1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 2: I am so excited about today's episode because we have 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 2: been watching across this country as students have come into conflict, 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 2: I would say, on college campuses. 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: And we have a professor here with. 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: Us today who is going to tell us that we 7 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: actually can be civil. And I think that's something that 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 2: we've been trying to say, but maybe we're not doing 9 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 2: it the right way. 10 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: So today we have Robert P. George with us. 11 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 2: He is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of 12 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 2: the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at 13 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:37,480 Speaker 2: Princeton University. 14 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: Professor, thank you so much for being here today. 15 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 3: My pleasure, Tutor, thanks for having me on the show. 16 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: Absolutely so. 17 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 2: I was actually reading about a story where you were 18 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 2: the subject of why people actually couldn't gather together. I 19 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: think they changed the rules on meeting places because someone 20 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: brought you and you were so offensive that you made 21 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: people feel unsafe. 22 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: How do you feel when you hear that? 23 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 3: Well, that was a really funny recent episode. Here on 24 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 3: my campus, we don't officially have fraternities at Princeton. We 25 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 3: officially have things called eating clubs, and students, if they like, 26 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 3: are not required to. But a very large percentage of 27 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 3: our students do join eating clubs in the second semester 28 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 3: of their sophomore year. In those eating clubs or where 29 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 3: they eat their meals, their lunch and dinner at least, 30 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 3: and they're the center of social life. Now. As it happens, 31 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 3: I'm an honorary member of a couple of these clubs, 32 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 3: one called Ivy and one called Charter. And at the 33 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 3: one called Charter, I was recently brought, not exercising my 34 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 3: own membership capacity, but as a guest of a student 35 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 3: to have lunch at the club. And it was fine. 36 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 3: We had a lovely time, lovely lunch, no incident. Then 37 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 3: we parted and everything seemed fine. 38 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: You thought, no incident. 39 00:01:54,720 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, the next we heard of it was a 40 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 3: few weeks later when the student, a very fine student, 41 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 3: outstanding student academically and in every other way, got in 42 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 3: touch with me to say that he had gotten a message. 43 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 3: He and the other members of the club had gotten 44 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 3: a message from the leadership of the club saying that 45 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 3: from now on, if you bring a guest, you need 46 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 3: to register the names. The guest's name in advance with 47 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 3: the club, so it can be posted just in case 48 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 3: there are some students who don't want to be present 49 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 3: in the club when your guest is there, and they 50 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 3: can have sent themselves. Now, no one was prohibited from 51 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 3: bringing anyone as a guest, but it was obviously the 52 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 3: result of a complaint, and my student intuited that the 53 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,559 Speaker 3: complaint was about his having brought me, a notorious conservative 54 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 3: professor to the club. Now, neither the leadership nor the 55 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 3: students who complained were aware of the fact that I 56 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 3: was a member of the club, an honorary member, but 57 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 3: still a member with full rights, including the right to 58 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 3: come to the club whenever I wanted to. So they 59 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 3: thought that this new rule would apply to me, But 60 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 3: of course it didn't because I was a member of 61 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 3: the club. 62 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 2: Imagine the guests you might have to register now that 63 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: you are well. 64 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 3: That's right. So what ensued immediately was an uproar. The 65 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 3: alumni members of the club were distressed to hear about 66 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 3: this insane new policy, offensive new policy. It was very 67 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 3: very quickly repealed under pressure from just about everybody, and 68 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 3: it's no longer in place, and now it's just a 69 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 3: funny little episode from the past, but evidently there were 70 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 3: some ultra woke students, not very a very small number 71 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 3: who complained that they were made to feel unsafe by 72 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 3: being in the club. And what is really ironic about 73 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 3: that is not only that I happened to be a 74 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 3: member of the club. They didn't know that, but it's true. 75 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 3: But also, you know, of all people, I've been the 76 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 3: professor on campus who has been out front, in the 77 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 3: forefront of saying the importance of all of us treating 78 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 3: each other with dignity and civility and listening to each 79 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 3: other's arguments and being willing to engage in a robust 80 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: but entirely civil manner with people with whom you disagree. 81 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,679 Speaker 3: So I have been pushing very hard against this idea 82 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 3: that hearing views you disagree with put you in a 83 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 3: position where you are unsafe. Let's just say what that is. 84 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 3: That is nonsense, that it is beloney. We could use 85 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 3: even more colorful terms about what that is. And it 86 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 3: has no place on a college campus in any dimension 87 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: of campus life, whether it's you know, at the dining clubs, 88 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 3: or whether it's in the classrooms or in the gyms. 89 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 3: Universities are about truth seeking that's what it's all about. 