Claim OwnershipAmerican Socrates
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© 2026 Charles M. Rupert
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Think Deeper. Live Better.
Tired of shallow takes and surface-level answers? American Socrates helps you cut through the noise and see the world more clearly. This is a podcast for anyone who wants to think for themselves, challenge assumptions, and live a more intentional, meaningful life. Host Charles M. Rupert brings the power of critical thinking and timeless philosophical insight into everyday questions—like how to find purpose, make good decisions, grow as a person, and navigate a world full of misinformation and confusion.
From art to relationships, social justice to success at work, no topic is off-limits. This isn’t a lecture on famous philosophers. It’s a wake-up call for your mind.
New episodes every Wednesday. Ready to see what you've been missing?
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen.
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58 Episodes
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Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we explore how to think for yourself in a world flooded with misinformation, conspiracy theories, and social-media noise. We trace the roots of independent thought from Descartes’ method of doubt to Kant’s Sapere Aude and Mill’s defense of individuality, showing how these timeless ideas apply to working-class life today. Learn the cognitive pitfalls that make independent thinking hard — from confirmation bias to motivated reasoning — and di...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we dive into one of life’s biggest questions: should we chase happiness or search for meaning? Drawing on Epicurus’ ancient philosophy of pleasure and Viktor Frankl’s powerful reflections from Man’s Search for Meaning, we explore two very different visions of the good life. We unpack what happiness meant for Epicurus — simple living, freedom from fear, and joy in friendship — and contrast it with Frankl’s claim that meaning, not comfort, su...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we break down the debate over health care in America: should it be a free-market commodity, or a right guaranteed to all? We examine the philosophies behind private insurance and government-administered systems, compares U.S. outcomes to Canada, the UK, and France, and highlights the real impact on working-class families. From sky-high premiums and medical debt to universal coverage and preventive care, this episode explores what health car...
Send us a text In 1970, economist Milton Friedman declared that the only social responsibility of business is to increase profits. Half a century later, his doctrine still shapes our economy, our politics, and our daily lives. But what does “profit first” really mean for workers, communities, and democracy? In this episode of American Socrates, we dig into Friedman’s famous essay and its consequences. We explore how corporations gained legal power as “agents” of shareholders, why critics like...
Send us a text Debt isn’t just money owed — it’s one of the oldest tools of social control. In this episode of American Socrates, we explore David Graeber’s Debt: The First 5,000 Years and traces the history of debt from ancient Mesopotamia to modern America. We unpack how debt has always carried moral weight, shaping who obeys, who suffers, and who is forgiven. From Biblical jubilees and Roman debt crises to student loans, credit cards, and mortgages today, we reveal how both political parti...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we explore the myths about poverty in the United States. Poverty isn’t caused by laziness or bad choices—it’s built into the system. From outdated government definitions of poverty to wage stagnation, skyrocketing housing and healthcare costs, and the decline of unions, we break down the forces that trap millions of Americans in struggle. We expose how both Republicans and Democrats have gutted safety nets, how race and gender inequalities ...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we explore the true value of work and challenge the myth that effort automatically equals virtue. From the Protestant Work Ethic to modern corporate life, we examine how meaningless labor can drain dignity, isolate workers, and trap us in a cycle of exhaustion. Using stories, metaphors, and real-world examples, we unpack why so many “essential” jobs remain undervalued, and how the system pushes us to work for survival rather than purpose. F...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we break down David Graeber’s groundbreaking book Bullshit Jobs and explore why so many modern jobs feel pointless, frustrating, or downright meaningless. From flunkies and goons to box-tickers and taskmasters, we explain each type of “bullshit job” in a way U.S. listeners can relate to. We also dive into the structural forces of capitalism that create these roles, showing why efficiency often produces more work that serves appearances rath...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we explore why traditional careers are disappearing and what it means for workers today. From generational trades like millers and shoemakers to the mid-20th-century “sweet spot” of lifelong careers, we trace how industrialization and rapid technological change have shortened skill lifespans and made career paths unpredictable. We discuss the rise of skill obsolescence, the challenges for modern education, and the importance of soft skills ...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, I take on the question of who really owns our labor and what it means to be free in a system that rents out our lives by the hour. Drawing from Locke, Marx, and the reality of working-class struggle, we unpack alienation, wage slavery, and the dream of reclaiming ownership of ourselves. I don’t want this to be an academic debate, but instead a bold call for working people to question the systems that make them feel hopeless and isolated, to...
