![]() ![]() And I’ve followed you with interest all these years. And such began a long and nefarious career in journalism. I interviewed you when I was an undergrad. And the first interview I ever conducted in my journalism career was you. You may not remember, but many, many decades ago, when I was an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, I volunteered for the school paper. Leon, welcome to “The Ezra Klein Show.” leon kass What does it mean to take a group of tribes and form them into one people?īefore we get started, a reminder that you can always email the show with feedback or guest suggestions at My conversation with Leon Kass after the break. And then, at the end, we zoom out and talk about the nation. We discuss what it means to be a good person and how to become better. So this conversation is about the biggest of all big questions: What is a worthy life? Along the way, we talk about career, love, marriage, friendship. Basically, he’s never stopped teaching in the classroom and in the wider world. Along the way, he’s written books on courtship, bioethics, the philosophy of eating, the meaning of America, and “Founding God’s Nation,” the product of 20 years studying the Book of Exodus. But his real calling is philosophy and ethics, leading conversations with the young and old. He went to medical school and then got a Ph.D. In 1965, he went to Mississippi to support the cause of civil rights. By the time I encountered him then, he’d already done a bunch of impressive things. If you read those books carefully and well and talk about them honestly with each other, you will learn something about how to live. And over the centuries, great thinkers from all over the world have put some of the best responses to those questions in books. They believed that there are certain questions that confront every generation. The professors there had a fervor that I’ve never encountered since. When I myself was a 20-year-old, I attended the University of Chicago. And that brought me very quickly to Leon Kass. I wanted to have it with someone who would be substantive and wise. But I didn’t want to have this kind of conversation with just anyone. We spend too much time arguing about trivial political gaffes and not enough time thinking about how our character is formed - how to be courageous, loving, considerate, and faithful. ![]() I thought that because our public discussions are overpoliticized and undermoralized. ![]() When Ezra asked me to sub in for him during his paternity leave, I thought it might be fun to have an episode that brought us back to those big questions. What is the purpose of life? How do I choose a vocation that will have meaning? What does it mean to be a good person? They’re mentally quick and funny, and the big questions of life are electric in their minds. One of the reasons I love teaching is that I get to be around 20-year-olds. He’s the author of several books, including “The Second Mountain: The Quest For a Moral Life.” And he’s just an all-around fascinating human being. I have read more David Brooks columns and books at this point than I can count. David writes about politics, culture and the social sciences for The Times. While I’m on paternity leave, we’ve got so many great people sitting in behind the mic. I’m Ezra Klein, and this is “The Ezra Klein Show.” Transcript Timeless Wisdom for Leading a Life of Love, Friendship and Learning The ethicist Leon Kass discusses the ingredients for a meaningful life. ![]()
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