Concepts with Shawn Whatley

Shawn Whatley
  • 4.4 (7)
  • PHILOSOPHY

Uncovering the concepts behind current events. Challenging accepted thinking. Offering solutions. shawnwhatley.substack.com

  1. 5D AGO

    #95 Jodi Bruhn: Supreme Court vs. Provinces, Notwithstanding Clause & Canadian First Principles

    Jodi Bruhn offers a sobering take on Canada. Professor Bruhn is an expert on governance and constitutional thought. She says we might not appreciate the significance and potential fallout from the Supreme Court wading in the Notwithstanding Clause. We discuss civics education and whether there's an increased appetite for first principles. Thanks for checking this out! I look forward to your comments. Shawn Chapters and AI summary: Host Shawn Whatley interviews Dr. Jodi Bruhn about renewed interest in first principles, civics, and regime analysis in her University of Lethbridge courses, contrasting first-year and fourth-year students’ ability to identify clashing political principles behind current events. They discuss political science versus political philosophy, including critiques of Straussian textualism, and consider thinkers such as Aristotle, Voegelin, Bergson, and Carl Schmitt. Bruhn warns that the Supreme Court of Canada hearing cases involving the notwithstanding clause signals a misunderstanding of legislative supremacy and could provoke a political showdown with provinces like Quebec and Alberta, potentially risking Canada’s dissolution. They examine constitutional change constraints, separatism’s uncertain outcomes, leadership and ethical decay under unwritten constitutional conventions, demagoguery, and Bruhn’s account of Tamara Lich’s University of Calgary talk about the trucker convoy. 00:00 Supreme Court Warning 00:52 Meet the Guest 02:52 Teaching First Principles 05:26 Civics and Regimes 07:37 Political Science vs Philosophy 15:31 Teasing Out Principles 18:03 Notwithstanding Clause Clash 21:14 Charter and Judicial Review 23:34 Can Canada Rewind 25:26 Alberta Separation Scenarios 28:41 Schmitt and Conflict Horizon 29:57 Friendship Course Spectrum 31:29 Canadian Founding Enmities 33:27 Hooker and English Middle Way 35:42 Ideology and First Principles 37:31 Alberta Separation and Reconfederation 39:47 Constitutional Mismatch and Corruption 44:51 Demagoguery and Vital Breakthrough 47:33 Reading Bergson and Courage 49:10 Tamara Lich at University 51:11 Teaching Critical Thinking Finale

    54 min

  2. APR 28

    #94 Tom Flanagan: Friedrich Hayek, Spontaneous Order, Markets, Justice, and the Limits of the State

    Tom Flanagan explains why we need Hayek's ideas about spontaneous order, institutions, and the limits of state control. Hayek will frustrate central planners and also anarchists. Libertarians can't depend on Hayek; he's too supportive of traditional institutions. Professor Flanagan has taught a generation of political science students at the University of Calgary. He's informed so much of what the Right assumes in Canada. He's generous, thoughtful, and resists capture into a neat, political box. Books mentioned: Grave Error: How The Media Misled Us (and the Truth about Residential Schools) Dead Wrong: How Canada Got the Residential School Story So Wrong Articles mentioned: Settler-Neoliberalism: Tom Flanagan and Friedrich Hayek on the Prairies | Canadian Historical Review Was Hayek a Gnostic? - VoegelinView   The long reach of the Calgary School | C2C Journal   Let me know what you think! Thanks again, Shawn   Chapters and AI summary Host Shawn Whatley interviews political scientist Tom Flanagan about Friedrich Hayek, focusing on spontaneous order versus top-down organization and the state’s proper role in enforcing rules without directing outcomes. Flanagan explains spontaneous order through examples like language, markets, common law, and even skiing etiquette, and argues modern governments often create chaos by trying to control systems such as Canadian healthcare through price and quantity setting, producing persistent shortages and waitlists. The conversation explores Hayek’s assumptions about property, justice as a feature of fair process and intention rather than outcomes, and practical questions about unintended consequences in politics. Flanagan also discusses Canada’s formation through sovereignty claims, treaties, and force, defending treaty-making as broadly just for its time. He contrasts Hayek’s limits on “spiritual problems” with Voegelin’s strengths and notes he is not an Alberta separatist. 00:00 Hayek In A Nutshell 01:00 Show Intro And Guest 04:56 Flanagan Meets Hayek 06:08 Spontaneous Order Explained 07:02 Language As Emergence 09:50 Markets And Simple Rules 11:55 State Control And Healthcare 16:55 Ski Hill Rules And Enforcement 22:20 Property Justice And Tradition 27:49 Colonialism And Civilizing Mission 30:28 International Anarchy And Empire 35:40 Treaties and Education 36:51 Hayek Order vs Organization 38:16 Canada Built by Force 39:22 Morris and Prairie Treaties 42:03 Mirage of Social Justice 47:55 Intentions vs Outcomes 49:29 Weber and Policy Consequences 56:17 Hayek Meets Voegelin 01:03:13 Spiritual Pathology Politics 01:04:46 State Supports Spontaneous Order 01:08:28 Alberta Separatism and Wrap

