Socrates in the City

How can we learn to use AI creatively and responsibly for human flourishing? In this episode of Socrates in Oxford, host Eric Metaxas is joined by John Lennox, long-time friend of SITC, mathematician, philosopher, and author of 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, for a timely conversation about one of the most consequential technologies of our age. As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the world around us, how do we separate the realities of AI from the science-fiction scenarios that increasingly seem less fictional?

Lennox demystifies the mathematical and technological language surrounding AI, exploring its different forms...

In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, our host is joined by professor, philosopher, theologian, and author Carl Trueman for a thoughtful conversation on the ideas shaping our modern identity. Drawing on his book “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self” and his latest work”The Desecration of Man,” Trueman explores how our understanding of the self has been transformed by expressive individualism, technology, and the cultural forces that increasingly detach us from enduring commitments. 

What does it mean to imagine ourselves rightly in the world around us? From the emergence of the “laptop class” and...

What is education truly for? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, host Eric Metaxas sits down with Stephen Blackwood—founding president of Ralston College, distinguished scholar, and champion of classical education—to explore why so many young people today are searching for meaning in an age of uncertainty. Reflecting on his journey to establish a new kind of college, Blackwood makes the case for an education that forms character as much as intellect and revives the timeless pursuit of truth, wisdom, and beauty.

They dive into Blackwood’s work on The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethi...

What happens when Silicon Valley begins to rethink some of its deepest assumptions? In this episode of Socrates Dialogues, Mary Harrington is joined by Michael Solana—CMO of Founders Fund, founder of Pirate Wires, and once dubbed “the most opinionated man in America”—for a wide-ranging conversation on the ideological shifts reshaping technology, politics, and culture. Together they explore the changing political landscape within the tech industry, where a new wave of wealth and executive leadership has sparked a growing openness to conservative ideas, even as much of the broader workforce has remained more politically balanced. Solana examines what Californ...

What makes a good interview, good? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with writer, cultural commentator, and Socrates in the City contributor, Mary Harrington to explore the mission and heart behind Socrates in the City and the enduring value of meaningful conversation.

Harrington reflects on her journey—from a mother writing a political blog to becoming one of the most compelling intellectual voices of our time—and discusses the surprising path that led her there. Together, they delve into the craft of interviewing, the mutual discovery that unfolds through genuine dialogue, and...

For decades, Western culture has asked, “What is my purpose?” Many have been told that meaning is subjective, truth is relative, and every grand narrative should be questioned. Yet in the midst of rising skepticism, anxiety, and the rapid growth of the religious “nones,” a surprising shift seems to be taking place: people are searching for meaning once again. In this thought-provoking Socrates in the City conversation, Eric Metaxas is joined by Paul Anleitner, who discusses the ideas behind his new book “Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of Meaning,” exploring why our deep...

What if the story of the world has been told from the wrong starting point? In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with historian Peter Frankopan to discuss his groundbreaking book, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, and the compelling case for rethinking the story of world history. Rather than viewing history through a predominantly Western lens, throughout this conversation Frankopan invites us to look eastward, where the great trade routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe shaped civilizations, economies, and empires for centuries. 

From the luxurious goods t...

How do changing definitions of gender impact medical care? In this episode of Socrates Dialogues, philosopher and bestselling author Kathleen Stock joins Mary Harrington to examine one of the defining moral questions of our time: should society legalize assisted dying, and how do changing perceptions of gender impact this?

Stock, best known for her fearless work on gender identity and women’s rights, brings that same lens to the end-of-life debate — asking whether men and women experience pressure toward assisted death differently, how caregiving and vulnerability are gendered in ways policy rarely acknowledges, and whether the language of a...

What if history’s most influential figures have been misunderstood? In this special Fourth of July episode of The Revolution, Lord Andrew Roberts, Baron of Belgravia—renowned historian, professor, and bestselling biographer—joins Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas to explore the complex humanity behind some of history’s greatest leaders. Known for bringing iconic figures to life beyond the myths and caricatures that often define them, Roberts offers fresh insight into personalities ranging from King George III and Napoleon to Winston Churchill. Together, they examine the pivotal decisions, relationships, and moments that shaped the course of history, asking p...

Are we the heirs of Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem—or more precisely, Athens, Rome, and the Burning Bush of the desert?

In this episode of The Revolution, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas is joined by the prolific author and theologian Os Guinness to discuss his book “The Magna Carta of Humanity: Sinai’s Revolutionary Faith and the Future of Freedom” as America approaches its 250th anniversary and the world marks the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s English Bible. This conversation examines the spiritual and intellectual foundations of the American experiment and the ongoing legacy.

Trac...