90 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 3: Students are here to try to advance knowledge. Faculty members 91 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 3: are here to try to advance knowledge. Students are supposed 92 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 3: to learn, Faculty members are supposed to teach as well 93 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,359 Speaker 3: as as learn. And to do that, we need to 94 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 3: be able to engage with people we disagree with, including 95 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 3: about big, important issues, not just the minor, superficial, trivial issues, 96 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 3: but the big ones. That's how knowledge is advanced. That's 97 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 3: how we get nearer the truth. That's how we reach 98 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 3: further into the depths of truth. And to do that 99 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: we need intellectual humility. We need to recognize that we 100 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 3: can be wrong about things, that we're fallible. That's what 101 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 3: we human beings are. We're not perfect. We'll never know 102 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 3: the truth perfectly. It will always be admixed with some error. 103 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 3: There is a truth and we can know it, but 104 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 3: we're not infallible. We will make mistakes. And the only 105 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 3: way those mistakes will be corrected is if we allow 106 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 3: people to challenge us. Allow people to question our beliefs, 107 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 3: even if they are deeply cherished beliefs are identity forming beliefs. 108 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 3: If we don't allow that, we quickly become dogmatists and ideologues, 109 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 3: and there's far too much dogmatism and ideology on university 110 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 3: campuses today, and those realities, those dreadful realities, are simply 111 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 3: antithetical to the truth seeking mission of the university. 112 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 2: So your crime is a willingness to debate the other 113 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 2: side and have a dialogue back and forth, which honestly. 114 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 3: Guilty as charged or guilty and search. 115 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: That's right, But today it is in some cases seen 116 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 2: as you know, two young people, they do feel attacked 117 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: if they have someone from a dissenting viewpoint come to 118 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 2: them and talk to them. And I think that this 119 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: has been something that we didn't necessarily understand until it. 120 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: Got to a point where it was at an extreme level. 121 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: Now we see these protests on college campuses that have 122 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:36,559 Speaker 2: gone from a dissenting viewpoint to discrimination of a certain 123 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: group of students. And so at what point do you say, 124 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 2: you can only be you can only bring civility into 125 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 2: it for so long before suddenly you have anti semitism, 126 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 2: and then how do you handle that. 127 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 3: It's the anti semitism that has now surfaced on college 128 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 3: campuses around the country, especially the so called elite colleges 129 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 3: and universities, the most famous and prestigious and influential institutions, 130 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 3: the anti crist Ristin bias, the anti conservative bias that 131 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 3: have been present and evident for a long time. These 132 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 3: are the fruit of what I call identitarian ideology. This 133 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 3: is the ideology that makes the divides the world up 134 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 3: into the good guys and the bad guys, the oppressors 135 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 3: and the and the oppressed, that sees university life as 136 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 3: a campaign for making things comfortable for people like me. 137 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 3: However I describe myself racially, or sexually, or in any 138 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 3: other respect ethnically, and then any criticism of anyone's views 139 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 3: is taken to be a personal attack, taken to be 140 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 3: an attack on that person's very identity who that person is. 141 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 3: And that's why students claim that to hear a dissenting 142 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 3: opinion of opinion, dissenting from their opinion makes them unsafe. 143 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 3: But it's a lie and we shouldn't put up with it, 144 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 3: and university faculty and administrators should be first in line, 145 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 3: not last in line, to say sorry, foul out of bounds. 146 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 3: You can't shut down conversation by claiming that your interlocutors 147 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 3: make you feel unsafe by holding views that are contrary 148 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 3: to yours. That's just as unacceptable as saying, in response 149 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 3: to an argument, well the Bible tells me so. To 150 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 3: just say the Bible tells me so is a conversation stopper. 151 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 3: And if I responded to a liberal critic on my 152 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 3: campus by saying, well, the Bible tells me so, they 153 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 3: would rightly say, well, wait a minute. You're presupposing the 154 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:41,959 Speaker 3: authority of the Bible, and I don't accept the authority 155 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 3: the Bible. Do you have any reasoned arguments? Do you 156 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 3: have any evidence? Do you have any rational basis apart 157 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 3: from revealed religion for your views. They'd be right to 158 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 3: demand that of me. But they are being fundamental People 159 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 3: on the woke left are being justice fundamentalist. Is a 160 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 3: religious fundamentalist When they say your views make me feel unsafe, 161 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,200 Speaker 3: that's just like saying the Bible tells me so. End 162 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 3: of discussion. It's a discussion stopper. 163 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 2: That's so interesting because I think we have seen this 164 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 2: and we've thought about it in terms of college campuses, 165 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 2: and we're like, oh, this next generation is in trouble. 166 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 2: But really we're doing this as adults in the political spectrum. 167 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 1: I mean I think just about my race and the fact. 168 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 2: That just the other day Gretchen Wimer again called me 169 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 2: an extremist. And I know why she says that, and 170 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 2: it is that's the exact thing. It stops you because 171 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 2: once you say, well, she's an extremist, then there's no 172 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 2: other argument, there's no other discussion, and everybody goes, oh 173 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:42,239 Speaker 2: my goodness, she's an extremist. 