    1h 9m

  3. APR 21

    #93 Evan Menzies: Alberta Separation. Alberta Should Be Upset, but It Should Stay in Canada

    Evan Menzies shows why Albertans should be furious. As an Albertan himself, he understands. And as a political consultant, he sees even more reasons to be upset than most Albertans have heard of. He is frustrated and doesn't hide it. In spite of powerful reasons to be upset, he still thinks Alberta should stay. The rest of Canada isn't paying enough attention to this. Alberta separation wouldn't be an issue if Canada was well governed. It will continue to be an issue until our governance is fixed. Here's the article we discuss: An argument for Canada from an Alberta conservative. Thanks for listening!  Let me know what you think.   Chapters and AI summary:   Alberta Separatism Debate: Evan Menzies’ Argument for Staying in Canada Host Shawn Whatley interviews Evan Menzies, VP at Crestview Strategy and former Wildrose/UCP staffer, about his Substack article “An Argument for Canada from an Alberta Conservative” and the rise of Alberta separatism. Menzies explains why many Alberta conservatives feel exhausted and unheard—citing issues like equalization, Senate and House of Commons representation, pipeline barriers, and judicial “constitutional adventurism” (including MAID, mandatory minimums, and debates over the notwithstanding clause). He argues separatism is a risky, non-conservative “tear down to the studs” revolution that promises a utopia while forcing Alberta to rebuild institutions and constitutional order from scratch. Instead, he urges reform within Canada, appeals to patriotism and gratitude, warns against victimhood politics, and predicts Alberta’s growing demographic and economic weight will keep shifting Canada’s power westward. 00:00 Alberta Separation Stakes 01:07 Show Setup and Guest Intro 05:05 Why Albertans Feel Exhausted 08:02 Who Supports Leaving 11:50 Senate Imbalance Debate 15:40 House Seats and Time Zones 18:21 Equalization and Quebec Hydro 20:43 Courts and Constitutional Drift 25:04 Charter Pragmatism vs Principle 28:03 Why Stay In Canada 28:35 Three Reasons To Stay 31:05 Blank Slate Constitution Risks 33:04 Revolution Not Devolution 35:41 Communicating Conservatism Again 39:26 Patriotism Over Victimhood 45:05 Gratitude And National Story 49:39 Alberta Story Is Canadian 51:28 Make The 21st Century Canada 51:59 Closing Thanks And Moral Ground

    52 min

  4. APR 14

    #92 Ashley Moyse: Techno-Ontology, Bioethics, and the “Provider” Problem in Modern Medicine