In this episode of The Revolution, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas is joined by author and descendant of Benjamin Franklin, Mark Skousen, to discuss the fascinating history of one of the first Americans. Throughout the conversation, the two explore Franklin’s remarkable evolution from loyal British subject to passionate advocate for independence, including the little-known edit he made to the Declaration of Independence and why it mattered.

Skousen shares the dramatic events that shaped his political transformation, from his efforts at reconciliation to the infamous Cockpit Incident, a public humiliation that changed the course of hi...

What does America mean, and what ideas gave rise to the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known? At the official release party for “REVOLUTION: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in History,” Eric Metaxas shares the inspiration behind his sweeping and definitive account of the American Revolution, uncovering surprising stories and overlooked figures that helped shape the nation’s founding.

From the moral courage and deep convictions of the American patriots to the extraordinary sacrifices required to secure liberty, this conversation explores the character, ideals, and faith that animated the Revolution. As America celebrates the Su...

In this episode of The Revolution, host Eric Metaxas is joined by Ira Stoll, author of Samuel Adams: A Life, as they explore the enduring legacy of Samuel Adams, the often-overlooked visionary who helped lay the intellectual and moral groundwork for the American Revolution long before the first shots were fired.

Through his passionate defense of liberty, relentless organizing, and ability to rally ordinary citizens to an extraordinary cause, Adams became one of the driving forces behind America’s fight for independence. Recorded in Lexington—just steps from the historic grounds where the Revolution began—this conversation brings...

How did George Washington become the indispensable leader of the American Revolution? In this episode of The Revolution, bestselling historian Nathaniel Philbrick joins Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas to trace Washington’s extraordinary journey through the triumphs, failures, and hard-earned lessons that transformed him from an inexperienced commander into the indispensable leader of the American cause.

Set against the backdrop of a war that was as chaotic as it was creative, Philbrick reveals how Washington’s character, resilience, and unwavering sense of duty grew alongside the Revolution itself. Throughout the conversation, Philbrick explores the partnership with...

In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, Harrington is joined by author and professor Spencer Klavan to explore the enduring conversation between Athens and Jerusalem, asking what Plato might have to do with Tertullian, and why it still matters. Drawing on the great books and the tension between the life of the mind and the life of the world, they unpack the five central crises of modernity: reality, the body, meaning, religion, and regimes.

Offering an exclusive preview of Klavan’s forthcoming book, the discussion turns to the power of language as the meeting point be...

Why do most revolutions collapse into chaos, tyranny, or bloodshed, while the American Revolution produced one of the most enduring republics in history? In this episode of The Revolution, Socrates in the City’s newest program, host Eric Metaxas is joined by American author and legal scholar, Jonathan Turley to discuss his book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. They use Thomas Paine’s journey as the lens through which to explore that question. A man who stood at the center of both the American and French Revolutions, Paine embodied the brilliance and danger of r...

In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, host Eric Metaxas is joined by author and editor of The Epoch Times, Jan Jekielek, to discuss his new book, Killed to Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America’s Biggest Adversary, which explores the disturbing realities behind one of the world’s most controversial transplant systems.

This conversation discusses the hidden costs of life-saving organ replacement surgeries, exploring the dark truth of forced organ harvesting tied to political repression, corruption, and state power in modern China. Moving through the intersections of history, ideology, and author...

In this profound and deeply personal episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with renowned philosopher, professor, and bestselling author Peter Kreeft to wrestle with one of humanity’s oldest and most difficult questions: How can a good God allow suffering?

Blending philosophical depth with wisdom born from lived experience, Dr. Kreeft offers a thoughtful and compassionate exploration of pain, loss, love, and the mystery of human suffering through the lens of faith. Drawing from sources as varied as The Chronicles of Narnia, the biblical story of Book of Job, and the life and su...

In this episode of Socrates Dialogues, Mary Harrington is joined by author Freya India for a candid and culturally incisive conversation on the growing commodification of women in the digital age. They trace how social media, pop culture, and influencer platforms, from Call Her Daddy to Cardi B, have reshaped the expectations placed on young women. At the center is the rise of the “Instagram face,” a curated, hyper-perfected ideal that blurs individuality and encourages constant self-surveillance. This conversation explores what it means to internalize an ever-present gaze and questions the modern mental health industry’s role, suggesting future genera...

In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, host Eric Metaxas is joined by author and professor Carl Trueman to discuss his newest book “The Desecration of Man” exploring the modern crisis of meaning through the lenses of philosophy, theology, art, and culture—tracing humanity’s journey from enchantment to disenchantment, from sacred order to nihilism.

Drawing on figures like Thomas Aquinas and the great philosophers of the Western tradition, they examine how religious symbolism, artistic expression, and moral imagination once shaped a vision of what it meant to be human—and how that vision has eroded in the wake o...

