety in a multitude of counselors.” However, the majority is often very unimpressive. Mob rule ( what we are experiencing now) is very scary.
John Adams said that the American Constitution is only suited to a “moral and religious people and was wholly unsuited to any other. “ What does or would Machiavelli say about this idea within the various governments he describes?
Mia Culpa! Watching the recorded version made such a difference! It was YouTube, not the podcast that made the visuals look bad. Shame on me for not trying it on Substack! I won't watch on YouTube anymore! My apologies!
Brad, you look good in your 3-D set! I'm going to set my Boy-Wonder-Type superhero character after you. I have a stable of superhero characters and I need a Boy Wonder. One day, you will all, I'm sure, read my superhero adventures but I can only tell you their names (for reasons of secrecy) and then you'll know:
The Urinator!, The Junk!, The Bush! (it's a girl), and Incredibly Violent Gay Man!
The wheels have come off the wagon, Matt.
What is this?
This kind of stuff is not why subscribers signed-up.
Ever consider there MIGHT be a reason 400 years later to pay attention Machiavelli?
I understand TMZ is Free.
Ever consider there MIGHT be 40 other podcasts where I can study Machiavelli -- if I feel I need to brush up.
That's not why I subscribe to Matt Taibbi. And it's not what he was offering when I subscribed.
That said, being a jackass here is free for you.
🤫🤫🤫🫏🫏🫏
All I can say is THUMBS DOWN.
All I can say is GFY
I leave that to a skilled professional such as yourself.
I leave that to a moron such as yourself.
Die.
Exactly! I'm not listening to no %^&* video recording. NS If there's not transcript, fuhgeddaboudit.
I’m enjoying Brad. My son’s a few years younger, and I’d offer them both the same advice: relax a little when you talk, use some humor, and slow the pace. Rapid‑fire delivery can make listeners anxious — and at my age and after the COVID insanity, my trigger threshold isn’t what it used to be. LOL
IF I May Dr. William R. Cook Machiavelli in Context
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt8NmV7jBVNHz1pEROFOk-f_GrNuOvp5P
L01 Who Is Machiavelli Why Does He Matter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki6DZtcjtEc&list=PLt8NmV7jBVNHz1pEROFOk-f_GrNuOvp5P&index=1
Even before i watch, congrats on looking at machiavelli.
Here’s my take: https://peterderrico.substack.com/p/quotes-and-notes-on-power?r=1hp10e&utm_medium=ios
I appreciate Brad’s historical context.
Great point about class mobility being possible in every society. America and its founding are very special and worthy of reverence, but for many many years I have winced at the platitude that we are uniquely upwardly mobile.
Different but really good, I am looking forward to the next one. Very interesting and informative, I learned and enjoyed!
ThisThis is wonderful .Loved hearing the back and forth and having Brad chime in, using his degree and understanding. I'm reading again!
I like the new show and format. Would it be possible for Brad to say "book" instead of "text," though? It comes of as really pretentious.
If you are open to a suggestion on a book to discuss, how about Rameau's Nephew by Diderot?
Tony Shalhoub did a one man show of Rameau’s Nephew in the late 1980s in New York. Sheer genius. Doubt it was filmed though.
Thanks! That would have been fun to see. The Harvard Crimson has a review of it. Shalhoub was the nephew (perfect casting) and Jeremy Geidt played the philosopher. It must have been a hoot to perform the nephew, one of the all time over the top maniacs. It was adapted and directed by Andrei Belgrader, who also directed Shalhoub in 9 episodes of the TV series Monk. The book was one of Isaiah Berlin's favorites, which is how I ran across it.
Isaiah Berlin has a terrific essay on Machiavelli titled The Originality of Machiavelli. He begins it with a review of the commentary on Machiavelli and remarks that despite writing in clear straightforward prose, Machiavelli has engendered an astonishing number of interpretations of his political opinions. Berlin spends the first 14+ pages of his essay cataloging these interpretations. I think you will find interesting Berlin's thesis on why Machiavelli seems to be so disturbing as to engender this wide variety of intense reactions. The essay is about 50 pages and in Berlin's usual style immensely readable. It can be found in the anthology of his works, The Proper Study of Mankind, and in his book Against the Current, Essays in the History of Ideas. An early version of the essay based on a lecture can be found online here: https://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/lists/nachlass/machiavelli.pdf
Proverbs expresses this: “There’s safety in a multitude of counselors.” However, the majority is often very unimpressive. Mob rule ( what we are experiencing now) is very scary.
I could really get into this podcast series. I just wish the days had more than 24 hours.
wow, Brad's knowledge is spectacular.
John Adams said that the American Constitution is only suited to a “moral and religious people and was wholly unsuited to any other. “ What does or would Machiavelli say about this idea within the various governments he describes?
Mia Culpa! Watching the recorded version made such a difference! It was YouTube, not the podcast that made the visuals look bad. Shame on me for not trying it on Substack! I won't watch on YouTube anymore! My apologies!
Brad, you look good in your 3-D set! I'm going to set my Boy-Wonder-Type superhero character after you. I have a stable of superhero characters and I need a Boy Wonder. One day, you will all, I'm sure, read my superhero adventures but I can only tell you their names (for reasons of secrecy) and then you'll know:
The Urinator!, The Junk!, The Bush! (it's a girl), and Incredibly Violent Gay Man!