DeepSummary
Matt Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell discuss Saul Bellow's novel Ravelstein, a fictionalized portrayal of Allan Bloom, the renowned political philosopher and author of The Closing of the American Mind. They delve into Bloom's background, his relationship with Bellow, and the impact of Closing the American Mind on higher education debates and conservative thought.
The hosts analyze Bloom's critique of the modern university, his emphasis on liberal education and the study of great books, and his perspective on democracy and the role of intellectuals. They also explore Ravelstein's depiction of Bloom's personal life, including his friendship with Bellow and his struggles with illness and sexuality.
Through their discussion, Matt and Sam examine the nuances of Bloom's thought, the tensions between his philosophical ideals and personal indulgences, and the complex legacy he left as both an influential thinker and a controversial figure in the culture wars.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Allan Bloom's book The Closing of the American Mind was a seminal work that critiqued the modern university and sparked debates around higher education and liberal values.
- Bloom emphasized the importance of liberal education through the study of great books and engagement with ancient philosophy as a means of cultivating democratic citizenship.
- Bellow's novel Ravelstein offers a fictionalized but insightful portrait of Bloom's life, ideas, and complexities, including his friendship with Bellow and struggles with illness and sexuality.
- Bloom's thought contained tensions between his valorization of ancient Greek philosophy and his Jewish identity, which resurfaced towards the end of his life.
- The relationship between Bloom and his partner Nikki, as depicted by Bellow, revealed a missed opportunity to explore deep themes of love and care amidst the AIDS crisis.
- Bloom's status as a prominent public intellectual made him an influential but controversial figure, admired by some conservatives while also critiqued for his ambivalent political stances.
- The hosts analyze the nuances of Bloom's philosophical perspective, including his emphasis on Eros, critique of relativism, and views on the role of education in sustaining democracy.
- The episode delves into the intellectual kinship between Bloom and Bellow, two Jewish thinkers from the Midwest who approached questions of identity and tradition from different artistic perspectives.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “He took you from antiquity to the enlightenment and then by way of Locke, Montesquieu and Rousseau, onward to Nietzsche and Heidegger, to the present moment, to corporate, high tech America, its culture and its entertainments, its press, its educational system, its think tanks, its politics.“ by Saul Bellow
- “One of his complaints about students is that they arrive empty of prejudice. They have this easy going post sixties liberalism where they don't really care that much about anything, any capital t truths. And for him, he writes, one has to have the experience of really believing before one can have the thrill of liberation.“ by Sam Adler-Bell
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Episode Information
Know Your Enemy
Matthew Sitman
6/21/21