    Ashley Moyse is a bioethicist and theologian at Baylor University. In America, he hails from the political left. If he was in his native Saskatchewan, he'd be centre-left or perhaps even right-wing to some people.  Our conversation tackled technology, ethics, and humanity in professional education. How we can keep clinicians human and prevent them from becoming robots? Although we situate the conversation in the health sciences, the concepts apply to every corner of society: engineering, finance, public policy, and more.  Dr. Moyse has had some success in helping students see beyond the materialist reductionism of modern science. His work offers hope for other fields. Let me know what you think in the comments! Thanks for listening. Shawn Book mentioned: The Art of Living for a Technological Age   Chapters and AI summary Host Shawn Whatley interviews Dr. Ashley Moyse, associate professor of bioethics at Baylor University, about how technology, markets, and policy language reshape medicine and moral life. Moyse traces his path from neurophysiology and cancer-clinic work to theology and bioethics, including training in Australia and Oxford and creating the Columbia Character Cooperatives to form medical students through virtue-based practices. They critique the market metaphor of “provider,” arguing it distorts the clinician–patient relationship and turns people into producers and consumers of information. Moyse explains his book The Art of Living for a Technological Age and “techno-ontology,” expanding technology beyond devices to include moral and political techniques, and challenges Beauchamp and Childress’ four-principles framework as flattening ethics into efficient tools rather than lived moral struggle, formation, and attention over time. 00:00 Patients Not Data 00:45 Meet Dr Ashley Moyse 05:35 From Neurophysiology To Theology 08:39 Oxford Columbia Baylor Path 13:49 Techno Ontology Explained 14:54 Tools Beyond Gadgets 25:21 Four Principles Under Fire 32:55 Ethics As Struggle 33:46 Medicine as Craft 37:15 Virtue in Clinical Risk 39:19 Ethics Beyond Principles 43:05 Provider Language Critique 47:04 Metrics and Managerialism 49:53 Mentoring Against Positivism 58:32 Phenomenology in Practice 01:03:16 Technology as Principality 01:09:55 Closing Reflections

    1h 10m

  5. APR 7

    #91 Matthew Rowley: Bill 21, the Notwithstanding Clause, Alberta’s Future & Canada’s Constitutional Crisis

    I asked Dr. Matthew Rowley for help with questions on political theology. It turns out he's another big supporter of independence for Alberta.  The current Supreme Court hearings last week are pouring fuel on the Alberta separatist movement. The Mark Carney Liberals are intervenors on the SCC hearing about Quebec's Bill 21 and use of the notwithstanding clause (s.33). Carney is asking the Supreme Court to do an end-run around the constitution bypassing the amending formula. Regardless of how the court rules, the fact that it had the gall to hear the case fuels Alberta's frustrations.  We do discuss Dr. Rowley's insights on political theology, but most of our time focussed on the revolutionary nature of the SCC this week. Please let me know what you think! Thanks for listening, Shawn   Chapters and AI summary Host Shawn Whatley interviews Dr. Matthew Rowley about the Supreme Court of Canada hearing Quebec’s Bill 21 and whether limits can be placed on the Charter’s notwithstanding clause (s.33), which Rowley argues would further politicize the Court and trigger a constitutional crisis. They discuss federal intervention, the Charter’s impact on legislative supremacy, court power, secularism, and how differing regional cultures and views of government fuel Alberta’s separatist momentum. Rowley contrasts Alberta’s self-reliant ethos with Eastern Canada’s greater trust in government, critiques legal instrumentalism and the loss of duties tied to rights, and emphasizes internal justice and external defense as core governmental roles. The conversation also addresses political theology, the foundations of Western civilization, declining legitimacy and honor in politics, and the need for deeper, honest public debate. 00:00 Charter More American 01:26 Supreme Court Showdown 02:03 Bill 21 and Section 33 06:14 Court Power Grab Fears 10:35 Alberta Separatism Case 11:54 Prairie vs East Cultures 14:05 Charter Control and Courts 17:32 Rural Life and Tools 20:09 Where Rights Come From 22:28 Rights Need Responsibilities 26:21 Too Many Laws Problem 30:38 Government Role and Good 34:27 Law as Moral Boundary 37:14 Political Theology Setup 39:37 Behavior Versus Intentions 40:15 Where Evil Really Lies 41:19 Free Church And Mainline 42:25 Faith Shown By Works 43:59 Christian Roots Of The West 45:51 Conservatism As A Living Tree 49:12 Canada Loses First Principles 51:36 State Replacing God 54:10 Legitimacy And Stoplights 55:07 Crisis Of Secular Confidence 57:43 Young People Return To God 01:00:37 Responsible Government And Honor 01:05:07 Rebuilding Ancient Paths 01:08:33 Civitas And Honest Dialogue 01:10:45 Ralph Klein And Telling Truth 01:12:30 Closing Reflections And Farewell

