Great Books & Democracy Victor Hanson.flv

A look at Democracy and Political Freedom through the perspective of Great Books of Western Civilization. Victory David Hanson gives his views, thoughts and philosophy.

[@markpong5435]

Arguably the best presentation by VDH. Informative, intelligent and well presented. Only 84,000 views. Millions should've watched and learned from it. A rare insite into the most important subject of today from a historical prospect. Congratulations to VDH, excellent work.

[@ryangerardcomedy425]

This is probably the best speech I've heard of his. I don't know how I stumbled into Victor Davis Hanson, but he seems to have the most cogent things to say for a guy like me. Great video.

[@davidmanuelslaughter7932]

Just started the video. I hope you're right.

[@terriejohnson6498]

Me too

[@christianehenningsen8803]

Me also

[@itsnotatoober]

Addictive listening to him.

[@mathman43]

Agreed. VDH is my go to for podcasts. Nobody else has the ability to transmit ancient history into our current situation.

[@salvadorkeaton251]

i dont mean to be so off topic but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I stupidly forgot the account password. I love any help you can offer me!

[@graysenkonnor8592]

@Salvador Keaton Instablaster :)

[@rogerhoke9725]

It's just as addictive to read his work. He's a fantastic writer, speaker, and academic, overall.

[@tallthinwavy3]

One of the best speeches he has given.

[@thinkmackay8954]

Every one of his speeches is among the best I have ever heard.

[@thanksfernuthin]

Indeed, Jon J. An excellent description, explanation and defense of Western Culture and it's incredible value and dangers.

[@itsnotatoober]

You obviously haven't heard most of his speeches because he drops this all the time

[@trstenik100]

Really? I've just started the video. Looking forward to listen, since I have high respect for VDH.

[@One-lv4en]

can not get enough of this lecture. listen to it all the time, VDH is FANTASTIC and BRILLIANT.

[@mrniceguy7168]

This lecture is made so much sweeter due to the fact that Donald Trump was the first man that came to mind when he thought of ostracizing people. Who would have known years later he’d be one of his biggest defenders.

[@kytom89]

One of his best lectures I've heard.

[@FlorpIncarnate]

Fantastic lecture. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed learning about Lesbos, and the tension between equality and liberty in greek democracy.

[@AndrewIsbell]

23:11 Crazy that this was recorded many years ago!

[@jfboomerang1310]

Great speech, educational and helpful to understand what's going on now. These two dynamics, liberty vs equity are glaringly recognizable today in 2021.

[@AjarnMatt]

7:38 the extensive introduction ends, VDH begins.

[@maximinus5151]

Thank you for the heads up.

[@itsnotatoober]

Doing the righteous work

[@TheRomeerome]

You were kind with your description of the introduction. The gentleman seemed to act as if he was the main attraction. Excellent lecture as usual.

[@nittoyepthomi7931]

Thanks..

[@moss8448]

thanks for the heads up

[@FloydMaxwell]

The priceless Victor Davis Hanson

[@keithplymale2374]

PHD = Pilled Higher and Deeper. Great speech.

[@rickbruner]

A great man... lost in time.

[@joecarr2224]

VDH is always worth hearing. Thank you.

[@tommyodonovan3883]

This is VDH's best work.

[@hawk0485]

Victor starts at 7:36

[@elitriem517]

One of your best lectures.

[@cygnusx-1318]

Cogent. Good case for knowing something about history if not Classics, the value of Education rather than Training in Right Social Attitudes. There's nothing new under the sun. The West (and importantly nobody else) has wrestled with the problem of liberty vs. equality for 2,500 years. To me, no absolute solution is offered, and in fact, there may not be one. But an understanding of what exactly is going on, and that it's not new, helps one frame one's mind into a position and, importantly, understand the other position.

[@danfontaine1171]

hammertapping perhaps you didn't understand the perimeters of the lecture. I will repost them for you "A look at Democracy and Political Freedom through the perspective of Great Books of Western Civilization. Victory David Hanson gives his views, thoughts and philosophy.' Great books of Western Civilization! India, persia, china south america etc are not considered part of western civilization...

[@Jubilo1]

Outstanding!

[@viramandybur4915]

VDH...a national treasure.

[@kingbryananthony]

Thank you for the upload:)

[@tarhunta2111]

Brilliant.Very compelling lecture.