Send us a text Most of us grow up hearing warnings about Karl Marx — socialism steals, communism destroys freedom, and Marxism equals totalitarianism. But how much of that is true, and how much is fear shaped by caricature? In this episode of American Socrates, we explore the real Marx: his critique of capitalism, his insights on class struggle, and his concept of alienation — all from a working-class perspective. We contrast Marx’s ideas with the historical misinterpretations that fueled the...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we take a deep dive into life before capitalism, exploring feudalism, debt, and the shift to modern wage labor. From the predictable obligations of medieval serfs to the precarious freedom of today’s workers, we examine how stability and autonomy have been historically valued — and often set in conflict. Drawing on David Graeber’s insights on debt and Ellen Meiksins Wood’s analysis of enclosure, we unpack how capitalism’s “freedom” can disg...
Send us a text Is capitalism really the key to human freedom—or just a clever illusion? In this episode of American Socrates, we challenge the myth that capitalism guarantees liberty. From sweatshops to Silicon Valley, we explore how freedom is distributed unequally in a class-based society. Drawing on global case studies and political theory, we ask: who really benefits from capitalist freedom—and who pays the price? We also unpack the myth that criticizing capitalism means endorsing tyranny...
Send us a text Is success really earned? In this episode of American Socrates, we unpack the seductive myth of meritocracy. With the help of philosopher Iris Marion Young, we explore why "merit" is often unknowable, socially biased, and used to justify inequality. Along the way, we contrast views from John Rawls and Michael Sandel, explain how meritocracy harms working people, and offer a radical alternative: a society based on dignity, not ranking. If you've ever wondered whether hard work r...
Send us a text In this episode of American Socrates, we dive deep into the world of consumer culture through the lens of Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s concept of the culture industry. Why do so many movies, songs, and stories feel predictable and recycled? How does capitalism shape not just what art gets made, but how we think, feel, and imagine? Using examples from Hollywood blockbusters to AI-generated music, we explore how art becomes commodified and what we lose when creativity is r...
Send us a text Gross Domestic Product tracks how much stuff we produce—but does it tell us how well we’re doing? In this episode of American Socrates, we question the dominance of GDP as our society’s main scoreboard. Through a powerful personal story and a clear-eyed breakdown of alternative metrics—from the Human Development Index to Gross National Happiness—we expose how GDP hides inequality, erases care work, and confuses growth with well-being. What if success meant more than just making...
Send us a text Why did economics stop asking moral questions? In this episode of American Socrates, we uncover the forgotten roots of political economy—where ethics, power, and justice were central to understanding wealth. Learn how modern economics lost its soul, why GDP isn’t enough, and what thinkers like Amartya Sen and Friedrich Hayek can teach us about freedom, inequality, and the future of economic thinking. Keywords: political economy, moral economics, Amartya Sen, Friedrich Hayek, GD...
Send us a text Socialism without bureaucracy. Freedom without capitalism. This episode introduces libertarian socialism—a decentralized, bottom-up alternative to both capitalist exploitation and state control. Learn how it differs from state socialism, what it looks like in practice, and why it offers a third path beyond chaos or authoritarianism. If you’ve ever wanted freedom and justice, this is your roadmap. Keywords: libertarian socialism explained, anarchism vs socialism, state socialism...
Send us a text Private property is often used to justify capitalism—but what if capitalism is actually its enemy? We trace the philosophical history of property from Erasmus and Locke to Marx and Proudhon, then offer a radical reinterpretation: that property is justified not by labor alone, but in concert with exclusive use. This episode presents a libertarian socialist argument that defends personal ownership while condemning capitalist accumulation. Keywords: private property vs capitalism,...
Send us a text We’ve all heard the argument: tax the rich so we can afford healthcare, schools, or clean energy. But what if that’s the wrong logic entirely? In this episode, we challenge the myth that taxes are needed to “pay for” public spending—and reveal the deeper purpose of taxation in a modern economy. Drawing on insights from Modern Monetary Theory and the work of Stephanie Kelton, we show how taxes can control inflation, shape social behavior, and most importantly—redistribute power....
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