The Book Club | PragerU

Why does every utopia eventually turn into a tyranny? In Animal Farm, George Orwell tells the story of a farm revolution that begins with a promise of equality and ends with a new ruling class that looks no different from the one it replaced. Michael Knowles is joined by radio host Rich Zeoli to explore Orwell’s famous allegory of the Russian Revolution, the corrupting nature of power, and how noble ideals can be twisted into propaganda and oppression. Get all our content ad-free on PragerU.com or download the PragerU app: https://l.prageru.com/45GvWlu Follow PragerU on social media: YouTube Instagram X/Twitter Facebook Rumble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can reason alone lead us to truth? In Pensées, Blaise Pascal—the brilliant mathematician and Christian apologist—wrestles with the deepest questions of faith, doubt, and what it means to be human. Once a champion of the Enlightenment, Pascal came to see its limits and devoted the rest of his life to exploring the spiritual truths that reason alone cannot reach. Michael Knowles sits down with author Alexandra Hudson to discuss Pascal’s unfinished work exploring the misery and greatness of man, the tension between faith and reason, and the longing for God at the heart of every soul. Get all our content ad-free on PragerU.com or download the PragerU app: https://l.prageru.com/45GvWlu Follow PragerU on social media: YouTube Instagram X/Twitter Facebook Rumble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does war reshape not only nations—but the souls of those who live through it? In War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy sets Napoleon’s invasion of Russia as the backdrop for what many consider the greatest novel ever written. Michael Knowles is joined by renowned historian and author Niall Ferguson to explore how the chaos of war ripples through the lives of everyday citizens—from peasants and soldiers to aristocratic families. More than a historical epic, War and Peace is a powerful meditation on love, destiny, and the human spirit in times of upheaval. Get all our content ad-free on PragerU.com or download the PragerU app: https://l.prageru.com/45GvWlu Follow PragerU on social media: YouTube Instagram X/Twitter Facebook Rumble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the pursuit of a dream worth it, even if it’s torn apart in the end? In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway tells the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman determined to break a long streak of bad luck. Venturing far into the open sea, he hooks the catch of a lifetime—but as he battles to bring it home, he watches it slowly devoured by sharks. Michael Knowles is joined by popular Canadian podcaster Viva Frei to explore the deeper meaning behind Hemingway’s classic—its Christian symbolism, themes of suffering and redemption, and how even in defeat, the human spirit can triumph. Follow PragerU on social media: YouTube Instagram X/Twitter Facebook Rumble Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s wrong with saying “my truth” and embracing moral relativism? In The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis warns that abandoning objective truth doesn’t just erode morality—it opens the door for manipulation by those in power. Decades later, his prophetic critique is more relevant than ever. Join Michael Knowles and Neil Shenvi, a Christian apologist, author, and chemist, as they explore Lewis’s timeless insights into natural law, the dangers of subjective morality, and how rejecting truth ultimately leads to tyranny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to survive when civilization falls away? The Call of the Wild is more than a story about a dog thrust into the harsh wilderness during the Gold Rush—it’s an exploration of survival, instinct, and the untamed spirit within us all. Join Michael Knowles and Michael Malice as they delve into Jack London’s timeless tale of transformation, uncovering profound lessons about strength and resilience in the face of life’s greatest challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you do whatever you want—even harm yourself—as long as you don’t harm others? In On Liberty, John Stuart Mill warns against threats to personal freedom, especially through the “tyranny of the majority.” Michael Knowles is joined by Joe Fournier, a political science professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, to explore Mill's classic work, the importance of defending free speech and personal choice, and why individualism is essential for true progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you sell your soul to stay young forever? In Oscar Wilde’s famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a handsome young man’s wish for eternal youth is granted while his portrait ages in his place. As Dorian indulges in a life of hedonism, his portrait reveals the grotesque toll of his moral corruption. Join Michael Knowles and Will Witt as they discuss this beloved novel and explore its insights into the dangers of vanity, immorality, and the ultimate cost of a life without virtue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House the feminist landmark it’s often portrayed to be? Or is it a critique of radical individualism and the undermining of traditional societal roles? The Post Millennial’s Libby Emmons joins Michael Knowles to discuss this groundbreaking 19th-century play and explore its insights into our intrinsic selfish nature and tendency to lie for self-preservation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once required reading for high school students, To Kill a Mockingbird now comes with trigger warnings. The book, which confronts and calls out the evils of racism, is considered by some to be too offensive for our modern-day woke sensibilities. Why? Set in 1930s Alabama, a young girl watches her attorney father defend a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Michael Knowles is joined by Derryck Green to discuss the powerful themes of this timeless American classic and why it should continue to be read (not banned). