The Problem with Reading: Recent Episodes
The Problem with Reading
A book/bourbon appreciation club hosted by one catholic, one anglican, and one orthodox-adjacent nerd. We talk about book chapters, special topics, and what we're drinking.
Currently: -Holiday Vibes
Previously: -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.
The Bioethics Just Keep Happening, and so we bring out Resident Bioethicist Alison back to talk through a selection of our group chat rantings over the past few years. AI, MAID, Leo's Encyclical, Freebirthing Movements, the metaphysics of dependence and care, and oh so much more. Have a listen!
The Problem With Reading tackles doubt, Resident Evil 9, and Shakespeare in the Park. Have a listen!
The Problem With Reading proceeds apace through Polanyi Chapter 8, finally getting to his positive project, and the core of knowledge he feels is safe to build from. Also, many shots at Mr. Alan Turing, his Test, and the fallacy of AI knowledge. For rants we have LASIK, shoe selection, and mandatory blackouts. Have a listen!
In it, Reno argues that the Postwar Consensus after World War 2 substituted weak gods of openness in reaction to the ideological horrors that caused the conflict. But what happens when weak gods stick around too long and the consensus starts to fray? Stephen and Brevin have read about it, Mojo lived it, and everybody has something to rant (or romp) about, so have a listen!
Marxists, friendship, and how to fully commit while possibly being wrong! Polanyi keeps digging the hole deeper, but also starts to hint at his answer. Sam has a love-hate relationship with Ikea, Brevin is suffering seasonal heating mismatches, and everyone is having a good time. Have a listen!
The gents investigate their scientific passions and perils in this episode. Can we trust the beauty of reality to out, or will personal attacks prevail? Polanyi argues that intellectual passion is essential to the progress of science; but Sam just wants to talk about the Seahawks, and Stephen's lonely calculations are ruined by our computer overlords. Have a listen!
“Personal Knowledge” by Michael Polanyi continues with questions of skills and language. In their real lives, the co-hosts might be lacking some skill. Stephen might have a DUI, Sam is fighting Big Insurance, and Brevin is switching his Internet Provider. Have a listen!
“Personal Knowledge” by Michael Polanyi continues with questions of probability, information, randomness, and interpretation. While the search for the resolution to the seemingly intractable problem of subjective vs objective knowledge is important, everyone is keeping busy on the side: Stephen has a definitive analysis of the Resident Evil games to pitch, Brevin is meditating on nuclear nightmares, and Sam is listening to esoteric progressive rock. Have a listen!
Our next book is “Personal Knowledge” by Michael Polanyi. Polymath, chemist, philosophy of science and politics, Polanyi has the ambitious goal to rescue knowledge itself from the subjective/objective gulf. We’re going to have tacit knowledge, violins, the speed of light, and much, much more. Join us for this adventure!
We conclude our journey through the eyes of state. Sam prepares for a harrowing experience, Stephen breaks his back (again) and Brevin welcomes Fall with the traditional liturgy. Have a listen!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.”
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™.
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.
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/
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!
The quest for peasant illiteracy has finally led to the belly of the beast: the publishing industry. And insider Ellen is the perfect intrepid literary agent 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!
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!
Propaganda does psychological damage, no matter what side it comes from. In Chapter 4: "Psychological Effects of Propaganda" Jacques Ellul lays out the alienation, crystallization, and ambiguous demoralization of propaganda. The hosts wrestle with the seeming similarities between religion and psychological techniques, the need to commit oneself to something bigger than yourself, and how to get out of this puzzle. Also--earthquakes make the internet work as intended (temporarily), sticky floors, and totality. Have a listen!
Propaganda is necessary for governments, and you crave it. So says Jacques Ellul in chapter 3 of "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes." Aside from the objective necessity of Propaganda to the modern state, Ellul's hatred of the psychology of cities, and some struggle sessioning as to the hosts psychological triggers, the boys find some time to rant about DC's 12 seasons, passport bureaucrats, and street tacos portion size. Have a listen!(Free online text: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jacques-ellul-propaganda)
The propaganda extravaganza continues with chapter 2 of "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes" by Jacques Ellul! In this episode we get into the conditions necessary for propaganda--the double sided coin of individualism and mass society, mass media, and information deluge. Also--health systems, more math from Stephen, and why the modern environmentalist movement needs better representatives. Cream o' Nihilism Soup: cracksinpomo.substack.com/p/cream-o-nihilism-soup(Free online text: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jacques-ellul-propaganda)
We finish the first chapter of "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes" by Jacques Ellul. There's a bit of heat over the propaganda of advertising, some reflections on libertarian summer camp and homeschool propaganda, and the question of public school as horizontal propaganda. Rants are esoteric math, love letters, and the Oscars--have a listen!Resist the Machine Apocalypse: firstthings.com/article/2024/03/resist-the-machine-apocalypse(Free online text: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jacques-ellul-propaganda)
We dive deep into the first chapter of "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes" by Jacques Ellul, and only brush the surface. Total propaganda, technique, the 1619 project, school board meetings, and Arianism all make an appearance. Have a listen!Bripes: youtube.com/watch?v=tltBHjmIUJ0(Free online text: theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jacques-ellul-propaganda)
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)
A relaxed meta week of book shelves, book lists (short, long, and frantic), and big plans for the year. Should we read more? Yes. Will we? Unclear. Have a listen!
Our Resident Consulting Bioethicist Alison returns for Bioethics round two and a host of sticky topics—from surrogacy and embryo rescue to “Pronatalist” Warhammer 40k tax evaders, from Canada’s continued spiral of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to the OG transhumanism text. Also, there is a quiz and we crown the new Problem with Reading Bioethics Commissar (the answer will surprise you!). Have a listen!Articles: •“Medical assistance in dying can’t solve the problem of suffering. Canada’s system is a cautionary tale.” americamagazine.org/politics-society/2023/12/12/medical-assistance-dying-maid-canada-catholic-church-ethics-assisted•“Surrogacy” cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=article&id=640•“A Catholic dilemma: Should IVF embryos be adopted?” cruxnow.com/life/2015/12/a-catholic-dilemma-should-ivf-embryos-be-adopted•“INSTRUCTION ON RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE IN ITS ORIGINAND ON THE DIGNITY OF PROCREATION REPLIES TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF THE DAY” https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html•“Meet the ‘elite’ couples breeding to save mankind.” telegraph.co.uk/family/life/pronatalists-save-mankind-by-having-babies-silicon-valley/•“Transhumanism” researchgate.net/publication/247718617_Transhumanism
To ring in the New Year and close out 2023, The Problem with Reading presents eight quality, or at least amusing, articles for your perusal and consideration as chosen by elite and erudite past podcast guests. From Paganism, to Furry Hackers, to Pro-Natalist Silicon Valley Freaks, to AirBnB Furniture—we have the best of 2023 all in one place. Have a listen!•Critical Grace Theory: firstthings.com/article/2023/11/critical-grace-theory•How 'Dear Sister' Changed Comedy: youtube.com/watch?v=DhpS_Zv7F2A•I Thought I Was Saving Trans Kids. Now I’m Blowing the Whistle: thefp.com/p/i-thought-i-was-saving-trans-kids•We Are Repaganizing: firstthings.com/article/2023/10/we-are-repaganizing•Meet the Elite Couples Bre eding to Save Mankind: telegraph.co.uk/family/life/pronatalists-save-mankind-by-having-babies-silicon-valley/•Man Up: firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/08/man-up•US nuke reactor lab hit by 'gay furry hackers' demanding cat-human mutants: theregister.com/2023/11/22/nuclear_lab_hacked/•The Age of Average: alexmurrell.co.uk/articles/the-age-of-average
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?)
We conclude our journey through expressive individualism and the modern self with the final two chapters of Carl Trueman's "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self." Also, Stephen watches the Exorcist (maybe a few of them) and Brevin and Sam have stressful family admin meetings.
We continue the journey through "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self" by Carl Trueman in this penultimate episode covering chapters 8 and 9 documenting the twin triumphs of the erotic and the therapeutic. But also, Paganism! Have a listen...
It's summer at the movies as Jensen joins us to review the top three movies of the summer (by our count, at least): Oppenheimer, Barbie and Wes Anderson's Asteroid City. Plus, we pitch our own films to ruthless Hollywood execs. Have a listen!
Freud and the various species of 20th century thinkers downstream of him take center stage in chapters 6 and 7 of "Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self." How many double entendres can you spot? Also, Stephen waxes poetic about the edgy music of his youth, Brevin reveals the Age of Average, and Sam finds the best song on the internet. Article:alexmurrell.co.uk/articles/the-age-of-average
We dive into Chapter 5 "Plastic People" and blaze through everyone's favorite band of misfits: Marx, Darwin, and Nietzsche! Also, Stephen is sure the Boomers have cursed us all, Sam hates buying guitars, and Brevin wants to practice his new tourniquet skills in real life.
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
Chase Makes a 7 Year Old Cry in a Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament (TPWR 411 Teaser) by The Problem with Reading
For the first podcast of the new year, we continue reading “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self” covering the Romantic Poets of Wordsworth, Shelley, and Blake. Also: gravity holes, American religious revival, and a snowless New York.
Part of our series of the Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, covering Rousseau's thought and the seeds it planted. Also, MacIntyre as anti-political historian, candles for Advent, and more!
A brief intermission featuring of a few of our favorite Walker Percy readings from "Lost in the Cosmos" and "Signposts in a Strange Land."
Join the Problem with Reading crew on this first episode reading through "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self" by Carl Trueman, covering Part 1. Is sarcasm a Deathwork? Can Stephen avoid bringing up David Foster Wallace? What revenge has Summer wrought? All this and more.
Alison comes aboard to share her expertise in Bioethics. Whither Bioethics? Whomst Bioethics? You might be wondering these things, and we have answers. Well, our expert guest, Alison, does. What good is autonomy? Why is Canada (even more) evil (than we already thought)? Plus, an Ethics Bowl to see who is most ethical, and rants featuring Lord of the Ring, the Death of Summer Part II, and more!
Second of two episodes on the ever-relevant "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. Hear the problem with televangelists, politics by TV, and Sesame Street--and why we're all agitated amnesiacs. Also, Sam finally experiences the joys of NYC's famously mentally stable population, Stephen reflects on his mortality, and Brevin finds a fellow tribe member via bloodline instincts.
After the first attempt was lost to the computer gods, the boys convene to give a second run at their review of The Batman, the latest iteration of the Caped Crusader. Brevin hates it, Stephen’s indifferent, and Sam’s in love, so get ready to choose the hero you deserve. Also included: a gritty rant, Gotham as the darkness of America’s cities, and an extensive review of reviews (all of them). Have a listen!
In a belated episode back, a reduced crew ponders their escape from graduate school...at least for now.
First of three 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!
2022 is finally here, and the Problem with Reading has a party to kick off the new year. Stephen presents more Math Poetry, Sam has his best rant of 2021 in 2022, and Brevin already wants Summer to return. Have a listen!
Stephen returns with an addition to his hit poetry series, "Math Homework without the Math."
Friedrich Nietzsche stars in the classic Christmas story of "It's a Wonderful Life" and discovers the world without his contribution to philosophy would be a very different place.
Our thanks to the anonymous (sorry) Facebook poster whose comment inspired (and wrote half of) this audio drama.
The gentlemen wrap up "Ideas have Consequences" with their takeaways and leave-behinds, and afterwards Stephen and Sam review the venerable MacIntyre's speech at the 2021 Notre Dame Ethics conference. Also, Brevin hates single people, Sam muses, and everyone has a good time.