[@AjarnMatt]

46:00 If you were to give people unlimited freedom under democracy, and if you were to allow them the capitalist system where they're free to make money, then that is a lethal combination because it's going to encourage a constant satisfaction of the appetites and effort to satisfy the appetites. And when you have majority rule, people will always want to satisfy their appetites by voting themselves more and more entitlements and extending the idea of equality.

[@stephenmalley3415]

Matt Miklas Hilary Clinton made $100,000 off a $1000 ~1978. She had insider knowledge and held out until the statute ran out then says she was absolved. The point is this is happening, at a much worse rate than most realise. The top 10 richest neighbourhoods in USA, 6 are in Washington DC. The Ferrari dealership complained because, although they sold more than Bel-Air, they buy in cash so they don’t get the finance rewards. DC is corrupt. It’s where people go to make money and get power, maybe do something good for the country. Big government did this. Centralised power will always become corrupt if it’s enough power in a small enough area and population. You’re nightmare is happening and has been since the Clintons made precedent by making as much as possible and looked up for it. Obama is making speeches for a lot, but if Michelle gets in the senate, that will increase tenfold to their charity, just like Clinton foundation.

[@14docmurph]

Is that not natural law though? What living thing does not strive to maintain its place in a hierarchy while endeavoring to rise up it? That's certainly human nature. Any time you look to distinguish yourself you create a hierarchy. Capitalism gives human nature order and rules to abide by. If follows the inevitable law that if everything is equal you are not free and if you are free then all things will not be equal.

[@MrBuddickman]

Brilliant as always!

[@chicago618]

To by pass the arduous soliloquy of an introduction and straight to VDH go to 7:40.

[@BecomeAWebDev]

Very nice ... what a deal ....

[@patriciakimball8150]

Ah, soooo good! Especially the explanation of the liberty/equality dichotomy and it’s roots in the Sparta-Thebes/Athens and then the USA/EU divide. PS and so relevant to the current Democrat/Republican divide today (4/2023)

[@DavidJ-iz8wl]

Classy, reminds me of Stephen Hicks. Great lecture!

[@williamfankboner4206]

What is the connection of universal suffrage and equality of outcome? There seems to be a lacuna in Hanson's discussion of these two things.

[@lolamby1]

Starts at 7:42

[@hey_joe7069]

Grandma, cracked me up.... "YeAH, That was the only thing wrong with them".... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@angelo7217]

Haha he suggested "ostracising" Donald Trump! Amazing, he now supports President Trump! Amazing lecture.

[@ppumpkin3282]

Didn't hear him saying we should ostracise Trump? Where? Are you with the fake news?

[@nikola920]

@@ppumpkin3282 23:15

[@halwarner3326]

Is it possible you missed the point he was making? Maybe I did? He mentioned Donald Trump and cindy Sheehan to make a point, that's my take.

[@willempotgieter6045]

@@halwarner3326 I'm with you, he made a point. Trump was a loud, obnoxious person back then. I believe he is still today. But the guy did more for the US than any president since Reagan, maybe even more given the crazy times we are living in. I wish you guys in the US can eventually get away from the identity politics and cancel culture madness. The rest of the world needs you, everything the US does filters down

[@mu99ins]

@55:00 - My neighbor supervises 4 PG&E substations in central California. PG&E replaced the computers that their electricians use with the type of computers where the computer does all the thinking, with touch screens like the fast food restaurants use. PG&E saves wages with this time savings. This neighbor of mine has had to ask his workers if they knew anything about electricity. He said that he's going to buy a generator because he has little faith in PG&E electricians.

[@mu99ins]

@@raymondfrye5017 - I feel so fortunate that I'm not in any of the California counties that were blacked out because of wind.

[@tommythompsonsurfer]

SCAMMING COMMUNIST CALIFORNIA AND THE "FOR PROFIT" UTILITIES........TOTAL ANTI AMERICAN SCAMMERS........THERE WAS NO REAL PROBLEM AT OUR SAN OFRERE FUSION PLANT.......RESTART IT!!!

[@AjarnMatt]

38:32 RW critique of not everyone being equal & how you can't force it - redistributive governments don't work due to variations in people's natural endowments, habits, tendencies

[@neuralvibes]

If you liked this, watch Dana Gioia's lecture as well from the same lecture series (should be available at the sidebar to the right), IMHO, even better and more inspiring though they tackle the issue of Great Books from rather different angles. To save you some time, the rest of the lectures in the series are nothing special...

[@Purplexity-ww8nb]

I guess there is a great disparity between individual human intellect. I could study my entire life and not know the academic disciplines demonstrated by VDH in this one lecture. #humiliating

[@raymondfrye5017]

Study the Greek and Roman Classics with a competent teacher. Remember, he had to take History, Philosophy and assorted requirements also.

