AUDIO LIBRARY

American Individualism
The American narrative is one of individual freedom and autonomy. But is this an accurate portrait? Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine American Individualism.
Guests:
Jim Block — DePaul University
Bill Novak — University of Chicago

The Intellectual Impact of Feminism
Twentieth century Feminism transformed social and political life. But has Feminism changed intellectual life as well? Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the intellectual impact of Feminism.
Guests:
Jamie Owen Daniel — University of Illinois at Chicago
Londa Schiebinger — Pennsylvania State University
Judith Butler — University of California, Berkeley

Mapping
Maps have an obvious use: they guide us from one place to another. But do they tell us something more? Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the uses and meanings of maps.
Guests:
Dennis Wood — Author and Geographer in Raleigh, North Carolina
Graham Burnett — Princeton University
James Akerman — Newberry Library Chicago

Rape
What we think of as rape can be determined by court decisions, political legislation and cultural representations. Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the social forces that shape our ideas of rape.
Guests:
Jill Hasday — University of Chicago Law School
Michelle Oberman — DePaul University College of Law
Pamela Barnett — University of South Carolina

The Origins of Human Rights
The twentieth century witnessed the growth of an international human rights discourse. Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine the roots of the concept of human rights.
Guests:
Max Stackhouse — Princeton Theological Seminary
William Schulz — Executive Director of Amnesty International USA
Robert George — Princeton University

Film Forum: The Films of Spike Lee
To some critics, Spike Lee’s latest film, 25th Hour, is his most mature work to date. Yet it also explores the issues central to all of Lee’s films. Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the films of Spike Lee.
Guests:
Josh Rothkopf — Film Critic for In These Times
Craig Watkins — University of Texas - Austin
Ed Guerrero — New York University

America and Empire
The United States has unsurpassed military, economic, and cultural power. Does this make America an empire? Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine what it means to call the United States an empire.
Guests:
Brian Edwards — Northwestern University
Walter LaFeber — Cornell University
Amy Kaplan — University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia

Punishment
When former Illinois Governor George Ryan decided to commute all death sentences in Illinois, public reaction revealed conflicting views about the aims of the criminal justice system. Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the goals of punishment.
Guests:
Stephen Garvey — Cornell University Law School
Ted Honderich — University College, London
Michael Moore — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Rhetoric of Class Warfare
From the debate over President Bush’s tax plan to worker strikes, the rhetoric of class conflict persists in American Politics. What does the rhetoric of class conflict reveal about American attitudes toward economic and political disparity?
Guests:
Robert Johnston — Historian at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Eric Arnesen — Historian at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Diversity In Politics
Among the current crop of candidates for President, there are two noticeable absences: women and minorities. Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss diversity at the upper levels of politics.
Guests:
Lynn Sanders — Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics at the University of Virginia
Melissa Harris-Lacewell — Political Scientist and member of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, as well as the Center for Gender Studies at the University of Chicago

Roe v Wade and The Law
The Supreme Court decision of Roe v Wade has survived 30 years of attacks by both the left and the right. Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine the legal critiques of Roe v Wade.
Guests:
Tom Merrill - Northwestern University School of Law
David Strauss - legal scholar at the University of Chicago Law School
Ruth Colker - Author of Pregnant Men: Practice, Theory and the Law

Reckoning with Empire
From Britain to Belgium and France, nations are still reckoning with their legacy of empire. Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss what it means to address an imperialist past.
Guests:
Steven Pincus — University of Chicago
Alec Hargreaves — Florida State University
Adam Hochschild — University of California, Berkeley

"The Souls of Black Folk"
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois is widely regarded as a seminal work in twentieth century African American thought. Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine the enduring legacy of The Souls of Black Folk.
Guests:
Kirt Wilson — University of Minnesota
Robert Gooding-Williams — Northwestern University
David Blight — Yale University

The Meanings of Nature
From forest management to the food we eat, we manipulate nature all the time. Then why do we place such value on the category of "natural?"
Guests:
Jennifer Price – Author of Flight Maps: Adventures with Nature in Modern America
Daniel Botkin – President of the Center for the Study of the Environment in Santa Barbara, California
Michael Pollan – Contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine
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Tax Policy
The Bush Administration has proposed a tax plan designed to stimulate the economy. Is this what taxes are for? Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the ideas that shape a tax policy.
Guests:
Liam Murphy — Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University
Ed McCaffery — Legal scholar at the University of Southern California Law School
Alan Auerbach — Economist at the University of California, Berkeley

Film Forum: Film and Mental States
Movies depict the physical world, but they also explore mental spaces, such as dreams, drug trips, and the subconscious. Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine how movies convey a state of mind.
Guests:
Jim Chandler — Director of the Franke Institute for the Humanities at the University of Chicago
Hank Sartin — Film critic for the Chicago Free Press and the Chicago Reader
Amy Taubin — Contributing editor to Film Comment magazine

Animals and Culture
Some apes, such as chimpanzees and orangutans, show evidence of social learning. Does this tell us anything about ourselves? Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss why we study animals to learn about humans.
Guests:
Frans de Waal — Primatologist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia
Peter Steeves — Philosopher at DePaul University
Russell Tuttle — Anthropologist at the University of Chicago

Affirmative Action and Higher Education
Many universities use race as a criterion for admission. Who benefits? Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss affirmative action and higher education.
Guests:
Terry Pell — Center for Individual Rights
Evan Caminker — University of Michigan Law School

Libertarianism in American Political Thought
Libertarians champion individual freedoms, from free trade to the right to use drugs. Gretchen Helfrich and guests examine the place of Libertarianism in American political thought.
Guests:
Richard Epstein — University of Chicago
Jonah Goldberg — The National Review Online
Tom Palmer — The Cato Institute

The New Containment
Containment was the central doctrine of United States foreign policy during the Cold War. Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss what the concept of containment means in world affairs today.
Guests:
Amy Zegart — University of California, Los Angeles
Steve Walt — Harvard University

Science and Aesthetics
We can all enjoy symmetry in a painting, or harmony in music, but are these preferences innate? Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss human nature and aesthetic experience.
Guests:
Jim Conant — University of Chicago
Bob Richards — University of Chicago
Mark Tramo — Harvard Medical School

The Will
New Year's Day means resolutions. But when we don't quit smoking, or lose some weight, is it because of our weak will, or do we just not want it enough?
Guests:
Alfred Mele — Florida State University
Howard Rachlin — State University of New York, Stony Brook
Jacqueline Scott — Loyola University Chicago

The American Tourist
Hidden beneath the cameras, souvenirs, and sunscreen is an important figure in our culture. The Tourist! Gretchen Helfrich and guests discuss the social significance of tourism.
Guests:
Dean MacCanell – University of California, Davis
Marguerite Schaffer – Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
Ann Brigham – Roosevelt University in Chicago
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