The boys finish off the final chapters of Ideas have Consequences to mixed reviews. Stephen avoids getting cancelled again, while Sam and Brevin fall on different sides of a latter day Chinese Alexis de Tocqueville who's disappearing celebrities and banning video games. Also, Stephen complains about word limits, Sam avoids actually ranting in favor of inconclusive musing yet again, and Brevin possibly commits a hate crime against handless people.
Ideas Have Consequences continues with chapters 6 and 7, and Richard Weaver is one cranky fella! Also, Stephen discovers the horrors of navigating insurance labyrinths, Brevin learns family weddings aren't important, and everyone tries to work out whether God is our "Mother." Also, see the podcast feed for the outtakes that didn't make it into the episode--have a listen!
Ideas have Consequences Chapters 4 and 5 brings some folksy wisdom, but also some very bad opinions about Jazz, which Sam takes to task. In other news, Stephen shows off his brewing and poetry skills, Brevin endorses apartment gardening, and ebooks are an abomination. Have a listen!
The podcast kicks off a new reading series with Chapters 1-3 of Richard Weaver's "Ideas Have Consequences"! Listen to hear Sam talk about how marriage forces generality over overspecialization, Brevin declare the death of the Summer, and Stephen butcher a YA fantasy novel's name. Also, Anberlin's reunion tour, the pressure of being a sound technician, and all three chaps are drinking Evan Williams. Cut from this episode: an extended reverie about LEGO Bionicle's expansive lore. Enjoy!
Articles: ~https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/were-the-only-plane-in-the-sky-214230/ ~https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/glenn-vogt-september-11/620030/
Kellen and Chris return and join Stephen and Brevin for a discussion of Space Future! Is space optimism justified or pure Cold War propaganda? Is our future to colonize the solar system and beyond, or to remain trapped on earth in a cloud of our own debris? And are we alone? Are there aliens, and if so, what does it matter? Will it wreck religion or geopolitics first? These questions, and more?
Articles: ~https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/28/the-elusive-peril-of-space-junk ~https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/01/25/have-we-already-been-visited-by-aliens ~https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n05/tom-stevenson/where-are-the-space-arks ~https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.02404 ~https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/religion-extraterrestrials-jesus-save-klingons/
In this shorter special episode, Stephen, Brevin, and Sam discuss Facebook's recent attempts to collaborate with and parasitize churches for their secret nefarious purposes. Also, Stephen despises The Green Knight movie and Sam endorses road rage. Have a listen!
It's Star Wars Special Time, now with twice as many special guests! Kellen and Jensen join Brevin and Stephen to trench run through the recent past, present, and future of Star Wars in its many media forms. Kellen doesn't buy ReyLo, Jensen hates EA's dominance of SW games, Stephen thinks Chewie is overrated, and Brevin wants a return to the wild space west of early novelization. Also, games! Star Wars Trivia (see how well you do!) and the main event, Star Wars Superlatives! What's the best lightsaber? Worst character in the sequels? Character most likely to vote for Bernie Sanders? Listen and find out! DRINK THE GREEN MILK
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
It’s a special, content-lite episode for the Problem with Reading crew. Tune in for highlights from inside the Trump Hotel, Stephen's Pokémon or Heretic Quiz in which Brevin embarrasses himself, and rants that span the spectrum from bitter to confused to almost entirely wholesome. Also, Sam knows the secret of rightwing jellybeans. Have a listen!
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!
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!
We’re on to part two of the Master and His Emissary with Chapter 7! The boys tighten up their summarizing skills (hopefully) and talk through cultural memes and left-hemisphere feedback loops. Also, imitation is good for the soul, boots will save our civilization, and a look into the inner priesthood of right-wing ideology today. Finally, listen to Stephen hating on the news and tune in next week to see if his rant backfires!