[@SerZachariah]

24:25

[@jaydouglas8170]

21:20.... What happens if they DON'T VOTE..... Those who choose to not vote should be taxed for being a large part of the problems. On the other hand, the people should have the choice of selecting NONE OF THE ABOVE, instead of being forced to select one of a list of unacceptable people. If the majority select None-Of-The-Above, then Tom, Dick, and harry are outta there and we'll try again.

[@raymondfrye5017]

@ Mr. Douglas: What you say is true. If people continue with: NONE OF THE ABOVE, then your forced at some point to do something

[@HorseWaterDrink]

i think I am just going to start a vdh play list

[@bconigliaro]

A quick Wiki search indicates he's got it backward on the insult discussed from 16:40 to 17:00. It was Demosthenes who attacked Aeschines's mother. And not Aeschines attacking, as Davis claims. If anyone has any web links to this attack, please post them.

[@dannydoj]

Other Greeks and possibly even barbarians had constitutional systems. The Spartans for instance followed the constitution of Lycurgus. Arguably, you can’t build a great literate civilisation like Egypt without some sort of constitutional framework.

[@imonlyamanandiwilldiesomed4406]

11 trillion debt? Ah... those were the days. (we are at 23 now, God knows what it will be, those who read this in the future).

[@johna.favata5909]

Greetings from the year 2035. The debt is now 48 trillion dollars.

[@imonlyamanandiwilldiesomed4406]

Greetings from 6 months into the future: 26.7 trillion dollars in debt.

[@Cloudopatra]

Hi its over 30 Trillion and Congress is trying to raise the limit .

[@kehindekolawole8592]

Quality PHD is a big deal and VDH has it

[@synon9m]

uh that intro

[@dannyteal1020]

PhD: piled higher and deeper

[@jebmcgovern3744]

we are not equal? tell me who are you better than. put them out

[@ppumpkin3282]

Who said better? Plenty of people are not equal in intelligence. Just look at a normal curve in an IQ test, or take your limited understanding of language. Do you think you are equal to DaVinci in the creation of art?

[@ppumpkin3282]

23:00 mentions trump

[@toddhsams]

very strange..i heard that...this was recorded much earlier that what was posted..2012 i believe...looking at him in video i was trying to guess the date really was....

[@hectorgarcia6098]

emmosganadocongoldedeestado

[@MorphingReality]

Trump reference haha

[@ppumpkin3282]

@Helmholtz Where?

[@kaisersoza7937]

Prescient, if only they’d listened

[@hectorgarcia6098]

elcistemaeselmisqueposemigrasion

[@PaulHigginbothamSr]

California is a perfect example of the disconnect between theory and practice. You have a thinking class who wants a super duper underground high speed railway, costing a billion dollars a mile, a silicon valley which is super powerful that wants all the water for the rich and all the water for the fish, but a poor people who can't afford air conditioning so they go to Walmart in the afternoon. They do not want nuclear power anywhere but do not understand an entire economy run with molten salt thorium reactors which would work gloriously but want fusion reactors which will always be 50 years down the road. California is nowhere and everywhere.

[@synon9m]

oof that intro

[@alcoholly18]

Lol well he certainly changed his mind about ostracizing trump!

[@sweetpeabrown261]

Disappointed by the few snarky comments on current education, classroom size, and teacher compensation towards the very end. I'd like to listen to this again with a better understanding as to his agenda. It seemed to be beneath his great mind to slip those comments in. (I long for a return to a more classical education. Studied Latin as a young pup. Am a teacher. How to make the education system better in light of the current culture. Now there's the challenge!)

[@raymondfrye5017]

@ M.Brown: Culture? Which culture did you have in mind?

[@ThePayola123]

Most of the comments are rancid as usual.

[@Cloudopatra]

Hi from the future ! 2023 : National debt is 30 TRILLION !!! Aristophanes was right . And now let’s talk about education …

[@hectorgarcia6098]

94cometario

[@davidmanuelslaughter7932]

No comments in 2 years. How awful.

[@hectorgarcia6098]

esexsatamenteeslarreplicademigrasiom

[@hectorgarcia6098]

poaqueaiestalamatrispresidencial

[@perun814]

U canot have a democratic is a oversized state U can’t have a democracy in ethno states like European nations. Democracy works in multiethnic states that have to be build from ground up

[@FMJIRISH]

"Right wing harangue" hahaha