Thinkers from Karl Marx to Noam Chomsky have shaped political thought and transformed societies. In this episode of The Book Club, Michael Knowles and PragerU’s executive director, Allen Estrin, discuss Intellectuals by Paul Johnson and how the book highlights both the brilliance and dangers of intellectuals’ impact on humanity.

Hour 1

The Book Club with Michael Knowles

Allen Estrin: Intellectuals by Paul Johnson

Once required reading for high school students, To Kill a Mockingbird now comes with trigger warnings. The book, which confronts and calls out the evils of racism, is considered by some to be too offensive for our modern-day woke sensibilities. Why? Set in 1930s Alabama, a young girl watches her attorney father defend a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Michael Knowles is joined by Derryck Green to discuss the powerful themes of this timeless American classic and why it should continue to be read (not banned).

Derryck Green: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Michael Knowles is joined by Pastor Rob McCoy to discuss the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most beloved and frequently cited passages in the gospels of the New Testament. Together, Michael and Pastor McCoy explore the various interpretations of the text and reflect on the lessons that Jesus’s sermon teaches us about living a virtuous Christian life.

Pastor Rob McCoy: Sermon on the Mount

Is the purpose of life happiness, and if so, how can we achieve it? Written nearly 2,500 years ago, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is as relevant today as it's ever been. Michael Knowles is joined by Professor Charles Kessler to discuss this seminal work exploring the age-old question of how to live a happy and meaningful life. As it turns out, Aristotle’s recipe for the good life has not grown stale.

Charles Kesler: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

What if your sins were on display for all the world to see? Michael Knowles is joined by Julie Hartman to discuss The Scarlet Letter, which tells the story of a young woman who is shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. What can we learn from this American classic about society’s response to immorality, the complexities of love and passion, guilt, shame, hypocrisy, and repentance?

Julie Hartman: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

How do you stay true to yourself in a world that demands conformity? Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead—centered around a talented architect who refuses to compromise his principles or conform to the expectations of others—examines whether we should uphold the “common good” if it means sacrificing our own self-interest. Michael Knowles is joined by former Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's CEO Andy Puzder to discuss this seminal work and its view of the collective vs. the individual. This video was made possible by a generous gift from The Peter & Judy Copses Foundation.

Andy Puzder: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

If you lost every good thing in your life, would you still praise God? The Book of Job from the Old Testament is considered one of the great masterpieces of early literature. Michael Knowles is joined by Owen Anderson, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Arizona State University, to examine one of the Bible's most profound stories, which explores the issues of human suffering, the nature of God, and the meaning of life.

Owen Anderson: The Book of Job

How do you know if you’re trapped in a false reality? Can you see the truth or are you simply looking at shadows on the wall? Solveig Gold joins Michael Knowles to discuss Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” from his renowned work, “The Republic.” This symbolic story about human perception and the pursuit of truth reminds us not to trust our senses alone. We must step outside the cave and challenge ourselves to discover the true nature of reality.

Solveig Gold: The Cave by Plato

What makes The Canterbury Tales the most popular work of English literature ever? Penned by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, this medieval collection of stories depicts a diverse group of characters and covers topics ranging from chivalry and deceit to religious corruption. Michael Knowles sits with Catherine Illingworth to discuss what he describes as “the most vulgar, bawdy, downright often disgusting book I’ve ever read.”

Catherine Illingworth: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” That’s why we need a social contract—an exchange of freedom for security to avoid a dog-eat-dog state of nature. At least, that’s what Thomas Hobbes posited in Leviathan. Michael Knowles and guest John Yoo, Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, discuss how Hobbes’s seminal work has shaped political philosophy for centuries.

John Yoo: Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

What can we learn from ancient Greek poetry? A foundational text of Western Civilization—The Iliad by Homer—is one of the oldest pieces of literature still read by modern audiences. Why? Because we recognize ourselves in its timeless themes of war, love, fate, and free will. Ivy League classicist Joshua Katz joins Michael Knowles to discuss this 2,800-year-old poem embodying the human condition.

Joshua Katz: The Iliad by Homer

Christians have been mocked, humiliated, and persecuted for their faith for hundreds of years. The Pilgrim’s Progress, written by Puritan preacher John Bunyan while he was in prison for holding religious services, is an encouraging reminder that difficulties and hardships are part and parcel with a life of faith. Allie Stuckey joins Michael Knowles to discuss how this seminal 17th-century work can embolden and strengthen Christians to endure the hardships of today.

Allie Stuckey: The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud—the father of psychoanalysis—explores the perpetual struggle between self and society. Clinical psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at UCLA Dr. Stephen Marmer joins Michael Knowles for a deep dive into Freud’s anti-utopian work that calls for individuals to take responsibility for themselves.

Stephen Marmer: Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud

Could anyone have predicted the future of America 200 years ago? Alexis de Tocqueville foresaw a society fraught with materialism and “soft despotism" in his classic study of self-governance, freedom, and equality, Democracy in America. Pete Peterson, Dean of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, and Michael Knowles discuss what we can learn from de Tocqueville’s prophetic words.

Pete Peterson: Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

What happens if you follow your heart, pursuing love and happiness above all else, devoid of duty or virtue? Nothing good according to Leo Tolstoy, author of Anna Karenina. Inez Stepman, senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum, joins Michael Knowles for a deep dive into this great literary work about fidelity, marriage, and betrayal.

Inez Stepman: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The American Revolution led to the birth of a new, free nation, while the French Revolution led to blood and terror. What was the difference and what can we learn from history before it’s rewritten or forgotten entirely? Political theorist and Bible scholar Yoram Hazony joins Michael Knowles for a discussion about Edmund Burke’s treatise “Reflections on the Revolution in France.”

Yoram Hazony: Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke

Something is deeply amiss in contemporary American culture. Young people have lost touch with reality and become trapped by moral relativism. Is post-modern education to blame? Education expert Max Eden joins Michael Knowles for an eye-opening discussion of Allan Bloom’s unexpected bestseller  
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