Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Dr. Grabowski discuss a short, strange, and somewhat forgotten Platonic dialogue - The Hipparchus.
Check out our 15 Q&A Written Guide to the Hipparchus - great for small groups, homeschooling, autodidacts, and more!
What begins as a simple question—“What is the love of gain?”—quickly becomes a sharp and unsettling examination of the democratic soul. With no dramatic setting and a nameless interlocutor, the dialogue feels almost like overhearing Socrates in the marketplace, pressing an ordinary Athenian citizen on whether the desire for more is always shameful, or whether the soul might rightly love higher forms of gain: nobility, honor, and even wisdom itself.
What makes the conversation especially rewarding is how Socrates deliberately chooses a shocking example—the tyrant Hipparchus—and reimagines him as a lover of wisdom who sought to educate the city. In doing so, the dialogue quietly draws a parallel between the supposed tyrant and Socrates himself, both of whom attract the youth, challenge conventional order, and are ultimately rejected by a democratic culture that cannot tolerate excellence.
Along the way, listeners encounter an early sketch of the tripartite soul, a critique of the leveling effects of egalitarianism, and an aporetic ending that leaves the interlocutor “compelled rather than persuaded.” Brief, strange, and surprisingly profound, this episode is an excellent preparation for the Republic and a compelling invitation to reconsider what the soul truly seeks.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Plato's Hipparchus and its significance
01:54 Main themes: Love of gain, democracy, and wisdom
04:03 The character of Socrates and the setting of the dialogue
06:03 Hipparchus as a figure in political myth and history
07:58 Translation choices and interpretive approaches
10:00 The dialogue's structure and lack of dramatic setting
11:56 The definition of love of gain and greed
13:54 Socrates' critique of the love of worthless things
16:06 Hipparchus as a symbol of love of wisdom and fame
18:04 The political implications of Hipparchus' love of wisdom
20:00 The role of the democratic man and the love of gain
21:49 Socrates' pedagogical method and the nature of knowledge
23:52 The significance of the tyrant example and Hipparchus' myth
26:04 The character of the interlocutor and the setting of the dialogue
28:03 The introduction of Hipparchus and its layers of meaning
30:10 The political myth of Hipparchus and its revisionist history
32:00 Hipparchus' love of wisdom and the Herms
34:08 The allegory of knowledge and the tripartite soul
35:53 The love of gain as a love of wisdom and truth
38:08 The democratic man, shame, and the pursuit of philosophy
40:00 The role of philosophers in democratic society
42:01 The character of Socrates as a gadfly and teacher
43:48 The process of being compelled towards truth
45:54 Bloom's interpretation: Socrates as a political and epistemological figure
48:00 The significance of the short dialogues for understanding Socrates
50:12 The importance of humility and piety in reading Plato
51:57 Next week's discussion: Rival Lovers and the nature of wisdom
Key words: Plato Hipparchus, love of gain, philokerdia, Socratic dialogue, political philosophy, Alan Bloom, Thomas Pangle, Roots of Political Philosophy, democratic man, egalitarianism, leveling effect, tripartite soul, thumos, nous, appetitive soul, tyrant Hipparchus, Herms, Socrates as gadfly, aporetic dialogue, compulsion versus persuasion, preparation for Plato’s Republic, philosopher-king, Great Books podcast, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, Frank Grabowski, classical education, ancient philosophy, Plato short dialogues, forgotten Platonic dialogues.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Garlick invites you into a rich, methodical exploration of eros: the primal desire to satiate in beauty and be happy.
What if the restlessness in your soul—the endless craving for more beauty, more fulfillment, more rest—is not a curse but a divine gift?
Reclaiming Holy Eros https://www.theascent.io/p/reclaiming-holy-eros
Women as Icons of God, Beauty-itself https://www.theascent.io/p/the-beauty-of-woman-as-an-icon-of
Porn as a Poor Expression of Eros https://www.theascent.io/p/the-poor-erotics-of-porn
Far from the pornographic or puritan distortions that dominate modern thinking, this ancient concept runs like a golden thread through Homer, Hesiod, Plato’s Symposium, the Old and New Testaments, the Church Fathers, Dante, and even Pope Benedict XVI’s Deus Caritas Est. Deacon shows how eros is the very question of the human condition—an upward call that moves the soul from lesser beauties to greater ones until it finds rest in Beauty itself.
