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Daniel McCarthy

Utopian thinking fosters tyranny and has been behind history's worst man-made disasters. This podcast explores the many permutations of Utopian thinking and, by taking an eclectic outlook, offers simple, independent solutions to this complex, multifaceted problem.

The Story of Nowhere

This episode begins an investigation into the material evidence of the JFK assassination, starting with a deep dive into the Zapruder Film.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit ⁠https://storyofnowhere.com/jfk1⁠

To access The Nowhere Library, please visit ⁠https://storyofnowhere.com/library

40. A Window in Dallas, Pt. 1A - The Official Story: Evidence of Our Eyes

The complete "The Story of Nowhere" book, read by the author.

https://storyofnowhere.com/audiobook/

"The Story of Nowhere" Audiobook (Full)

This is the first episode in the series, "A Brief History of Critical Thinking," a survey of how logic and reason have developed over the span of a few millennia. In this episode, we look at the primeval origins of critical thinking, and see how rationality was venerated in early civilizations.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/historyofthinking1

1. A Brief History of Critical Thinking, Pt. 1: Shamans, Seers, and Sacred Geometry

The first show featuring Daniel McCarthy of https://storyofnowhere.com and Brett Veinotte of https://schoolsucksproject.com. The subject of Utopianism is discussed, as is the importance of the study of myth.

Originally released June 13, 2019 at https://schoolsucksproject.com/bonus-the-pursuit-of-utopia-episode-one-from-the-top-down/.

[BONUS] In Pursuit of Utopia #1: From the Top Down

In the early 1600's, two very different images of Utopia were designed for the newly-discovered Americas. In this show, these two ideals - one religious and one scientific - are explored, as is the very mysterious (and perhaps misunderstood?) Bavarian Illuminati of the late 18th century. 

For Brett's work, visit https://schoolsucksproject.com

For Daniel's work, visit https://storyofnowhere.com

Originally published on July 21, 2019, at https://schoolsucksproject.com/bonus-in-pursuit-of-utopia-episode-2-illumination/

[BONUS] In Pursuit of Utopia #2: Illumination

Though the Middle Ages are often characterized as "Dark Ages," there was actually quite a bit of very serious critical thinking going on at the time. In this third instalment of the "Brief History of Critical Thinking" series, we will examine some of the important developments in human reason that occurred in the Medieval Millennium, and find that - arguably - the seeds of the Scientific Revolution may have actually been planted by a Catholic bishop.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/historyofthinking3

3. A Brief History of Critical Thinking, Pt. 3: Light in the Dark

The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, fundamentally changed how people think about society. Some even thought that society itself could be remade into something based not on fealty to God and the king, but on the virtues of liberty, reason, and property. In this episode, the philosophy of the Enlightenment is discussed, in preparation for a deeper look at two very influential Utopian experiments of the era: The American Republic and the French Revolution. 

For Brett's work, visit https://schoolsucksproject.com 

For Daniel's work, visit https://storyofnowhere.com 

Originally published on August 22, 2019, at https://schoolsucksproject.com/bonus-in-pursuit-of-utopia-episode-3-noble-lies/

[BONUS] In Pursuit of Utopia #3: Noble Lies

Though it is typically associated with its spectacular art, the Renaissance which followed the Middle Ages also gave rise to a new philosophy. Many at the time thought that underlying all of the world's religious traditions was a thread of universal - "divine" - truth. Perhaps more importantly, there arose an idea that the physical world was bound together by some sort of rational "force" - a force which could be understood, if only man paid close attention to the subtle behavior of nature. Of course, such a concept is easy to take for granted now, as it is the bedrock of our modern, materialistic, scientific worldview. 

Critical thought was revolutionized in the 17th and 18th centuries, as daring thinkers experimented with old materials to create new technologies, and even went so far as to create new types of political organization. This is the story of science and its early social implications. This is the story of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/historyofthinking4

4. A Brief History of Critical Thinking, Pt. 4: Agora Underground

Was the American Revolution a Utopian project? Or was it, in fact, the least Utopian political movement of all? The early Republic certainly afforded its citizens a great deal of political freedom, though it simultaneously suppressed the political freedoms of its non-citizen residents. Also, despite the theoretical constraints its Constitution put on governmental growth, the United States has grown into perhaps the largest and most globally-present power on the face of the Earth. In this show, the motivations and consequences of its creation are discussed.

For Brett's work, visit https://schoolsucksproject.com 

For Daniel's work, visit https://storyofnowhere.com 

Originally published on October 16, 2019, at https://schoolsucksproject.com/bonus-in-pursuit-of-utopia-episode-4-common-sense/

[BONUS] In Pursuit of Utopia #4: Common Sense

This episode features an in-depth presentation on the co-optation of the classical American ideal of independent education and critical thinking, by those who wished to push a universal, neo-Medieval system in order to artificially create homogeneous federal and global polities. This presentation which acts as the grand finale of the "Brief History of Critical Thinking" series is delivered by forensic historian and independent researcher Kevin Cole.

For Kevin's work, please visit https://unityofthepolis.com

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://storyofnowhere.com/historyofthinking5

5. A Brief History of Critical Thinking, Pt. 5: Uniting the Polis w/ Kevin Cole

In this continuation of "The Realm of Isocrates," Kevin Cole and I explore the ripple effect Isocrates's educational philosophy had on subsequent history, through the lens of an article critiquing the mainstream view of the development of educational theory. Most scholars concerned with the history of educational theory have over-looked the influence of Isocrates, instead tending to credit Plato and Aristotle with the creation of education as we understand it today. However, as is shown in this episode, these claims are tenuous at best. This discussion spans two thousand years of European history, highlighting critical moments in the evolution of educational theory, revealing the fact that the credit - or blame - for our traditional methods of schooling lies not with Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle, but with Isocrates.

For Kevin's work, please visit https://www.unityofthepolis.com/

For comprehensive Show Notes, please visit https://www.storyofnowhere.com/isocrates2/

12. The Realm of Isocrates, Pt. 2: Is Our History of Educational Philosophy Mostly Wrong? The Return of the Auctors (w/ Kevin Cole)

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