174 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: And why is that? 175 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 2: Well, when you ask the why, it's because I don't 176 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 2: believe in the fact that she thinks that life begins 177 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 2: at conception. I don't believe her feeling of life. And regardless, 178 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 2: there's also no discussion on well what does that mean 179 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 2: to you? 180 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: Then? 181 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: If tutor, if you are someone who believes in life, 182 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 2: then does that mean you will go to the extreme 183 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 2: of saying that everybody has to have the same viewpoint. 184 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 2: I'm not an idiot. I understand where we are in 185 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 2: this country. I know that's not the case. But do 186 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 2: I want to say, well, can we provide comforts and 187 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 2: abilities for people to also believe in life and choose 188 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 2: life even though they will have another choice. That discussion 189 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,439 Speaker 2: can never be had because they cut it off at extremists. 190 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 3: Yes, the allegation against you. The smearing of you as 191 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 3: an extremist is an attempt to shut down the conversation, 192 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 3: to prevent you from participating in the argument for adducing 193 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 3: your evidence, giving your reasons, and I can understand why 194 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 3: your governor does that to you. It's because she doesn't 195 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 3: have a rational argument for her position. There is no 196 00:10:55,160 --> 00:11:00,040 Speaker 3: rational way to refute the scientifically established fact that the 197 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 3: life of a new human being begins at fertilization, at conception, 198 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 3: when we have a distinct and unique, both functionally and 199 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 3: genetically distinct and unique individual human being, a new member 200 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 3: of the species Homo sapiens, which by an internally directed process, 201 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 3: a gradual process, will develop himself for her self. Ca 202 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 3: sexist in the human determined from the very beginning from 203 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 3: the embryonic into and through the fetal, infant, child, and 204 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 3: adolescent stages and into adulthood with his or her determinateness 205 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 3: and unity and identity fully intact. That's the scientific back 206 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 3: to them. It's not the Bible, that's not the authority 207 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 3: of the Church. That's the scientifically established fact. So if 208 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 3: Gretchen Widmer wants to claim that life doesn't begin at conception, 209 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 3: or we don't know where the life of a new 210 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 3: human being begins at conception, or we don't know when 211 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 3: the life of new human being begins. All that shows 212 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 3: is her scientific illiteracy. I suspect she knows the facts. 213 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 3: She doesn't, for political reasons, want to admit them, and 214 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 3: therefore her only available recourse is to smear anyone who 215 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 3: presents the facts as an experist. And that's just like 216 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 3: being a biblical fundamentalist or a right wing fundamentalist. She 217 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 3: just happens to be a left wing fundamentalist. 218 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 2: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 219 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 2: the Tutor Dixon podcast. I mean, you say it in 220 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 2: such a succinct and specific way, and I think that's 221 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 2: where we've been lacking that ability to come out and say, well, 222 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 2: what is actually going on here? 223 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 1: We get shut down here, we get shut down there. 224 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 2: And I think that that's even the concern with this 225 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 2: presidential election. Will Donald Trump be able to actually speak 226 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 2: about what he thinks without that being twisted and then 227 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 2: okay that he's this and beyond Donald Trump, I mean 228 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 2: beyond this election. If we get to the point where 229 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 2: we can just have that immediately shut down, you get 230 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 2: a label and imediately get shut down. Then how do 231 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 2: we as a country continue as the constitutional republic we 232 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 2: said we would be where we have open debate. 233 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: We have open discussions. 234 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 2: Sometimes you not even allowed to debate, and when you 235 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 2: do debate, you have the left is moderating, so they are. 236 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: Able to shut you down. So how do we go 237 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: from here? 238 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 2: How do we bring that civility and discussion and debate back. 239 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 3: You're a pluralistic society, religiously, politically, and in just about 240 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 3: every other way. We are society composed of very different people. 241 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 3: Unlike the nations of old Europe, our strength and unity 242 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 3: has never been founded on commonality of blood or soil 243 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 3: or thrown and alter our bonds. Our strength, our unity 244 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 3: has always been our shared commitment to the principles of 245 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 3: constitutional democracy, to our democratic republic. Principles has stated articulated 246 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 3: in the Declaration of Independence in the Constitution of the 247 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 3: United States. Those have always been buttressed by a common 248 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 3: faith in God, even across the different religious denominations, and 249 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 3: a commitment to the principles of family life, marriage and 250 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 3: the family, and to the principle of patriotism, love of country, 251 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 3: and the belief and service to communities. That's why, by 252 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 3: the authority vested in me, by absolutely no one, I 253 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 3: have declared the month of June to be fidelity Month, 254 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 3: where we rededicate ourselves and call our fellow citizens back 255 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 3: to these ideals of faith in God and fidelity to 256 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 3: espouses and families, and love of country and community. But 257 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 3: that's because we don't have common blood and soil were 258 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 3: thrown an altar to unite around. So what happens in 259 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 3: this pluralistic society if we can't resolve our differences by 260 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 3: reason debate. We know what happens. There's only one alternative. 