    1h 14m

  6. APR 2

    #90 Grant Havers: AI in Education, The Digital Cave, Great Books, and Why Dialogue Matters

    Can AI replace teachers? Would students benefit? Should classical schools -- great books curricula -- use AI?  I tried very hard to get Dr. Grant Havers into trouble in this episode. But he was too smart to say anything that would offend school administrators. Instead of picking a side in the pro- vs anti-AI debate, Dr. Havers worked to bring out issues and objectives. If we trust AI to think for us, what does that say about our own ability to think? This debate will continue to invade every knowledge-based profession over the next few years. Maybe we will all be retraining as plumbers and electricians? Looking forward to hearing what you think! Thanks again, Shawn   Chapters and AI summary   Host Shawn Whatley interviews Professor Grant Havers, chair of Philosophy at Trinity Western University and author of The Medium Is Still the Message, about AI’s role in education, especially in Great Books and classical Christian settings. Havers argues educators must study and discuss AI because media create “invisible environments” that reshape minds beyond intended uses, while warning against introducing AI into classrooms or outsourcing intellectual tasks like summarizing Plato. He questions why teachers would trust AI to write emails or handle routine work, suggesting it reflects a questionable belief that AI “thinks” better than humans, and distinguishes information processing from intelligence, intuition, and creativity. Framing AI as a new version of Plato’s cave, he calls for renewed emphasis on dialogue-based education, responsibility for beliefs, and awareness of technology’s addictive, idolatrous pull, while noting AI’s rapid real-time effects, including concerns about autonomous weapons in war. 00:00 AI in Education Today 00:42 Meet the Guest 03:22 Why Schools Want AI 05:09 Medium Shapes Minds 06:55 Outsourcing Thinking 11:02 AI as the New Cave 13:34 Mundane Tasks Debate 21:55 Addiction and Tradeoffs 23:42 Study Tech to Resist 27:02 Print Culture and Tropos 28:42 Medium Shapes the Mind 31:31 Intellectual Virtue and Soul 33:30 Left Brain Right Brain Limits 37:26 Reviving Dialogue Education 40:09 AI Empathy and Truth Seeking 43:30 Poison Books and Paradox 47:10 Idolatry Addiction and Narcissus 50:09 Hopeful Outlook and AI War 52:39 Book Wrap Up and Farewell

