Spencer Klavan is a scholar, writer, and podcaster. A graduate of Yale, he earned his doctorate in ancient Greek literature from Oxford University. Spencer is the author of the acclaimed book How to Save the West, Ancient Wisdom for Five Modern Crises, and his latest release is Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science through Faith. Spencer is also the editor of Gateway to the Stoics, the host of the Young Heretics podcast, and associate editor of the Claremont Review of Books. And he has written for many outlets, including The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, City Journal, Newsweek, The Federalist, The American Mind, and The Daily Wire.
In this episode, Spencer and I explore the significance of classical literature and philosophy in contemporary society, the importance of reconnecting with the wisdom of the past, what is behind the resurgence of interest in Stoicism, why moral relativism is a miserable philosophy with miserable outcomes, and why we need to rediscover timeless truths instead, the role of education in preserving cultural heritage, the need for a shared cultural language to navigate modern complexities, the transformative power of literature in understanding human nature and morality, the impoverished architectural landscape of modern cities, and Spencer's new book, where we talk about how science and faith can coexist, and much, much more.
You'll hear that Spencer is a deeply impressive man, and his erudition is out of this world. Spencer's able to recall long passages of classic literature without preparation and in response to something that you said. And in the opener, I unintentionally created a meme like slogan for him, which captures a sense of his mission.
Listen out for it. I won't spoil it, but I think you'll agree that once you've listened to this podcast, that Spencer is doing more than most to re-enchant and re-enlighten the culture.
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#049 - Spencer Klavan - On Moral Relativism, Timeless Truths, And Science & Faith