261 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 3: When you can't resolve things by reason to debate, they 262 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 3: will be resolved by force. One way or another. They 263 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 3: will be resolved by force. And we cannot let that happen. 264 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: We must insist that reason, debate and not force, be 265 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 3: the way we resolve our differences in this democratic republic. 266 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 3: The great thing about democracy GTU is that there are 267 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 3: no permanent winners and no permanent losers. There are no 268 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 3: permanent victories and no permanent losses in a democracy. If 269 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 3: you lose today, if we appeal to our fellow citizens 270 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 3: but can't persuade them today We can always come back 271 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 3: tomorrow or next year, or in five years or in 272 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 3: ten years and say, you know, we need to revisit this. 273 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 3: We went down the wrong road. We made a mistake. 274 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 3: We undid segregation. That took forever, but we eventually undid segregation. 275 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 3: We undid Roe versus Wait. That took us fifty years, 276 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 3: but we did it. In a democracy with civil liberty, 277 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 3: you can do these things. There are no permanent victories, 278 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 3: there are no permanent losses. But that presupposes that people 279 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 3: accept the terms of democratic deliberation, and those terms centrally 280 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 3: include reason debate. Once you've pushed reason debate aside, they 281 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 3: will still be resolved, but that resolved by force. 282 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 2: Well doesn't Wouldn't you say that erasing history takes away 283 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 2: the ability to debate, because that's something that we've seen. 284 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 2: I mean, you talk about getting away, get overcoming segregation, 285 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 2: changing that, you talk about Roe v. Wade, you talk 286 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 2: about all of these things that have changed and altered 287 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 2: how the country functions, and segregation good grief. I mean, 288 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 2: look at how far we've come from that. But now 289 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 2: they want to take away the statues, they want to 290 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 2: take away the history. They don't want to talk about 291 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 2: the Civil War. They don't want to talk about how 292 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 2: these things happen. But the reality is that there were 293 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 2: people on both sides of that debate, and they were 294 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 2: from all different backgrounds. And the people who fought for 295 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 2: what was right were from all different backgrounds, and they 296 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 2: knew no matter what, that their brothers and sisters who 297 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 2: were being treated horribly had to be freed, had to 298 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 2: have the same rights that they had. But we don't 299 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 2: talk about that now. 300 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: They don't. 301 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 2: If they can control history, and they can wrap it 302 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 2: up and throw it away, then couldn't it all happen again. 303 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 3: It's important to understand the truth about our history. It's 304 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 3: important to understand the warts, and there are plenty of 305 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 3: warts in our history, but it's also important to understand 306 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 3: the noble achievements of our history. We need to know 307 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 3: about slavery and segregation. We cannot sweep those under under 308 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 3: the rug or pretend they didn't happen. Our young people 309 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 3: have to know their history, and they have to know 310 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 3: that stuff and how terrible it was that. They also 311 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:33,239 Speaker 3: have to know of our achievements. They have to know 312 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 3: that we did abolish slavery. A human constant, a constant 313 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 3: through human history. Slavery wasn't invented in the United States. 314 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 3: It was a constant through history and virtually all societies, 315 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,719 Speaker 3: and we got rid of it. It was replaced by segregation, 316 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 3: which was terrible, but we got rid of that too. 317 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 3: We destroyed the great totalitarian systems that arose in the 318 00:17:55,160 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 3: twentieth century, Soviet communism and German and Italian fascism and 319 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 3: Nazism in Germany. Those achievements are part of the story, 320 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 3: just as the bad stuff is part of the story. 321 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 3: Our young people need to know the whole truth, uncolored, unvarnished, unwhitewashed, 322 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 3: but also unblackwashed. They've got to know the great achievements 323 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 3: as well as the failings. And they also need to 324 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 3: know that they too are fallible. They too are going 325 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 3: to believe things that turn out to be false and 326 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 3: to be wrong. If we look at human history, the 327 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,360 Speaker 3: greatest minds, the greatest characters, the greatest figures who've existed 328 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 3: have made mistakes and mistakes not only about minor trivial things, 329 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 3: but about some very big things. And even well intentioned 330 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 3: people can make grave mistakes. The progressive movement embraced eugenics 331 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 3: in the nineteen teens and nineteen twenties and into the 332 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 3: nineteen thirties. They don't like to admit that today, but 333 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:54,959 Speaker 3: that's part of their history. They embraced it, they were 334 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 3: up to their eyeballs in it. And it was only 335 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,640 Speaker 3: when the Nazis finally picked it up from the Progressives 336 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 3: and gave it a bad name that the Progressives dropped 337 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 3: it and now try to pretend that they had not 338 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 3: embraced it. But that's part of their history, and it's 339 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 3: part of our history, and we need to know about 340 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 3: that precisely so we don't make mistakes like that again. 341 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 3: Now we will make mistakes, we'll make different mistakes, but 342 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 3: we're going to do better than we would otherwise do 343 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 3: if we learn from the mistakes that have been made 344 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 3: in our history. 