A New Year and a New Season of the Problem with Reading! The three boys are reunited and talk through all the excitement on the way in season 3. Also, Brevin puts his co-hosts on the spot with a Sam vs Stephen TPWR trivia deathmatch!
The boys gather once more before the new year to retrospect over the first half of The Master and His Emissary. Joining them is the lord sponsor of the reading series and M+E evangelist Zach, who brings spicy takes, a dramatic voice, and archaic video game references. After that, the pod shifts into words about screens and seeing, cold soup and brunch, and the first of men. Also, four (4) rants from Stephen, Brevin, Zach and a secret guest to close out the season. Have a listen!
Schoolhouse Rock and Children Eating Alone ft. Zach (Season 2 Finale Outtake) by The Problem with Reading
Zach reflects on video games and re-presentation to the haunting tones of Metroid Prime.
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.
Stephen and Brevin finish off Ch.5 of the Master and His Emissary as we enter the home stretch of part one! Also in this podcast—corporations want to make religion because they are evil incarnate, Stephen has a fun encounter with soulless bureaucracy at Michigan’s version of the DMV, and our society is decadent AF. Have a listen!
The boys are back and desperately attempting to fill the Sam-sized hole in their hearts via their friend Chris. Lord of the Rings is on the mind, and they discuss why Gandalf is actually Augustine, how Morgoth creating a dragon is completely unrealistic, and the irony of George Martin having tons of religions in his drivel-ridden fantasy world vs Tolkien's lack of religion in his inherently religious world. Plus! Gandalf intended for the party to use Eagles, a Gollum video game no one wanted, and Harry Potter < LOTR. (Audio Fixed)
Stephen and Brevin are more modest this week and get through half of chapter 5, checking up on the primacy of the right hemisphere. Also: the Bible for Zoomers is the worst thing you've ever heard of, beer brewing is great, and something about golden bone leprechauns.
The boys are together in person for the first LIVE Problem with Reading episode ever! Join them for more Master and His Emissary, more Heidegger, more bourbon, and more Q&As.
The boys tackle The Master and His Emissary chapter 3 in this lengthy episode, solving the problems of music, language, and thought itself in a tidy hour and ten. They also find another angle to hate upon abstract art, avoid politics, rip on PG movies, approve censorship, and dunk on street preachers. Finally, they agree that the good life is porch-sittin' with beer. Have a listen!
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.
The team jointly tackles chapter one, Sam (re: CS Lewis) thinks learning is worthwhile even in the worst of times, Stephen is too happy to rant, and Brevin can't pronounce "croquet" to save his life. Have a listen!
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!
In this snappy short pod, the chaps review the Sokal Squared Hoax and the varying responses to it. In other news, Tabletop Simulator is great, colleges are dropping the Covid-19 ball, and goddam mattress reviews online.
Articles: ~https://areomagazine.com/2018/10/02/academic-grievance-studies-and-the-corruption-of-scholarship/ ~https://www.chronicle.com/article/What-the-Grievance/244753
Given the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its assorted impacts, Stephen’s rant from last episode did not age well. At all.
Join Sam and Brevin as they rake him over the coals and hold him to account for his irresponsibility and poor judgement, both in opinions about viral outbreaks and popular journalists (David Foster Wallace). Also—Microsoft is a panopticon, malls are cathedrals, and Star Wars Rebels is good. Apologies for the sound quality!
For the first time, Stephen and Sam take over the pod. Without the mediating and structured presence of Brevin, they swiftly collapse into chaos and long conversations about CS Lewis. Join them to hear about secular techno monks and selfishness! Plus, Sam gets political and Stephen has a rant that has not aged well given the current COVID-19 situation. Have a listen!
The boys tackle some spicy topics, including the future of work, Scientology and stoicism, and the late great Roger Scruton. Also in this episode: the best prank to pull on a hater, evil realtor experiences, and Iowa. Have a listen!