Drawing on his own spiritual labors, the host walks listeners through Plato’s ladder of love, the marital imagery of God’s covenant with Israel, the Song of Songs, Christ’s union with the Church, and the harmony between erotic ascent and the self-giving love of agape. Along the way he recovers a lost grammar of desire that is both natural and supernaturally elevated by grace—one that produces virtue, fecundity, and genuine theosis. The result is not abstract theory but a living path: a latticework upon which your own understanding of restlessness, happiness, and the call to become more Christlike can grow.
Whether you have wrestled with the restlessness of the heart, wondered how pagan wisdom and Christian revelation speak to one another, or simply want a deeper vision of love that orders the soul toward God, this conversation offers something rare: a beautiful, coherent tradition that answers the deepest questions of what it means to be human. Listen, and begin the ascent.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Eros and its significance in Christian spirituality
01:54 Eros in Homer, Hesiod, and the primordial cosmos
07:12 Plato's Symposium and the ladder of love
15:07 Eros in the Old Testament: Marriage and divine love
20:00 Eros in the New Testament: Christ and the Church
30:06 Eros and the ascent to divine beauty
40:11 Eros, virtue, and happiness in Christian thought
50:02 Eros and grace: the divine ascent and participation in God
01:00:10 The harmony of eros and agape in Christian life
01:10:08 Practical implications: loving God and neighbor through eros
01:20:01 Conclusion: recovering holy eros as the heart of human and divine love
Keywords
Holy Eros, Christian eros, Plato Symposium ladder of love, divine beauty, eros and agape, Deus Caritas Est Pope Benedict XVI, Song of Songs, marital imagery God and Israel, Christ bridegroom Church bride, Ephesians 5, St Augustine restless heart, Gregory of Nyssa, bridal mysticism, Bernard of Clairvaux, John of the Cross, Diotima, ascent to God, theosis, pagan and Christian erotics, Homer Hesiod Aristotle eros, natural and supernatural love, virtue and beauty, Ascend Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, reclaiming holy eros, spiritual ascent, rest in God.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick delivers an unapologetically curmudgeonly critique of Christopher Nolan’s new film The Odyssey.
Check out our LIBRARY on the great books. https://www.patreon.com/cw/greatbooks/collections
23 Raw Thoughts on the New Odyssey Movie https://www.patreon.com/greatbooks/posts/23-quick-on-164190324
SEE OUR SCHEDULE BELOW!
Fresh off a twelve-week deep dive into Homer’s epic with thousands of listeners, Deacon argues that the movie is no mere adaptation but a modern ideological rewriting that flattens Homer’s rich characters, mutes the divine, and replaces sacred myth with progressive lessons about shame, war, race, and power.
From Odysseus reduced to a guilt-racked figure who “defies the gods,” to the deliberate recasting and reframing of Helen, Menelaus, Circe, Athena, and even guest-friendship itself, Deacon contends that Nolan’s version marries cultural illiteracy with calculated compromise—and that both the film and the culture’s eager defense of it reveal far more about us than about Homer.
Yet this is more than a film review. Deacon uses the movie as a lens to examine how stories shape a civilization’s soul, why myths matter more than mere fiction, and why Christians and lovers of the Western tradition must resist the slow leftward drift of endless compromise.