345 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: I think that is the beauty of Christianity. 346 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 2: If you look at the word of God, the Word 347 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 2: of God is filled with Hey, look, I chose this person. 348 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 2: They screwed up. They saw how they screwed up. They 349 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,360 Speaker 2: were able to still do amazing things. We will all 350 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 2: screw up, we will all misinterpret, we will all make mistakes, 351 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,640 Speaker 2: but there's always still a path to do right. 352 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: I think that we've. 353 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 2: Gotten away from Christianity, so there aren't that many people 354 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 2: that are reading the Bible. I think a lot of 355 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:00,239 Speaker 2: our college students, and you can correct me if I'm 356 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 2: wrong here on campus every day, but I think a 357 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,679 Speaker 2: lot of our college students have kind of stepped away 358 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: from faith or religion of any kind. 359 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:08,959 Speaker 1: In there, you know, it's all about me. It's all 360 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: about means. 361 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 2: And that book, those stories, the parables, everything that you 362 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 2: learn there is a preparation for what you will experience 363 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 2: in life and the mistakes that you will make, and 364 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 2: that there will be times you will come back with 365 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 2: your tail between your legs and say, I don't think 366 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 2: you should accept me, but here I am, and yet 367 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 2: you will be accepted. How do you get that across 368 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 2: to young people today who are so sure in what 369 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 2: they're saying, and they have gone past, like I said again, 370 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 2: past civility to the point of making mistakes that sure, 371 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 2: we know you can come back from. But once you 372 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 2: get a group of people so large that are saying 373 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:53,880 Speaker 2: the same thing, it can overturn the beauty that is America. 374 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's certainly true that we increasingly live 375 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 3: in an era of narcissism. And it's not just on 376 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 3: the left, by the way, now we have a problem 377 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 3: on the right as well. It's me me, me, me, me, me, 378 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 3: myself and I we forget that, we we get the hour. 379 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 3: We also get absorbed into ourselves. And this is connected 380 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 3: with that identitarianism that I criticized earlier, the narcissism of 381 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 3: our age. And we have to help our young men 382 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 3: and women to avoid it, or to the extent that 383 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 3: they've already gotten themselves and meshed in it, to get 384 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 3: out of it, to separate themselves from it. Now we 385 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 3: have two basic ways of doing that, and we have 386 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 3: to use both of those ways. One is by teaching 387 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 3: by precept, by talking. We need to make the case 388 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 3: against identitarianism, against narcissism, in favor of a belief that 389 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 3: there are things more important than me that I should 390 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 3: be devoting myself to. But even more importantly is example. 391 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 3: It's modeling. We need to teach our young people by 392 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 3: precept and by example. They need to see grown ups. 393 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 3: They need to see people in positions of influence and 394 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 3: authority who model the virtues that we want to transmit 395 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 3: to our young people, who are able to push away 396 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 3: the narcissism, who don't fall into the identitarianism, who are 397 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 3: not dogmatists, who are not ideologues, people who are willing 398 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 3: to enter into dialogue and discussion with people even if 399 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 3: they deeply disagree with him. I don't know if you're 400 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 3: familiar with the work that I do with my friend 401 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 3: Cornell West, who's now running for president. Professor West and 402 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 3: I have very different political views. We're at opposite ends 403 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 3: of the political spectrum. We disagree about just about everything 404 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 3: in politics, and yet we teach together. We've taught wonderful 405 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,400 Speaker 3: courses together at Princeton when he was a professor here. 406 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 3: He's now moved on first to Harvard and now to 407 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 3: Union Theological Seminary. But since we're no longer able to 408 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 3: teach together, we take our show on the road. We 409 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,959 Speaker 3: go around the country to colleges and universities and other institutions, 410 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 3: and we try to model the virtues that we want 411 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 3: to see in our young people. And I think that's 412 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 3: just terribly important. I'm not sure if this is apocryphal 413 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 3: or whether he actually said it, but it's a beautiful sentiment. 414 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 3: The Great Saint, the great medieval Saint, Saint Francis of 415 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:23,000 Speaker 3: Assisi is said to have said, preach the gospel always, 416 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,959 Speaker 3: if necessary, use words, And of course what he's referring 417 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 3: to there is that we send the gospel message. We 418 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:34,120 Speaker 3: preach the gospel more by the way we lead our lives, 419 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 3: by the example we set, than even by the words. Now, 420 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 3: you do need the words. It's important to use the 421 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 3: words right, and we need to. We need to exhort 422 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 3: our students and teach our students. We have to teach 423 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 3: them by precept as well as by example. But we 424 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 3: also need the example, and we have to avoid at 425 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 3: all costs hypocrisy. Young people will smell that a mile away. 426 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 3: If you're telling them one thing and then behaving in 427 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 3: a way that's in consistent with what you're telling them, 428 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 3: they're not going to take you seriously at all. So 429 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 3: tutor by precept and example. I think all of us 430 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,639 Speaker 3: across the ideological and political spectrum need to take the 431 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 3: responsibility to model genuine civil discourse, intellectual humility, of willingness 432 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 3: to engage with others, taking seriously our own fallibility, embracing 433 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 3: the virtue of intellectual humility. We need to show our 434 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 3: young people by our example how to do it. 435 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 436 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon Podcast. There's not many professors like you, though. 