Sam is back for the first episode of 2020. The boys get into Oxford Beagle-ing procedures, mouse dystopias, and how table manners will save the west. Plus: Star Wars nerd deep dives, rants about the Witcher, and tea. Join us!
Stephen and Brevin break down the latest universalist vs infernalist articles, Vice editors go to jail for vices, and we learn that dryness freezes our souls. Let us know what you think! Enjoy!
Stephen and Brevin break down the Notre Dame Ethics Conference (where Stephen spoke or sat next to every significant Christian ethicist of our time), the OK Boomer meme, and the tectonic plates of demographics. Also--irony is great, Untitled Goose Game is a masterpiece, and friendship is impossible (according to MacIntyre). Have a listen!
Article: ~firstthings.com/article/2019/11/the-future-is-mixed
205 The Problem with..."the Joker Meme and Machine Reading" by The Problem with Reading
Stephen and Brevin write Kanye West fan fic, compose fresh lyrics to our fave christian songs, and generally make it snappy. Enjoy!
Articles: ~disrn.com/2019/10/01/how-christians-should-respond-to-kanyes-reported-conversion ~theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/10/how-fanfiction-improves-writing/599197
Stephen and Brevin return after a much-too-long hiatus to bring you tales of apocalypse, hell (but I repeat myself), and the memetic structures that underpin grumpy cat.
Articles: ~firstthings.com/article/2019/10/harrowing-hart-on-hell ~thephilosophersmeme.com/2019/04/05/the-memetic-bottleneck/
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
Season 2 only gets better and Stephen is back at it again with what may be a record number of David Foster Wallace references. Meanwhile, Sam and Brevin are devastated that Kirsten Gillibrand has dropped out of the presidential race and ruined their chance for free bourbon. In other news, the Constitution should be abolished, James Mattis is our new patron saint, and bitter fights abound in the theology-politics-o-sphere. Have a listen!
Articles: ~firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/08/a-sloppy-attack-on-national-conservatism ~theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/08/who-constitution/596341/ ~wsj.com/articles/jim-mattis-duty-democracy-and-the-threat-of-tribalism-11566984601
The gang is back and better than ever with Season 2! After Season 1's long journey through MacIntyre's After Virtue we have arrived to the ethical wasteland he described. But while we're here, we may as well read some articles. This episode we ponder why Joshua Harris and the Christian Purity Movement collapsed, why God isn't actually Zeus, and how Communists find love. Please enjoy!
Articles: ~nationalreview.com/…/whither-evangelical-purit…/ ~firstthings.com/artic…/…/06/god-gods-and-fairies ~nymag.com/…/2…/03/socialism-and-young-socialists.html
The squad read the last chapter of After Virtue, and looks to a bright future with the St. Seraphim Option, named for the patron saint of nuclear weapons, that promises to bring cleansing fire upon our godless world. In other news, the American justice system is terrible, a charismatic preacher makes the bodies hit the floor (see link), and Stephen and Sam get a lucky few anti-Catholic one-liners over Brevin. Also something about cravats. Excelsior!
Links: ~youtube.com/watch?v=a54iqEr1flQ
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
Sam rejoins the pod for the second-to-last chapter of MacIntyre and a riotous good time. Join the three musketeers for a defense of censorship, a rant about children in escape rooms, and something something heatwave. I wasn’t paying attention.
Articles: ~ firstthings.com/article/2004/06/freedom-and-decency ~ city-journal.org/diversity-bureauracies-georgetown-univ
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
Brevin and Stephen talk After Virtue Chapter 16 and Jane Austen. They follow this with a rousing discussion of skinhead redemption, gritty childhoods, traffic, and happiness gurus gone bad. Have a listen!
Articles: ~ quillette.com/2019/04/24/the-impassable-road-to-redemption ~ theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/05/david-epstein-range/590704/
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
It’s just Stephen and Brevin this week for another exciting chapter of MacIntyre. We’re on chapter 15, and the countdown is real. Also discussed—the Danes are patriarchal, Jeffrey Sachs is dumb, and Venezuela is doomed.