In this Socrates in the City conversation, Eric Metaxas is joined by Margarita Mooney Clayton, author and founder of the Scala Foundation, to discuss her new book “When Mary Calls: Surprising Encounters with the Mother of God.” In our current day, more and more people are looking to Mary as a spiritual mother and guide. Throughout this conversation, Mooney Clayton shares the enduring and often miraculous influence of Mary in times of danger, loss, and spiritual renewal.

Bridging theological differences across Christian traditions, their conversation considers Mary’s mysterious yet deeply personal role, not only as the second...

In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, novelist Lionel Shriver joins Harrington for a wide-ranging and incisive conversation on her novel A Better Life and the deeper cultural longings it exposes. Together, they probe the enduring myth of “a better life” and how it shapes modern views on immigration in both the United States and the United Kingdom. They also dive into the fertility crisis, shifting expectations around modern masculinity, and broader social currents redefining family, identity, and belonging in the West. Thought-provoking and unflinching, this dialogue explores what we mean when we seek a better life, and...

In this episode of Socrates in the Studio, Eric Metaxas sits down with author and longtime friend Peter Giersch to explore his striking new book “Talking of Michelangelo: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in the Burgundy Region.” What begins as a journey through the quiet beauty of Burgundy unfolds into something far more profound: a meditation on mortality, meaning, and the soul’s ultimate destination. Part memoir and part travelogue, Giersch recounts a pivotal week spent on an Ignatian retreat—a week that became a turning point in his life of faith. Together, he and Metaxas wrestle with enduring question...

In this Socrates Dialogues conversation with Mary Harrington, James Orr joins her as he traces his journey from the life of the mind to the heart of public affairs, reflecting on how a scholar becomes a political advisor without abandoning the pursuit of truth. Through this conversation, James Orr explores the meaning of scholasticism and its enduring influence, the shaping power of philosophy on the intellectual life of Europe, and the lasting political visions of Aristotle and Plato as they echo into modernity. Moving between the ancient and the contemporary, the abstract and the practical, the discussion wrestles with...

How has the West drifted from its grounding in God, and what has been lost along the way? In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, author and scholar Mary Eberstadt joins Eric Metaxas to examine one of the most pressing cultural and spiritual questions of our time.

Drawing on her influential works, including Adam and Eve After the Pill, How the West Lost God, and others, Eberstadt unpacks the far-reaching consequences of the sexual revolution, particularly its impact on relationships between men and women and on the broader redefinition of intimacy, identity, and family. She challenges prevailing...

“The idea of there being human rights is as fantastical as believing that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day…”

In this spirited dialogue, host Mary Harrington is joined by historian and bestselling author Tom Holland to explore why Rome’s long shadow still falls across the modern imagination, and why Americans are particularly drawn to learning about this great empire. Drawing from Holland’s latest book, Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age, the two discuss the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind. The conversation also ranges...

What is behind society’s obsession with monkeys? In this thought-provoking conversation, Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with author and playwright Jonathan Leaf to explore the ideas behind his provocative new book, The Primate Myth, and to ask what lies beneath the persistent effort to connect humanity and primates. They discuss why this fascination has endured so powerfully across culture, science, and media.

From the mass popularity of Punch the Monkey to a broader cast of famous animals that have captured the public imagination, they examine the historical, cultural, and even political forces sh...

Mary Harrington is joined by Louise Perry to discuss many topics ranging from the sexual revolution to the collapsing birth rates around the world to the strange pressures of feeling the need to react to each week’s “deranged mass emotional moment.” They argue that stepping offline—and building families and thinking deeply, for example—may actually be the ultimate countercultural move in an age addicted to speed and outrage.

The post Louise Perry and Mary Harrington: The Feminization of Society first appeared on Socrates in the City.

How does the book of Genesis line up with modern science? In this Socrates in the City conversation, Eric Metaxas is joined by astrophysicist Hugh Ross as they explore the surprising truths found in the Bible. The two explore the multitude of ways Genesis gets the science right, but still challenges us, from the origins of the universe to the reality of the Ice Age, along with a personal story about Ross’s Gideon Bible that’s been carried for years. This conversation explores the nuances, mysteries, and surprising truths of the relationship between science and faith.

The...

Episode three of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington returns, this week with artist Jonathan Pageau, for a conversation that is as delightful as it is wide-ranging. From medieval cosmology to internet memes (we love how Mary describes them as “clusters of meaning”), from Dante to C.S. Lewis, we wonder if there’s a topic that wasn’t covered. The duo discuss how one of the modern world’s troubles lies in forgetting how to see, having traded a symbolic vision of reality for a mechanistic one that leaves the soul rather undernourished.

Along the way, there are conver...