437 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: I mean, that is one of the things that we're 438 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: up against. We don't necessarily see this on college campuses. 439 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 1: And I think something you said I want to go 440 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: back to about narcissism. We live in a society. 441 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 2: Where you are taught everything that is coming at you 442 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,719 Speaker 2: on a regular basis is telling you to be a narcissist. 443 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: Put you first. 444 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 2: It's all about me, me, me, How many likes can 445 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 2: you you get, how many people will follow you? It's 446 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 2: all about you. I mean, things are designed now to 447 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 2: be addictive. To care about yourself. It's not about being 448 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,360 Speaker 2: addictive to care for others. It's not mission work, it's 449 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 2: not helping with kids. It's all about what can I get. 450 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 2: And even when you see young people interviewed today, they're 451 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 2: talking about their likes and their viral moment. 452 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: And whether or not they can do this. 453 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:27,400 Speaker 2: I mean, we've even seen some of these influencers die 454 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 2: because they're trying to get a picture no one else 455 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 2: could get because everybody else would have died taking it. 456 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 2: They fall off of the edge of a mountain or so. 457 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 2: I mean, it's gotten to the point where it's so bizarre. 458 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 2: The narcissism is so bizarre that it's become deadly. So 459 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 2: how do we as a society shift away from that? 460 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,360 Speaker 2: When it is a it is so powerful what happens 461 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,919 Speaker 2: on social media and just the influence of the outside 462 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 2: forces right now or bigger than even in some cases family, that's. 463 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 3: Certainly true, Tutor. I'm going to say something now that 464 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 3: might seem a little scandalous coming from a conservative event 465 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 3: a Republican and on both of those things, but I'm 466 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 3: gonna say it anyway because I think it's true. One 467 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 3: of my great intellectual heroes a great influence on me 468 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 3: was the late, very great public intellectual Irving Crystal. And 469 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 3: Irving Crystal was famous for, among other things, his statement 470 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 3: of two cheers for capitalism? Now, why too, why not 471 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,719 Speaker 3: three cheers for capitalism? Especially from conservatives and Republicans? Right, 472 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 3: we're for capital we're certainly against socialism. We're for capitalism, right, 473 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 3: but why only two cheers? Why not three cheers? The 474 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:46,400 Speaker 3: reason why not three cheers is that capitalism can only 475 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 3: be humanizing and contribute to the flourishing of human beings 476 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 3: if it is constrained within moral boundaries. The market, unconstrained 477 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 3: by moral considerations, will sell you and will sell our 478 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 3: young people anything, pornography, drugs, prostitute, you name it. The market, 479 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 3: just by itself, abstracted from morality, is just a machine 480 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 3: for generating you know, wealth, and sales and and you 481 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,680 Speaker 3: know people, people getting ahead. We need to be very 482 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 3: concerned about what is for sale. There are some things 483 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 3: that shouldn't be for sale. And just because the market 484 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 3: generates an outcome, we mustn't conclude that that outcome is 485 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 3: right or just today. Market forces can do enormous damage 486 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 3: to young people if they're not constrained by moral considerations 487 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 3: and by policies that are informed by a sound morality. 488 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,199 Speaker 3: And we only conservative sides have to conservative side have 489 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 3: to recognize that. So, yes, we're for the free market. 490 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 3: We're against the command economy, and there is far too 491 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 3: much government regulation. Taxes are far to other Republicans or 492 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,360 Speaker 3: write about all that stuff. But two cheers for capitalism, observing, 493 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 3: Crystal said not three. 494 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 2: I think that what you're talking about is also creeping 495 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 2: into the political world, and I guess I would see it. 496 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 2: Maybe some people wouldn't necessarily see it as capitalism, but 497 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 2: it is taking opportunity, and we've seen this on the 498 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 2: Republican side. One that comes to mind right now is 499 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 2: in Michigan, one of our Democrat state legislators just put 500 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 2: in a bill to get tax credits for film making 501 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 2: in Michigan. We've done this before, it hasn't worked. She 502 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 2: wants to bring Hollywood to Michigan. The interesting part about 503 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 2: it is that this person is on the Education committee. 504 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 2: She's supposed to be looking out for our students. Now 505 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 2: Big Education has come back and say, how could you 506 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 2: do this? This will take money away from our schools. 507 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 2: You know, if you give these tax credits for films. 508 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 2: We have already seen this, it takes away from our 509 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 2: teachers in the classroom. The person who is putting this 510 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 2: bill in also is a film producer. And so what 511 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 2: happens when political power and capitalism come together, but in 512 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 2: a very nefarious way where you pass a bill for 513 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 2: your own personal financial benefit to the detriment of our 514 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 2: students who are already suffering greatly in the state of Michigan. 