Articles: ~ theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/10/and-the-least-feminist-nation-in-the-world-is-denmark? ~ americasquarterly.org/content/dont-blame-washington-venezuelas-oil-woes-rebuttal
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
May the 4th be with you...and with your spirit! The gang is joined by special guest Jensen to honor STAR WARS day with some spicy fan theories and conspiracies. Sam tells us about the ambitious plan to build the Death Star in real life, Stephen reveal Dark Sith Lord Jar Jar Binks, Jensen explains that the real galactic conflict is between the Green and Blue teams, and Brevin rants about why the Empire did nothing wrong. Have a listen!
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
Star Wars Episode 9 trailer reactions, scathing social commentary, and After Virtue Chapter 14. Stephen ponders our lost language of friendship and makes the case for putting your so-called "friends" into a hierarchical ranking system, Brevin makes the case against a recent First Things article, and Sam summarizes MacIntyre for the first (and not last) time. Have a listen.
Articles: ~firstthings.com/article/2019/03/a-new-conservative-agenda ~getpocket.com/explore/item/reclaiming-friendship-a-visual-taxonomy-of-platonic-relationships-to-counter-the-commodification-of
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
Stephen uncovers and narrates Nixon's secret prepared speech, to be read in the case of Apollo 11 having a wacko in the machine.
Source: lifestyle.clickhole.com/this-speech-was-written-for-president-nixon-to-deliver-1825121627
Another action-packed episode as the gang discusses the medieval philosophers in After Virtue chapter 13. In other news--Beto is a bit Trumpy, but also a legend who stands on tables, Stephen muses on Jordan Peterson and that state of pastoring, something about stoicism and tech companies, and Brevin revisits the legendary April Fool's day miracle, Reddit Place. Tune in!
Articles: ~sudoscript.com/reddit-place/ ~theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/04/orourkes-campaign-kickoff-texas-drew-money-crowds/586210/ ~theamericanconservative.com/dreher/jordan-peterson-religious-rohrshach/
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
SpaceForce! On a podcast far far away, Sam takes on ideological campus warfare, Stephen says TV killed our souls and channels the spirit of DFW, and Brevin talks SpaceForce and the moon. Also, DON'T MISS Stephen's reading of Nixon's speech to be given in the event the Apollo 13 mission has a wacko in the machine. Tune in!
Articles: ~dalkeyarchive.com/a-conversation-with-david-foster-wallace-by-larry-mccaffery/ ~theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/trump-nasa-moon-2024/585880/ ~theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/conservative-universities-and-intellectual-diversity/585511/
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
The crew gathers on a Wednesday night to do content and they chose poorly. In short, Zoomers bring the apocalypse, none of the gang is really angry about anything (and they're nerds), something about After Virtue chapter 11, and who is Nate Silver? Tune in.
Article: ~theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
The team takes on the worst chapter of After Virtue yet(why won't MacIntyre translate the damn words?!). Stephen and Sam slap down bad government policy towards the mentally handicapped, Brevin talks about the minimum wage, and Sam has a secret admirer.
Articles: ~nationalreview.com/2019/03/the-social-media-censorship-dumpster-fire/ ~nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/21/magazine/minimum-wage-saving-lives.html ~theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/02/lack-services-adults-autism/582586/
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
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.
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
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
Hijinks abound as Stephen and Brevin bull-rush After Virtue chapter 7. In other news, duck livers have revealed that African democracy is not doing great, internet culture has no problems whatsoever, and bureaucrats are lizards, but still probably our friends. Have a listen.
Articles: ~foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/2019-01-17/retreat-african-democracy ~nytimes.com/2019/01/14/opinion/call-out-social-justice.html
Music: Ratata by Jeremiah Dangers
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
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
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
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
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.