SCHEDULE
July 28, 2026 - Holy Eros: An exploration of eros in Plato, the Bible, and Christian thought
August 4, 2026 - Plato's Hipparchus
August 11, 2026 - Plato's Lovers
August 18, 2026 - Plato's Hippias Minor
August 25, 2026 - Plato's Ion
September 1, 2026 - Enduring Chill by Flannery O’Connor
September 8, 2026 - Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard
September 15, 2026 - Chivalry by Neil Gaiman
CHAPTERS (Updated)
00:00 — Intro: why this review matters
01:00 — Piety toward Homer and the problem with the film
03:05 — Why the movie is not a “conservative Trojan horse”
05:05 — The danger of relativism and compromise
07:10 — Myth vs. fiction: why adaptation matters
10:10 — Odysseus as a shame-filled hero
12:50 — Menelaus, Helen, and the film’s cultural messaging
15:30 — How Nolan flattens characters and tension
18:05 — Penelope and the loss of the rooted-bed scene
21:10 — Casting, modern language, and suspension of disbelief
23:55 — Calypso and the removal of Odysseus’s moral triumph
26:25 — Athena as shame and post-traumatic projection
29:55 — Nolan’s treatment of the Trojan War
32:55 — The Lystragonians and armor/costume criticism
35:05 — The cult of Nolan vs. the cult of Homer
37:00 — Gods, superstition, and the muted divine
39:15 — The slaughter of the suitors
41:10 — Guest-friendship, Xenia, and Christian themes
43:00 — Circe, the deer, and the soul of the crew
44:55 — Pacing, emotional investment, and the bard
KEYWORDS
Christopher Nolan Odyssey movie review, Homer Odyssey film adaptation critique, Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, cultural illiteracy in modern cinema, myth versus fiction in storytelling, Odysseus shame and guilt, Nolan casting controversies Helen Menelaus, Circe Athena Penelope Telemachus character changes, xenia guest friendship Golden Rule, Trojan War regret in film, Defy the Gods tagline analysis, classical education and Great Books, piety toward Homer, liberalism compromise in culture, upcoming Plato Republic study, Holy Eros episode, short Platonic dialogues Hipparchus Lovers Hippias Minor Ion, Short Story September Flannery O’Connor Robert E. Howard Neil Gaiman Melville, and Western civilization sacred myths.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick hosts Dr. Patrick Deneen to discuss his NEW BOOK: The American Odyssey: What an Ancient Story Reveals About Our Divided Souls.
Pick up the AMERICAN ODYSSEY out today!
https://a.co/d/01rpYuwt
23 Observations on the new Christopher Nolan Odyssey Movie
https://www.patreon.com/greatbooks/posts/23-quick-on-164190324
In this special episode of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick welcomes back renowned Notre Dame political thinker Dr. Patrick Deneen—author of Why Liberalism Failed and Regime Change—to celebrate the release of his brand-new book, The American Odyssey: What an Ancient Story Reveals About Our Divided Souls.
Fresh off a 12-week deep dive into Homer’s epic, the conversation reveals why Odysseus is the ultimate “proto-American” hero: a restless seeker torn between the hunger for home and the irresistible call of the frontier. Deneen traces this tension from the ancient text through Dante’s damning portrayal of Odysseus as a villain of forbidden knowledge, to the Renaissance reinvention of him as the triumphant explorer who metaphorically discovers America itself.
What makes this episode unmissable is how Deneen unlocks Aristotle’s radical claim that humans are political animals precisely because we are neither beasts nor gods, the “citylessness” that turns Ithaca into a Cyclopean free-for-all, and the startling parallels between Odysseus’ refusal of immortality and Huck Finn’s decision to “go to hell.”
Pairing iconic American stories like The Wizard of Oz, Field of Dreams, and Huckleberry Finn with Homer’s timeless episodes, Deneen shows that the Western tradition isn’t locked in dusty classics—it’s alive in our movies, novels, and national character, especially as America marks its 250th anniversary. Dive in and discover how an ancient tale of departure and return still maps the divided soul of a nation that can’t stop exploring… or longing for home.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Patrick Deneen and the Book
01:54 Deneen's Return to Homer and the Odyssey
03:59 Odysseus as a Proto-American Figure
06:59 The Tension Between Flourishing and Discontent
12:07 Odysseus and the Pioneering Spirit of America
19:02 The Shift in Odysseus' Image from Medieval to Renaissance
27:01 Odysseus as a Figure of Forbidden Knowledge
34:08 The Connection Between Odysseus and Columbus
40:02 The Polis and Citylessness in Homer and Aristotle
48:07 The Return of the Polis and the Homecoming
56:06 Huckleberry Finn as an Odyssean American Hero
59:45 The Western Tradition in Popular Culture
Key words: Ascend Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick, Dr Patrick Deneen, The American Odyssey book, Homer Odyssey, Odysseus proto-American hero, Why Liberalism Failed, Regime Change, Western tradition, Aristotle Politics, man political animal, apolis citylessness, Dante Inferno Odysseus villain, Renaissance explorers, Columbus Amerigo Vespucci, American character, pioneering spirit, frontier homecoming, Calypso immortality, Huckleberry Finn, Field of Dreams, Wizard of Oz, 250th anniversary Declaration of Independence, Notre Dame political science, Homeric studies, great books podcast, Platonic dialogues, American soul, divided souls, political theory, classical literature, Americana, Odyssey episodes.