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Knowles is joined by Pastor Rob McCoy to discuss the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most beloved and frequently cited passages in the gospels of the New Testament. Together, Michael and Pastor McCoy explore the various interpretations of the text and reflect on the lessons that Jesus’s sermon teaches us about living a virtuous Christian life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the purpose of life happiness, and if so, how can we achieve it? Written nearly 2,500 years ago, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is as relevant today as it's ever been. Michael Knowles is joined by Professor Charles Kessler to discuss this seminal work exploring the age-old question of how to live a happy and meaningful life. As it turns out, Aristotle’s recipe for the good life has not grown stale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your sins were on display for all the world to see? Michael Knowles is joined by Julie Hartman to discuss The Scarlet Letter, which tells the story of a young woman who is shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. What can we learn from this American classic about society’s response to immorality, the complexities of love and passion, guilt, shame, hypocrisy, and repentance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you stay true to yourself in a world that demands conformity? Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead—centered around a talented architect who refuses to compromise his principles or conform to the expectations of others—examines whether we should uphold the “common good” if it means sacrificing our own self-interest. Michael Knowles is joined by former Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's CEO Andy Puzder to discuss this seminal work and its view of the collective vs. the individual. This video was made possible by a generous gift from The Peter & Judy Copses Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you lost every good thing in your life, would you still praise God? The Book of Job from the Old Testament is considered one of the great masterpieces of early literature. Michael Knowles is joined by Owen Anderson, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Arizona State University, to examine one of the Bible's most profound stories, which explores the issues of human suffering, the nature of God, and the meaning of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you know if you’re trapped in a false reality? Can you see the truth or are you simply looking at shadows on the wall? Solveig Gold joins Michael Knowles to discuss Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” from his renowned work, “The Republic.” This symbolic story about human perception and the pursuit of truth reminds us not to trust our senses alone. We must step outside the cave and challenge our perceptions to discover the true nature of reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes The Canterbury Tales the most popular work of English literature ever? Penned by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, this medieval collection of stories depicts a diverse group of characters and covers topics ranging from chivalry and deceit to religious corruption. Michael Knowles sits with Catherine Illingworth to discuss what he describes as “the most vulgar, bawdy, downright often disgusting book I’ve ever read.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” That’s why we need a social contract—an exchange of freedom for security to avoid a dog-eat-dog state of nature. At least, that’s what Thomas Hobbes posited in Leviathan. Michael Knowles and guest John Yoo, Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, discuss how Hobbes’s seminal work has shaped political philosophy for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can we learn from ancient Greek poetry? A foundational text of Western Civilization—The Iliad by Homer—is one of the oldest pieces of literature still read by modern audiences. Why? Because we recognize ourselves in its timeless themes of war, love, fate, and free will. Ivy League classicist Joshua Katz joins Michael Knowles to discuss this 2,800-year-old poem embodying the human condition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christians have been mocked, humiliated, and persecuted for their faith for hundreds of years. The Pilgrim’s Progress, written by Puritan preacher John Bunyan while he was in prison for holding religious services, is an encouraging reminder that difficulties and hardships are part and parcel with a life of faith. Allie Stuckey joins Michael Knowles to discuss how this seminal 17th-century work can embolden and strengthen Christians to endure the hardships of today. Donate today to help keep PragerU podcasts and videos free! PragerU.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud—the father of psychoanalysis—explores the perpetual struggle between self and society. Clinical psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at UCLA Dr. Stephen Marmer joins Michael Knowles for a deep dive into Freud’s anti-utopian work that calls for individuals to take responsibility for themselves. Donate today to help keep PragerU podcasts and videos free! PragerU.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could anyone have predicted the future of America 200 years ago? Alexis de Tocqueville foresaw a society fraught with materialism and “soft despotism" in his classic study of self-governance, freedom, and equality, Democracy in America. Pete Peterson, Dean of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, and Michael Knowles discuss what we can learn from de Tocqueville’s prophetic words. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens if you follow your heart, pursuing love and happiness above all else, devoid of duty or virtue? Nothing good according to Leo Tolstoy, author of Anna Karenina. Inez Stepman, senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum, joins Michael Knowles for a deep dive into this great literary work about fidelity, marriage, and betrayal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American Revolution led to the birth of a new, free nation, while the French Revolution led to blood and terror. What was the difference and what can we learn from history before it’s rewritten or forgotten entirely? Political theorist and Bible scholar Yoram Hazony joins Michael Knowles for a discussion about Edmund Burke’s treatise “Reflections on the Revolution in France.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something is deeply amiss in contemporary American culture. Young people have lost touch with reality and have become trapped by moral relativism. Is post-modern education to blame? Education expert Max Eden joins Michael Knowles for an eye-opening discussion of Allan Bloom’s unexpected bestseller The Closing of the American Mind. Donate today to help keep PragerU podcasts and videos free! PragerU.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices