Virtual Reading Groups

with Jonathan Jacobs

This Virtual Reading Group will explore some of the fundamental issues concerning the relation between law and morality in a liberal democracy, with a focus on matters concerning criminal justice. Among the… more

with Shannon Chamberlain

This reading group will explore the connection between structure and liberty, will and wisdom: concerns central to Dante throughout his life, much of which was spent in exile for his political and… more

with Garth Bond

While Shakespeare wrote many plays about tyrannical and ineffective monarchs, Henry V is a rare play focused on a successful, effective, and popular ruler—a fact which may account for its long-standing success in… more

This VRG is designed to introduce one of America’s most renowned yet least understood Founders, George Washington. We begin with “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior,” which began as an exercise in penmanship when Washington… more

At the heart of Buchanan’s work is a deep inquiry into fundamental questions of liberty and order in society. In this respect, Buchanan is a 20th century successor to 18th century Enlightenment thinkers. Yet he is a more modern… more

with Nicholas Snow

This is the third in our series of Timeless reading groups about Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy. This time, we will read and discuss the next two novellas in the series, from volumes 3… more

Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday with one of his great villains! Shakespeare’s Richard III is a compelling portrait of the lengths to which ambition can drive a man. But is the play–despite its popularity–merely Tudor propaganda?… more

Does this bring back a high school reading assignment memory? Why not find a used copy, one that has surely been read by many, and sneak a couple-hour break from the world… and into a dystopian future?

Originally published in the… more

The Austrian Statesman Friedrich von Gentz (1764-1832) was one of the first Europeans to publish a comparison of the American and French Revolutions. In it, Gentz argued that the American Revolution was superior to the French… more

How will humans succeed (or survive) in the Age of AI?

Russ Roberts brought the world’s leading thinkers about artificial intelligence to the EconTalk audience and was early to the trend. He hosted Nick Bostrom on… more

Next to Abraham Lincoln, no citizen at the end of the Civil War stood in higher regard among the loyal American public than Ulysses S. Grant. Lincoln’s sudden death in April 1865 opened an enormous cavity that beckoned someone—… more

How will humans succeed (or survive) in the Age of AI?

Russ Roberts brought the world’s leading thinkers about artificial intelligence to the EconTalk audience and was early to the trend. He hosted Nick Bostrom on… more

Charles I famously crossed the title Much Ado About Nothing off his copy of the play and replaced it with “Beatrice and Benedick.” But entertaining and moving as these two bantering lovers are, it is the dangerous, near-tragic… more

This VRG considers two documents which present opposing views of the foundations of the British colonies in North America. Samuel Johnson was commissioned by the government of Prime Minister North to defend Parliamentary… more

How will humans succeed (or survive) in the Age of AI?

Russ Roberts brought the world’s leading thinkers about artificial intelligence to the EconTalk audience and was early to the trend. He hosted Nick Bostrom on… more

The Book of Genesis, which has as strong a claim as any to be the source text of Western civilization, devotes considerable attention to the themes of freedom and responsibility. For example, in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve… more

Families and the Rhythm of Life. The Generational Divide. Conflict and the Ties that Bind Us. Could these also be titles for Turgenev’s 1862 family drama that shook the Russian literary world? Turgenev challenged and angered some… more