This is the introductory lecture for a series on Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss. … More Introduction to Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss (New Series)
Dr John Fliter, author of U.S. vs. Darby Lumber Co.: The Triumph of Fair Labor Standards (University Press of Kansas, 2025), is our guest today. The interview covers the history of the struggle for fair labor standards in the US, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the state of labor today. … More Fair Labor Standards in the United States: A Conversation With Constitutional Law Expert John Fliter
This is my talk from a recent visit to Milwaukee to view Maurin documents at Marquette University. It was part of a Catholic Worker roundtable with Lincoln Rice. It represents my initial thoughts on how Maurin’s life, in some ways, is a microcosm of modern dislocation, not any extensive research on Maurin, which is ongoing. … More Dislocation as a Symptom of Modernity: The Case of Peter Maurin (Recent Talk)
Stephen Paff, host of Democracy Demythologized and author of the Ethnodata blog joined Laurie for a conversation about AI. This is a short segment of a longer conversation and discussion with patrons of the Maurin Academy. … More What AI Means (And Doesn’t Mean) for Our World, with Stephen Paff (Excerpt)
Pastor Caleb Campbell, Desert Springs Bible Church, has published a new book, Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor, with Blackstone Publishing. It is available in paperback, Kindle and Audible editions. https://www.amazon.com/Disarming-Leviathan-Christian-Nationalist-Neighbor/dp/B0DB2NV6F7 … More Pastor Caleb Campbell: Disarming Leviathan
We finish up the discussion of Jerzy Kosinski’s novel Being There with “Chauncey Gardiner” being launched into the stratosphere of American power while being an acknowledged complete unknown on both sides of the Cold War. What does this satirical novel have to say about our lack of common sense? … More The Usefulness of Common Sense in the Age of Digital Deception (Being There 6)
On the Maurin Academy’s Political Philosophy podcast, Laurie is covering Jerzy Kosinski’s Being There, a satirical novel about an image and wealth-obsessed American society bent on the mass narcissism of literally loving a politician. This is part 5 in the series. … More The Vulnerabilities of Democracy in the Age of Image
We continue with our discussion of Jerzy Kosinski’s novel, Being There, at the point where “Chauncey Gardiner,” mistaken for a wealthy and handsome businessman, meets the President of the United States and the American press–and a desperate heiress. … More Romantic Democracy: The Blind Following the Blind. (Kosinski’s Being There, 4)
We continue with our discussion of Jerzy Kosinski’s novel, Being There, at the point where “Chauncey Gardiner” meets EE by accident and gets mistaken for a wealthy and handsome businessman. … More An Empty Signifier Makes an Ideal Lover (Being There, Part 3)
Jerzy Kosinski’s “Being There” satirizes American democracy and the influence of electronic media on society. The video reviews the novel’s initial chapters, which inspired a film featuring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine. Additional resources include the Maurin Academy’s podcasts and social media for updates on classes and events. … More Victim or Boss? Depends on Your Perspective (Being There, Part 2)
Political Philosophy 