515 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: How do you even unpack that. 516 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 3: You know, money's a great thing, we all need it. 517 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 3: It's important, but it's a merely instrumental good. It's not 518 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: something good in itself. As I say to my students, 519 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 3: it's one of those things. Money is like power, it's 520 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 3: like influence, it's like prestige. Those things matter, and I 521 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 3: can understand why students aspire to them. We all to 522 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 3: some extent as fire to them. They matter, but at 523 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 3: the end of the day, not all that much. They're 524 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 3: not like the things that really matter. The things that 525 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 3: really matter are faith, family, friendship, dignity, integrity, honor. Why 526 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 3: do those things really matter? Because they're the things. Those 527 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 3: are the things that are valuable, not as means to 528 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 3: other ends, not just as instrumentally now, but as ends 529 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 3: in themselves. They're the very essence of our flourishing as 530 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 3: human beings, as the kinds of creatures that we that 531 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 3: we are, as those of us who are religious would say, 532 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 3: as God made us to be. So we need to 533 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 3: especially again in bringing up and forming our young people, 534 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 3: to make sure that they understand what is important, what matters, 535 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 3: but not all that much at the end of the day, 536 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 3: and the things that really matter. David Brooks has a 537 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 3: nice way of putting this. He says, there's some virtues 538 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 3: or values that are appropriate for your CV, for your resume. 539 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 3: I went to Yale, you know, I graduated Atsuma cum Lada. 540 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 3: You know I clerked at the Supreme Court. I'm a 541 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 3: partner at Cravats Wayne and More. No, those belong on 542 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 3: your CV, but they don't belong on your tombstone. What's 543 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 3: your tombstone going to say. It's not went to Yale, 544 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 3: graduated Summa Cumlada. It's going to say faithful husband, loving father. 545 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 3: It's going to attend to the things that really matter. 546 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 3: And too often in leading our lives, we're distracted away 547 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 3: from the things that really matter, the stuff that we 548 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 3: hope our tombstone will say, we're distracted away from that 549 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 3: by our preoccupation with those CV virtues and values, the 550 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 3: things that matter, but not all that much. 551 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: Oh man, it's so true. 552 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 2: I think there was nothing clearer to me than the 553 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 2: moment that we lost my dad in the last few 554 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 2: weeks of his life, because I thought, you know, here's 555 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 2: this man who has traveled all over the world. He's 556 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 2: gotten awards for his knowledge in making rail castings for 557 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 2: this in the steel industry. He was the president of Stale, 558 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 2: founder society. At the end of his life, he didn't say, 559 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 2: show me up my awards, bring in the stale founder society, 560 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: have everyone stand around me. He said, you know, come 561 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 2: into my room, sit with me, talk with me, hold 562 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 2: my hand. I don't want to leave you and I beautiful. 563 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 2: After that, I just thought, gosh, for robbing these young 564 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 2: people when we tell them, don't have a baby. Do 565 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 2: focus on your career. You should have control over whether 566 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 2: or not you bring a life into this world, and 567 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 2: it shouldn't be it shouldn't be your focus. 568 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: You should focus on this other stuff. 569 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 2: I'm like, at the end of his life, all he 570 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 2: wanted were the people that he loved around him, and 571 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 2: were robbing people of that knowledge. And it just makes 572 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 2: me so sad because I feel like I had to 573 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 2: lose him to fully see that and fully understand that. 574 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: And it's a reminder every day. 575 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 2: Don't travel as much, put things aside, spend time with 576 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 2: the girls. The career is not the end all be all, 577 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 2: and it's hard. It's hard to do, Yeah, it is. 578 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 3: So you know what your father taught you in those 579 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 3: last days was about the things that really matter. 580 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, absolutely, And that is the message from this 581 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 2: I mean, thank you for coming on today, because I 582 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 2: think that's the message from this podcast is there are 583 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 2: things that really matter and the things that you feel 584 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 2: so passionate about. If there's someone incredibly passionate on the 585 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 2: other side, maybe there's something you can learn instead of 586 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 2: pushing them aside. 587 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 3: Exactly what I mean. I mean, Brother Cornell West and 588 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 3: I have not really persuaded each other very often to 589 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 3: change our views, but I think he would say what 590 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 3: I am now going to say. We have deepened each 591 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 3: other's understanding of the issues, in part by making each 592 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 3: other see complexities to the issues that otherwise we would 593 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 3: not have seen. And that happened because each of us 594 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 3: allowed the other and continues to allow the other to 595 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 3: challenge him, to question him. And we don't take it 596 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 3: personally as a personal attack. If he says, I agree 597 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 3: with you about life, or about marriage, or about whatever 598 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 3: the issue is. 599 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 2: But I see a true joy in you talking about 600 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 2: the relationship. And even if it's not that you're going 601 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 2: to learn something about the other side of the issue 602 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,840 Speaker 2: that's going to convert you, it's that you may be 603 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 2: missing out on an incredibly genuine person. 