51: Gregory McBrayer studies Xenophon

I mean, he doesn’t just study Xenophon. Dr. Gregory McBrayer teacher political philosophy and international relations as Director, Core Curriculum, and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashland University.  

I’ve been on a kick lately reading excerpts from late-19th-early-20th century series. (Find my writing here.) And each time I wrap up a thinker, I thought, “Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if I talked to somebody who knows that thinker better to see if my impressions were right, what I missed, and what cool rabbit trails other people fall down when it comes to that thinker?” 

And Dr. McBrayer very kindly agreed to answer some of my questions about Xenophon. The thinker seemed the most modern and readable to me, and Dr. McBrayer agrees. He loves Xenophon, which made this interview pop with enthusiasm for me. Especially interesting is his perspective on the ancient Greek. See, Xenophon was used by students for many, many years to learn and translate from. Why? It’s straight-forward. But Dr. McBrayer says, hey, sure, it’s straightforward and direct. And other folks think Xenophon was the “dumb jock” at the ancient Greek thinker table. But is there more to Xenophon than meets the eye? He sold me on it. Listen to the episode, and maybe you’ll be sold, too. We also talk American politics, touch on Plato and Aristotle, and have a good old time …  

To Feed Further Curiosity: 

• A series of translations (Cornell University’s Agora Editions) of ancient and medieval works includes two Dr. McBrayer mentions. One is edited by him. The other he calls out as his favorite translation of Xenophon’s semi-fictional tale of Cyrus the Younger, which he recommends as folks’ gateway drug to the ancient Greek: 

• • The Shorter Writings by Xenophon, edited by Dr. McBrayer with one selection translated by him 
  • The Anabasis of Cyrus by Xenophon, translated by Wayne Ambler. 

• Dr. McBrayer co-hosts a podcast with two scholarly friends titled The New Thinkery. The discussion wanders from sarcastic ribbing, funny philosophical observations, and very in-depth looks at both philosophy most would consider obscure (medieval Islam, for instance) as well as takes on more familiar films and literature. If you like smart-people-discussion podcasts and don’t mind lots of philosophical digressions and wanderings, then scroll through the titles and find a book, movie or topic you’re interested in and try it out. Dr. McBrayer’s co-hosts include David Bahr (editor of The American Mind) and University of Colorado, Boulder, professor Dr. Alex Priou.  
• Dr. McBrayer is involved with the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, “an independent, non-partisan nonprofit with the mission of restoring and strengthening the capacities of the American people for constitutional self-government.” The website teachingamericanhistory.org eats up some of Dr. McBrayer’s time in his quest with others to offer primary documents of American history and government for the world to read online.