In this episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, she is joined by philosopher and writer Nina Power, who examines the changing philosophies of education and academic life, questioning the sustainability of what she describes as the “Ponzi scheme” of woke institutional culture. She reflects on the value of intellectual freedom, the dignity of varied vocations, and the necessity of a society that honors different paths, priorities, and forms of excellence beyond the narrow confines of elite academia.

The post Nina Power and Mary Harrington: The Ponzi Scheme of Modern Institutions first appeared on Socrates in the City...

What are the stories that make up your life? In our newest Socrates in the Studio episode, Socrates in the City founder and host Eric Metaxas sits down with writer, poet, and mythographer Martin Shaw for a conversation that is as searching as it is spellbinding. Shaw’s latest book, Liturgies of the Wild, traces the astonishing and often unbelievable tales that have marked his own journey—from a 101-day immersion in oral storytelling to his unexpected homecoming in the Orthodox Church. Together, Eric and Martin explore the sacred threads that run through storytelling and the way ancient tales cont...

In this premiere episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, author and broadcaster Justin Brierley joins her to explore the shifting terrain of the New Atheist movement and the surprising cracks forming in its once-confident certainties. Drawing on years of conversations and cultural observation, Brierley examines what he calls a “quiet revival”—a renewed openness to faith, meaning, and transcendence emerging beneath the surface of our secular age.

The post Mary Harrington and Justin Brierley: The Quiet Revival of Christianity first appeared on Socrates in the City.

What gets to be called art—and who decides? In this wide-ranging Socrates Dialogues conversation, New York-based thinkers, writers, and art admirers Heather Mac Donald and Roger Kimball explore the definition of art and the history of the unmaking of beauty in modern contemporary art. Drawing on examples from Duchamp, Warhol, Serrano, Hirst, and others, the two discuss how the banal, the transgressive, and the political have reshaped the aesthetic experience of art, often robbing it of spiritual resonance.

This episode of Socrates in the City is brought to you by Cornerstone University. Cornerstone University students are no...

What does it mean to speak the truth in an age hostile to the Truth? And why is it that those who dare to do so — whether Socrates, Jesus Himself, or our own contemporary, Charlie Kirk — find themselves at odds with the powers that be? In this Socrates in the Studio conversation, professor of philosophy Peter Kreeft joins host Eric Metaxas to reflect on the cost of truth-telling. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Kreeft shares his own remarkable journey from Calvinist to Catholic, gives insights into why a good God allows suffering, and reminds us that history tells the story of m...

What is the history of Stoicism and how does one practice it today?

Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with professor and philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, author of the popular How to be a Stoic and Beyond Stoicism, to discuss the history and development of Stoicism, and the line between emotion, reason, and virtue. They discuss the influence of stoicism in pop culture, from ancient Greek icons to modern-day Star Trek. Throughout Pigliucci’s work, he highlights the balance of skepticism and trust as a road to wisdom, as exemplified by Socrates himself.

The post...

Is there an unnamed force ― which we all feel ― reshaping what it means to be human? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas is joined by the furiously gifted writer, Paul Kingsnorth, to discuss his newest book, Against The Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity. Throughout the compelling ― and at times chilling ― discussion, Kingsnorth asks if society is unmaking humanity by replacing a Christian worldview with technical progress, creating a type of technological tower of Babel. The two discuss advances in AI, humanity’s bent to create God from the Garden of Eden, Frankenstein, transhumanism, and Kingsnorth’s hope for the futu...

“Evil labors with vast power and perpetual success – in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

What does it mean to cling to truth, beauty, and goodness in the shadow of history’s darkest hours? Can goodness truly spring forth from evil?

These questions lie at the heart of this Socrates in the City conversation with historian Joseph Loconte. The discussion focuses on J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, two literary giants who wrote their masterpieces in the aftermath of World War II. In his latest...

What is happiness? Socrates in the City host Eric Metaxas sits down with Dr. Arthur Brooks to discuss one of the most prevalent questions in our society: What is happiness? The question behind his newest book, The Happiness Files. Based on his long career and his lived experience as a Professor and scholar, Dr. Brooks shares not only what happiness is, but the deeper questions of love, loss, and meaning. Throughout this conversation, they explore the scientific theories of happiness, what challenges we face in modern society to achieving it, and Dr. Brook’s signature game for his students, “What i...

Can we prove the existence of God? In this Socrates in the City conversation, host Eric Metaxas speaks with William Lane Craig—Emeritus Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, renowned Christian apologist, and one of today’s most influential philosophers. Drawing from his new book, Systematic Philosophical Theology, and more than four decades of experience and research, Craig examines some of the most pressing questions at the crossroads of Christian doctrine and contemporary analytic philosophy. Together, they explore Dr. Craig’s long history of leading apologetic studies, the historical roots of Adam and Eve, the role of Nea...