Episode · EconTalk · 2020-04-06
Books mentioned on Arnold Kling on the Three Languages of Politics, Revisited
Economist and author Arnold Kling talks about the revised edition of his book The Three Languages of Politics in front of a live audience at the Cato Institute, recorded in September of 2019.
Russ Roberts discussed The Three Languages of Politics by Arnold Kling, The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, and Tribe by Sebastian Junger. Arnold Kling recommended The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium by Martin Gurri, and discussed Bobos in Paradise by David Brooks.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Three Languages of Politics
The Three Languages of Politics by Arnold Kling is a thought-provoking nonfiction book that examines how progressives, conservatives, and libertarians rely on fundamentally different moral frameworks and linguistic lenses to interpret political events.
Discussed“We're going to talk about your book, The Three Languages of Politics, which we've already talked about on the program, back in June of 2013. But, there's a new edition of the book, which is available at Amazon, in hardcover, paperback, on a Kindle for a mere $3.99, and it's also available as an ebook, PDF, etc., at no charge”
Where to get it
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The Theory of Moral Sentiments
The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith is a seminal 1759 work of moral philosophy that examines the psychological foundations of human judgment, empathy, and social order.
Discussed“Yeah, Adam Smith in the Theory of Moral Sentiments says that uh I'd like you to like what I like. So, if I tell you this is a really great movie and you go see it, I'm going to feel good if you if you like it and I'll be disappointed if you don't like it.”
Where to get it
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Tribe
Tribe by Sebastian Junger is a non-fiction book that explores the psychological need for community, human connection, and the challenges veterans face when reintegrating into modern society.
Discussed“I would argue you know, Sebastian Junger was on here talking about his book Tribe. I think that's a profound book.”
Where to get it
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Bobos in Paradise
Discussed“Um, yeah, I I can came up with the term in the sort of the Bobo versus anti-Bobo axis. And that Bobo refers to a 20-year-old book by David Brooks called Bobos in Paradise. And Bobo stands for Bohemian Bourgeois.”
Where to get it
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The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium by Martin Gurri is a sociological and political analysis examining how digital technology and the internet have empowered ordinary citizens to challenge traditional institutional authority.
Recommended“Well, um, I guess you know, I I have to keep recommending Martin Gurri's work. The his book is The Revolt of the Public.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Okay, and I'm going to back you up, and start start back with sort of why I why I wrote the book, which was I noticed that the expression of political opinions in the traditional media and the social media was not constructive.”
“Yeah, I have sort of mixed feelings about that and that I I things are changing so quickly that you know, I I almost feel like this edition is already out of date in some sense. Um I do it's more timely in the sense that a lot I think many more people now are upset at the state of”
“Um that may be true. I think you know, if you're trying to if I were trying to sum up a prescription of this book uh and I don't have this phrase in the book like a you know, this is one of these things I keep thinking about you know, as I go along and I I sometimes come”