The Statesman's Interest and Duty

We discuss Aristotle’s fundamental distinction between good government and bad: whether political leaders seek their own interest or pursue the common good.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:55) - We talk about the upcoming start of the school year, our audience’s apparent desire for less content less often, and Matt’s dreams of calling Red Sox games on the radio.

Required Reading (2:58) - We discuss the way Aristotle investigates philosophical questions and the difference between self-seeking and common good-seeking political leadership from book I, chapter 3 of Aristotle’s Politics. Links: Aristotle, The Politics; National Review article on NY Attorney General’s report on Andrew Cuomo accusations; RealClearPolitics state-level COVID statistics. 

Open the Gradebook (27:10) - We grade the Washington Nationals’ trade deadline firesale and the new big contracts for NBA superstars Trae Young and Chris Paul. Links: Washington Nationals firesale; Nats’ 12 prospects; Trae Young contract; Chris Paul contract.  

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Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.