Aaron Simmons: The Paradox of Democracy & What Comes Next

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6 • 612 Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2025

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, philosopher Aaron Simmons returns for an intriguing discussion on the complexities of sustaining democracy. The conversation spans various philosophical insights from thinkers such as Robert Talese, Chantal Mouffe, and Simon Critchley. We explore tensions between political equality and justice, the paradox of democracy, and the necessity of engaging agonistically with adversaries. Aaron also shares his experiences teaching Radical Political Theory, addressing the intricacies of class tensions, bad faith discourse, and the compelling ethical demands that challenge contemporary democratic practices. You can WATCH this conversation on YouTube Dr. Simmons is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Furman University. You can follow his Substack ‘Philosophy in the Wild.‘ Previous Episodes with Aaron A Philosopher & Ethicist Process This Election The Courage to Be 15 w/ Elgin Fuller & Aaron Simmons Aaron Simmons: Camping with Kierkegaard Faith After Deconstruction Philosophy & the Experience of God Do I Have a Soul? & other cultural preferences in bold. Off-Road Religion & Pandemic Philosophizing A Five-Week Online Lenten Class w/ John Dominic Crossan Join us for a transformative 5-week Lenten journey on "Paul the Pharisee: Faith and Politics in a Divided World."This course examines the Apostle Paul as a Pharisee deeply engaged with the turbulent political and religious landscape of his time. Through the lens of his letters and historical context, we will explore Paul’s understanding of Jesus’ Life-Vision, his interpretation of the Execution-and-Resurrection, and their implications for nonviolence and faithful resistance against empire. Each week, we will delve into a specific aspect of Paul’s theology and legacy, reflecting on its relevance for our own age of autocracy and political turmoil. . For details and to sign-up for any donation, including 0, head over here. _____________________ Join our class - TRUTH IN TOUGH TIMES: Global Voices of Liberation This podcast is a Homebrewed Christianity production. Follow the Homebrewed Christianity, Theology Nerd Throwdown, & The Rise of Bonhoeffer podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our Substack - Process This! Get instant access to over 45 classes at www.TheologyClass.com Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Well, hello, everyone.
0:05.0	This is Tripp, and I'm here with my buddy Aaron Simmons.
0:11.2	And, you know, we're going to do whatever happens when you are nerd and think about our flourishing democracy.
0:23.2	There's your air horn.
0:24.6	And that's clearly the way to start it off.
0:26.5	That's right.
0:27.2	So we had some sort of death match speed round,
0:30.4	winner take all of democratic life.
0:32.8	That's the way to do it.
0:33.9	Well,
0:34.9	great to be with you again, Tripp.
0:36.3	Thanks as always for inviting me on and looking
0:39.2	forward to talking to you about stuff that I'm actually, all the times we've done podcasts
0:43.5	together, I don't think we've ever really dove into political theory. So pretty stoked to see how
0:48.8	that goes. Well, we'll find out if you should have been stoked or not over the next hour.
0:54.0	We may go running quickly back to safer Kirkagardian Fair. Well, we'll find out if you should have been stoked or not over the next hour.
0:58.2	We may go running quickly back to safer Kirkagardian Fair.
0:59.2	That's right.
1:12.2	Well, maybe before we jump in, and the way we're going to kind of structure this is Aaron's been teaching a new class for himself, like one he's been putting together as a chance to think through a host of different political questions, engaging different philosophers,
1:18.1	thinking about democracy and such. He said made three different thinkers and a takeaway from
1:23.4	their thought and a cool quote. I made slides. We're going to use those to make sure we stay on track. And for anybody who's watching or listening, what that means is that Tripp is going through
1:34.0	constant withdrawal from his systematic theology classes back in graduate school, where
	...

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