Episode · Conversations with Tyler · 2023-11-29
Tyler Cowen & John Gray: books mentioned on Conversations with Tyler
John Gray on Pessimism, Liberalism, and Theism
John Gray is a philosopher and writer renowned for his critical examination of liberalism, atheism, and the human condition.
Tyler Cowen discussed The New Leviathans by John Gray. John Gray recommended The Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley and The Confidence Man by Herman Melville, and discussed The Book of Job by Richard Green Moulton, The book of Genesis by Victor P. Hamilton, Principles of Political Economy by John Stuart Mill, Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust, MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE by Herman Melville, and The new Leviathan by R. G. Collingwood.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The New Leviathans
The New Leviathans: Thoughts After Liberalism is a philosophical work by John Gray that examines the current state of liberalism, political pessimism, and modern society.
Discussed“Now your new book, it is called The New Leviathans: Thoughts After Liberalism.”
Where to get it
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The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a revered ancient spiritual and philosophical text that addresses duty, action, and human existence through a dialogue between the prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna.
Recommended“So I would pick great points in our tradition and also other traditions, the Bhagavad Gita, Taoist works like Zhuangzi and Laozi, and I would give them a whole range of those.”
Where to get it
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The Book of Job
The Book of Job by Richard Green Moulton is a profound literary interpretation of the ancient biblical text that examines the theological dimensions of human suffering, patience, and righteousness.
Discussed“The whole of the Bible, one of the key texts for me is the Book of Genesis, two books, the Book of Genesis and the Book of Job.”
Where to get it
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The book of Genesis
The book of Genesis by Victor P.
Discussed“The whole of the Bible, one of the key texts for me is the Book of Genesis, two books, the Book of Genesis and the Book of Job.”
Where to get it
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Principles of Political Economy
Principles of Political Economy by John Stuart Mill is a foundational nineteenth-century treatise exploring classical economics, production, distribution, and the role of government in society.
Discussed“In other words, I'm not talking about the famous population conclusion in him whereby if you have a vast world and everybody's lives are barely worth living in you add up the utility, it could be better than a smaller world with many fewer human beings whose lives were much higher.”
Where to get it
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Remembrance of Things Past
Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust is a monumental multi-volume novel that explores themes of memory, time, and involuntary recollection triggered by sensory experiences.
Discussed“The only very long book I like which is um Proust's Remembrance of Things Past.”
Where to get it
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MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville is an epic American novel that chronicles the obsessive, self-destructive quest of Captain Ahab to hunt down the giant white whale that maimed him.
Discussed“How so? about I don't know about influence because I'm not a novelist but I it's one of the books I Moby Dick.”
Where to get it
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The Confidence Man
The Confidence Man by Herman Melville is a complex, darkly satirical novel set on a Mississippi River steamboat that serves as a profound meditation on trust, identity, and American capitalism.
Recommended“Uh The Confidence Man is a great book for example.”
Where to get it
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The new Leviathan
Discussed“And he he was the one person who introduced me to R.G. Collingwood's book The New Leviathan, singular, uh on which I wouldn't say this book is based, it's quite different in every respect, but it gave me the thoughts that 60 years later then found fruition or in the in this book of mine.”
Where to get it