Today, we end our 12-week study of the Odyssey with a discussion on Books 23-24 with Dr. Justin Jackson and Dr. Benedict Whalen of Hillsdale College alongside host, Dcn. Harrison Garlick.
There is yelling, laughter, cursing, and general chaos--but more of Homer's truth is unearthed in the process.
Check out our ONLINE LIBRARY for resources on the great books.
Check out Dr. Justin Jackson's Substack working through the Bible.
Check out Dr. Justin Whalen at Hillsdale College.
The long-awaited homecoming unfolds with Odysseus and Penelope's emotional reunion, the famous test of the immovable olive-tree bed, and the climactic confrontation with the suitors' vengeful families. The conversation crackles with insight as the guests unpack Penelope's cunning, Odysseus' complex character, parallels to Achilles and Heracles, and the poem's meditation on fidelity, mortality, justice, and the costs of homecoming.
Dr. Jackson brings contrarian fire—challenging heroic ideals, celebrating the domestic, and wrestling openly with whether Odysseus' reckoning is justice or raw revenge—while Dr. Whalen offers sharp textual observations on themes of rootedness, temptation, and the poem's unresolved tensions.
Expect yelling, laughter, heartfelt disagreement, and the kind of raw intellectual energy that makes great books come alive.
Whether you’ve followed the whole series or are just dipping in, this capstone will leave you rethinking everything you thought you knew about the Odyssey. Stick around after the discussion for a look ahead at Plato’s Republic and more. If you love the Great Books, this is unmissable.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: Finishing the Odyssey Journey
04:46 - Host Welcome & Episode Setup
06:27 - Guest Introductions: Dr. Justin Jackson & Dr. Benedict Whalen
07:04 - Dr. Jackson’s New Book on Reading Literature
16:28 - Diving into Book 23: Penelope Learns Odysseus Has Returned
21:07 - Penelope’s Skepticism & the Secret Signs
25:05 - The Great Rooted Bed Test & Recognition Scene
36:36 - Odysseus & Penelope Reunion, Emotional Moments
47:05 - The Final Labor & Comparison to Heracles
59:11 - Temptations: Calypso, Nausicaa & Penelope
1:11:32 - Transition to Book 24: Laertes & the Avenging Families
1:15:26 - Achilles & Agamemnon in the Underworld
1:35:02 - Reunion with Laertes & Proof Scenes
1:49:10 - Dolius, the Final Battle & Deus Ex Machina Ending
2:11:04 - Reflections on Justice, Revenge & the Poem’s Message
2:16:50 - Closing Thoughts & Upcoming Episodes
Keywords
Odyssey Books 23 and 24, Homer's Odyssey finale, Odysseus Penelope reunion, rooted bed test, immovable olive tree bed, suitors slaughter, Ithaca homecoming, Penelope cunning, Odysseus homecoming, Great Books podcast, Ascend podcast, Hillsdale College professors, Dr. Justin Jackson, Dr. Benedict Whalen, Homer teacher philosopher, Telemachus maturation, Achilles Agamemnon underworld, Laertes reunion, Poseidon penitential journey, justice vs revenge Odyssey, classical literature podcast, Western canon Odyssey analysis, father son reunion Odyssey, Penelope faithfulness, heroic fate comparison, Plato Republic preview.