Conversations with History (Video)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Eugenie C. Scott, Founding Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, for a discussion of the attack on science especially in the debate on teaching evolution in public schools. Reflecting on the trajectory of her career, she discusses the work of the National Center and its role in supporting the teaching of science through mobilizing supporters in local communities and defending scientific curricula in the courts. She then compares the assumptions of scientists and creationists. The conversation includes her reflections on lessons to be learned from the Scopes trial and its aftermath and the importance of myth and social history in understanding public debates on issues affecting science and implicating religion. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 34156]

Conversations host welcomes Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College, London, for a discussion of his new book, The Future of War, A History. Sir Lawrence reflects on the historical perspective he brings to topics such as strategy and war. Emphasizing the importance of understanding patterns and context through the study of history, Sir Lawrence analyzes what we can learn through a focus on ideas that shape thinking about war. What are the origins of these ideas? How do these ideas hold up in the face of the flexibility of adversaries to develop new responses and the uncertain consequences of human decision-making—the unpredictable factors that shape the trajectory of war. Especially important are the lessons learned from previous wars that distort the images of future wars. There is also a focus in the conversation on the limits of technology to address the contingencies of war. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 33597]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Michael Warner, the Seymour H. Knox Professor of English and American Studies, at Yale University, and the 2018 Tanner Lecturer at Berkeley. The conversation focuses on Professor Warner’s intellectual odyssey from a Pentecostal upbringing to an Ivy League professorship of American literature. The conversation includes discussion of his scholarship on the reciprocal influence of colonial printing and the development and assertion of democratic values; his advocacy on issues surrounding gay marriage; and his theoretical insights on publics and counter public as they apply to contemporary political dialogue. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33587]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes David Cole, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union for a discussion of two of his ten books-- his first book, No Equal Justice, and his most recent, Engines of Liberty. The conversation begins with his reflections on his formative years and the skill set and temperament appropriate for a constitutional lawyer. It then turns to the work of the ACLU and his role as national legal director. On the issue of criminal justice, Cole emphasizes how the structure of the criminal justice system reinforces inequality and sacrifices justice. On the Bill of Rights, Cole analyzes the role of political activism in shaping constitutional law, referencing the establishment of gun rights and gay marriage rights. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the implications of the changing political landscape - with its emphasis on libertarian ideology, nationalism, and the importance of social media - for constitutional law. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 33467]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes New Yorker staff writer George Packer for a discussion of the US political landscape. Packer recounts the insights he derived in researching and writing The Unwinding, his 2013 book about the US in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse. In the conversation, he traces the rise of the white working class, the failure of the Democratic Party to address their interests, and the emergence of Trump as a representative of enraged voters in the 2016 election. He identifies the 4 narratives that define the divisions in the US today. Packer concludes with an analysis of leadership and ideas that might change America in the future. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 33175]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Arlie Hochschild for a discussion of her book "Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right." Hochschild discusses formative influences shaping her intellectual journey, describes her pioneering work on the sociology of emotions, and traces the evolution of her methodology. She then explains the decision to pursue her study of the American right in Louisiana beginning in 2011; how she undertook an empathetic engagement with citizens devastated by pollution but committed to the oil and gas industry; and how she developed a deep story to explain the emotions motivating her subjects to support right wing perspectives despite the devastation of the environment which they appreciated and loved. She also discusses their attraction to the Trump phenomena. She concludes with the lessons learned and their implications for mending the divide that is tearing the country apart. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 32994]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Deborah Tannen, University Professor, Georgetown University, for a discussion of her intellectual odyssey. Topics covered include: formative experiences; the concept of conversational style; the skills and temperament desirable for work in linguistics; the examples of applying concepts in her work in understanding communication between men and women and in her work in understanding the erosion of civic discourse; and using linguistics to understand the 2016 Presidential campaign. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 33090]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harold Smith, Distinguished Scholar at the IGS at Berkeley. Reflecting on his odyssey from university professor to Washington where he served as defense consultant and assistant Secretary of Defense 1993-1998), Smith explains the what, how and why of the implementation of the Nunn Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program. He concludes with reflections on lessons learned and advice to students preparing for a future in defense and foreign policy careers. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 32520]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Elliot Abrams former deputy National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush for a conversation on the values and interests that define U.S. foreign policy. Reflecting on his formative experiences, he recalls the influence of his parents, his education, and his work experiences under Senators Jackson and Moynihan. After discussing the skills and temperament necessary for the work of foreign policy, he analyzes the challenges of navigating the tensions between security and human rights. Reflecting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he offers his assessment of the preconditions for its resolution. He also discusses his analysis of Jewish support for Israel in the United States, and concludes with advice for students preparing for a future in international affairs. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 32358]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Marion Nestle, Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition at New York University. Professor Nestle reflects on the evolution of her thinking on the interplay between nutrition studies and the politics of food. She discusses the environment of the food industry producing in a highly competitive environment where profits are paramount and public health is not a priority. Advertising and lobbying are important tools at their service as they confront food activists focused on public health, environment, and social justice. Professor Nestle also analyzes the role of government in choosing between re-enforcing the status quo or changing the landscape of food production through funding, regulation, and education. Finally, she offers advice to students preparing for the future. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 32225]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes historian Niall Ferguson of the Hoover Institution who is the 2016 Underhill Lecturer at Berkeley. After discussing the importance of Anglo-American Studies and the wave of populism sweeping the West, including Brexit and the Trump phenomena, the conversation turns to an in depth look at Ferguson’s recent book, “Kissinger, 1923-1969, The Idealist.” Ferguson details the evolution of Kissinger’s thinking about international affairs up until the time he assumes the position of national security advisor to President Nixon. He chronicles the influence of mentors (Kraemer and Elliot), the impact of experience (service in military intelligence and Harvard education) and the evidence of Kissinger’s writings on international order and on nuclear weapons. The conversation concludes by highlighting the themes that emerge from Kissinger’s intellectual evolution in the period before he assumes power. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 31595]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard Professor Annette Gordon-Reed for a discussion of her work as a lawyer/historian focusing on the contradictions in the life of Thomas Jefferson. Topics covered in the conversation include how her training as a lawyer empowered her to overturn the conventional historical view of the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Professor Gordon-Reed highlights the racism embedded in Jeffersonian historiography; ignoring, for example, factual evidence, which confirmed that Jefferson was the father of Sally Heming’s children. In examining the evolution of Jefferson’s ideas on slavery, Professor Gordon-Reed emphasizes how Jefferson’s theory of slavery evolved as he adapted to the reality of American social and political life. She concludes with an the implications of her work for understanding the present turmoil over black/ white relations in the U.S. today. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 31519]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes filmmaker Oliver Stone for a discussion of his career as director, screenwriter, and producer. Stone describes formative experiences, talks about different aspects of the filmmaking process including working with actors, writing screenplays, and postproduction. He focuses on the themes that have drawn him, and emphasizes the distinction between a historian and dramatist who works with historical materials. He concludes with a discussion of recent works including Alexander and the 10-part documentary on The Untold History of the United States. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 30881]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Didier Fassin, James D. Wolfensohn Professor, School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, for a discussion of the interplay between ethnography and theory in understanding public institutions such as policing and prisons and international engagement such as humanitarianism. Fassin explains how immersion in these public institutions and endeavors when combined with sociological theory and history, highlights the disjunction between reality and avowed purpose and intention of participants. Emphasizing the importance of social inequality, the impact of history, and the displacement of goals, Fassin explores: What is police conduct like in a banlieue of Paris? What is the relationship between the judicial system and the penal system? What is the impact of an emphasis on compassion and suffering in humanitarian reasoning and governance? Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 30563]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ralph J. Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences, for a discussion of the challenges facing the scientific community. Cicerone describes his research interests and explains the qualities of a scientist and what makes science a unique enterprise. He also focuses on leadership in science discussing his work at UC Irvine to establish a department of geosciences and his goals as President of the National Academy of Science and Chair of the National Research Council. He reflects on his work on, “Climate Change Science: An Analysis on Some Key Questions,” which he chaired-and delivered in one month-in 2001. Cicerone also considers the problem of the politicization of the climate change debate and concludes with positive signs that over time the international community will confront the challenges posed by climate change. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 30561]