604 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 3: Exactly right at the end of the day. That's what 605 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:20,800 Speaker 3: it's all about. 606 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 2: I always see people who say I want to look 607 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 2: like this person, and you see suddenly everybody has the 608 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 2: same lips in the same eyes, and everybody is the same. 609 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 2: And I'm like, the beauty is in our differences. That's 610 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,839 Speaker 2: where you find the most creativity from God. That's where 611 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 2: you find the most joy in life is finding the 612 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 2: differences in people. And if you are unwilling, if you 613 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,800 Speaker 2: want to just stay in your lane with your blinders 614 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 2: on and say everybody's the same, you miss so much. 615 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I would say theologically that God creates on a 616 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,280 Speaker 3: retail basis, not on a wholesale basis. 617 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, he creates. 618 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,720 Speaker 3: Each human being is custom made. It's like a custom 619 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 3: made suit, right, It's not off the rack. Human beings 620 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 3: are not created off the rag. They're all precious and different. 621 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 3: I'm the eldest of five children in my family, all boys, 622 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:13,719 Speaker 3: five brothers, and we are as close as you can 623 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,280 Speaker 3: possibly be. I mean, growing up, I used to say, 624 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 3: you know, we're so close. Sometimes I forget which one 625 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:24,240 Speaker 3: I am. At the same time, we are all so different. 626 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 3: We grew up in the same house with the same 627 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 3: parents and the same influences, but we have different interests, 628 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 3: different talents, different abilities, different fashions, different versions, different sensibilities. 629 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:38,759 Speaker 3: As close as we are, human beings are, so it's 630 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 3: amazing that there can be so many of us, with 631 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 3: each being distinctive. It's like the human face, true faces, 632 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,840 Speaker 3: unless you're identical twins, and even there they're not exactly alike. 633 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,279 Speaker 3: But no two faces are alike. How can that be 634 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,799 Speaker 3: true when there are so many human beings that have 635 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 3: been throughout throughout history. Well, those those those differences don't 636 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 3: just aren't just at the superficial level. We're different from 637 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 3: anybody else all the way through. Each of us is 638 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:14,439 Speaker 3: a unique, distinct, precious being. It's so true love by God. 639 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 3: I mean, how cool is that? 640 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: I know? I think that's the joy of family. 641 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:20,919 Speaker 2: And that's the thing that makes me sad when people 642 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,200 Speaker 2: say I don't need this because I look at my kids. 643 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 2: I have four girls, so we're in a girl family. Yes, 644 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,320 Speaker 2: but it's the same. And I have twins. They're not identical, 645 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:33,840 Speaker 2: but I do have twins, and it's amazing to see 646 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,399 Speaker 2: exactly right they then they're super close, but they all 647 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 2: obviously have grown up together and everyone you look at them, 648 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 2: and you're like, there's so much How is it that 649 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 2: you can come from the same parents, live in the 650 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,799 Speaker 2: same house, be so different and be so amazing And 651 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:51,920 Speaker 2: that's the beauty of the creator. And I think that's amazing, 652 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,800 Speaker 2: and that's what I want everybody to kind of enjoy 653 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 2: and be a part of. And that I think is 654 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 2: the frustration for me when I hear people say, oh, 655 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 2: a portion abortion, abortion, abortion, and I'm like, oh, gosh, 656 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 2: who are you getting rid of that you didn't get 657 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 2: to know and didn't get to love and didn't get 658 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 2: to see how unique and creative and amazing that they are. 659 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: But it's just a matter. 660 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 2: Of continuing to talk and continue to have conversations like these, 661 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 2: and over time, I believe that people see it in 662 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 2: different ways. And like you said, there are things that 663 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 2: you learn over time you don't know until you've gotten there. 664 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:26,839 Speaker 2: And I've had that experience, and I hope that our 665 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 2: young people will at least be open minded enough to 666 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 2: continue to learn throughout life. 667 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 3: Exactly right. I see my calling as a teacher to 668 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 3: form the young men and women and trusted to my 669 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 3: charge and trusted to my care to be determined truth 670 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 3: seekers and courageous truth speakers and lifelong learners. And I 671 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 3: believe that if we achieve that goal as teachers, if 672 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 3: we form our young people to be determined truth seekers 673 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 3: and courageous truth speakers and lifelong learners, they will also 674 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:55,400 Speaker 3: be the very best of good citizens. 675 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate you coming on here today. They are very, 676 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 2: very lucky to have. Everybody who's listening, Do not forget 677 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:04,759 Speaker 2: this is Professor Robert P. 678 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 1: George. You are really truly a gift to education, and 679 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:10,759 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you joined us. 680 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 3: Thank you, Tutor. It's a pleasure to be on with you. 681 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 2: Thank you absolutely, and thank you all for listening to 682 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,280 Speaker 2: the Tutor Dixon Podcast. As always, for this episode and others, 683 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 2: go to Tutor dixonpodcast dot com or head over to 684 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 685 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 2: podcasts and join us next time on the Tutor Dixon Podcast. 686 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 1: Have a blessed ding