    53 min

  7. MAR 31

    #89 Paul Gottfried: Why “Liberal Democracy” Isn’t Liberal—or Democratic

    Dr. Paul Gottfried packages his writing in dynamite and grit. He uses an academic style which is now almost extinct on the political right. No one tries to provoke in order to make a point anymore. The Left still uses it all the time, but not the Right. You cannot listen to Gottfried with modern antennae tuned to gasp at every offence. If you do, you will miss the impact of his next three punches. I lack the courage to match Gottfried's approach. I'd like to think it's because he's old enough to not care anymore, but he was doing the same things 30 years ago. Perhaps he's spent so much time reading historical writers that he adopted their approach? Whatever the means and ways of Dr. Gottfried, you really need to know about his thought and content.  Books discussed: After Liberalism: Mass Democracy in the Managerial State The Essential Paul Gottfried: Essays from 1984-2024 Multiculturalism and the Politics of Guilt   Let me know what you think! Thanks again, Shawn   Chapters and AI summary: Host Shawn Whatley interviews Dr. Paul Gottfried, editor-in-chief of Chronicles Magazine, about his claim that “liberal democracy” no longer exists and functions as a self-justifying label for the welfare/managerial state and its hegemonic class. Gottfried argues liberalism was a 19th-century bourgeois worldview favoring constitutional limits, civil society, markets, property, nation-states, and restricted suffrage, and that it largely died in the early 20th century as mass democracy and collectivist ideologies replaced it. He critiques Straussian influence on U.S. conservatism, rejects natural rights as a fiction rooted in communities, and disputes claims that progressivism was imported from German philosophy. Discussing Carl Schmitt, he emphasizes intensifying friend–enemy conflict and collapsing common ground, calling the U.S. Constitution’s original design effectively a “dead letter” absent a supporting cultural tropos. He also promotes Chronicles’ 50th anniversary dinner at the Willard Hotel on April 9. 00:00 Does Liberal Democracy Exist 00:43 Meet Paul Gottfried 05:30 Lukacs Quote And Thesis 07:22 Mass Democracy And Welfare State 11:06 Defining 19th Century Liberalism 13:57 Liberalism Family And Stability 17:27 Roots From Greeks To Hegel 19:45 Strauss And The Neocons 22:55 Jaffa Marini And Natural Right 26:42 Grant And Universal State 29:08 Conservatism Incorporated Critique 33:12 Provocation And Dead Letter Constitution 33:45 Constitution Under Threat 34:34 Original Design vs Judges 35:24 Tropos and Postliberal Age 36:59 Protestant Roots of Republicanism 41:38 Welfare State and State Churches 47:34 Schmitt and Friend Enemy Politics 53:24 Managerial State and Control 55:53 Universalism vs Particularism 01:01:30 Closing Reflections and Plugs

    1h 4m

  8. MAR 24

    #88 Sam Duncan: Building a Conservative Counter-Elite: Narrative, Institutions, and Canada’s Identity Crisis

    Sam Duncan has worked in government for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. He is current VP at Wellington Advocacy. We discuss a powerful article Sam wrote titled: Toward a conservative counter-elite. Sam's article almost has enough content to outline a whole book. He diagnosed Canada's problems, uncovers the causes, and offers a detailed list of almost a dozen solutions. I was able to press Sam on managerialism and the tendency for Conservatives to act like Liberal professional managers when in power. This is something I haven't sorted for myself: How do we fix things without becoming managerialist ourselves? Sam is eloquent and very good on his feet. Let me know what you think! Thanks so much for listening. Shawn   Chapters and AI Summary Host Shawn Whatley welcomes Sam Duncan, VP at Wellington Advocacy and former advisor to Doug Ford and Stephen Harper, to discuss Duncan’s article “Toward a Conservative Counter Elite.” They argue Canadian conservatism lacks an emotional narrative and compelling national story, while politics often operates as a “uniparty” with small philosophical differences under liberal frameworks. Duncan reflects on conservatives’ failure to translate electoral success into lasting policy and cultural change and calls for developing a conservative counter-elite by reforming institutions that recruit and train leaders, rather than being merely anti-elite. The conversation covers populism, the need for unifying myths after the collapse of British identity, the impact of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s post-national multicultural vision, strengthening families and communities, the limits of managerialism, and building think tanks and long-term idea ecosystems to pressure politicians and sustain reforms. 00:00 What Conservatism Lacks 00:47 Show Intro and Guest 03:26 Why Write Counter Elite 05:42 Uniparty Explained 09:23 Populism Without Winning 12:38 Narrative Versus Demagoguery 15:56 Canada’s Missing Myth 20:25 Elites Formed Constrained Empowered 25:51 Selection and Institutional Coding 31:20 Beyond Policy Tweaks 32:12 Family First Principles 34:39 Daycare State Alternatives 36:13 Property Owning Democracy 38:01 Massey Commission Today 40:25 Building Conservative Institutions 43:34 Reforms That Stick 46:58 Politics Is Contest 49:38 Winning Versus Ideas 55:21 Managerialism And COVID 56:53 Public Service Renewal 01:02:55 Generational Conservative Shift 01:05:00 Tropos And Regime Roots 01:06:58 Closing Reflections

    1h 7m
See All (95)

Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Uncovering the concepts behind current events. Challenging accepted thinking. Offering solutions. shawnwhatley.substack.com

Information

You Might Also Like