Ukraine, Russia, Kings, and Tyrants

We apply Aristotle’s discussion of kings and tyrants to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the leaders of the two sides.   

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 (0:52) - We talk about the cancellation of the first week of baseball season and Matt’s decision criteria for choosing a good graduate school.        

Required Reading (4:07) - We discuss the means of preserving monarchies and tyrannies outlined by Aristotle in Book V, chapters 10-11 of The Politics and apply them to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the political leaders on both sides. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.

Gradebook (20:21) - We review the key themes of President Biden’s State of the Union Address and assess its likelihood of improving the Democrats’ prospects in the 2022 midterm elections. Link: Biden SOTU, Dan McLaughlin at National Review.      

Email: [email protected]

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.