More Human with Matt Jordan
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- Society & Culture
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Inspired by Socrates’s famous dictum that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” More Human features conversations with scholars and students in the humanities. Each episode explores how engaging with literature, philosophy, history and art enables us to live deeper, fuller, more authentically human lives.
As the official podcast of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center at Cuyahoga Community College, we have a particular, but not exclusive, interest in the activities of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Scholars Academy and other work being done in northeast Ohio.
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Ep. 47 - The Reality of Evil and (Dis)Belief in God – with Matt Jordan and Sam LiPuma
Does God exist? It’s a question no thoughtful person can ignore. For philosophers, it is a topic of perennial discussion and dispute. There are many arguments on both sides of the issue, and perhaps the most famous of them has to do with the reality of evil: Does all the suffering we see in the world make it irrational to believe in God, or can faith be reasonable even in the face of evil? On this episode of More Human, you will hear a debate between two Tri-C philosophers: Matthew Carey Jordan, the dean and chair for the humanities at the college’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center, and Sam LiPuma, a professor of philosophy at our Western Campus in Parma.
If you'd like to view the PowerPoint slides used by Dean Jordan and Professor LiPuma, copy and paste this URL into your web browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PG4QQ4ojTjLSCTMngZIMRcEXx-EYoplt
If you’d like to see a videorecording of the debate, go here: https://tri-c.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/tri-c/recording/749ba2aa6628103c98e672d833eb8372/playback -
Ep. 46 - Reflections on Racism and Brotherly Love -- with Nico Slate
[Note: Technical problems resulted in problems with the audio levels in this recording. We hope you enjoy the conversation nonetheless!]
Carnegie Mellon professor Dr. Nico Slate recently visited Tri-C to talk with students about his new book Brothers: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Race. While in Cleveland, he sat down with Dean Jordan to discuss the book and broader aspects of the work he does as a scholar, educator, and citizen. For more information about Brothers, visit https://tupress.temple.edu/books/brothers -
Ep. 45 - Flannery O'Connor, the Hillbilly Thomist -- with Damian Ference
Who is Flannery O'Connor, and why should we care? On this episode of More Human, Dean Jordan talks with philosopher and priest Damian Ference about the great "Southern Grotesque" author's work, including the value of "long, loving looks" at the mundane, race and racism, "offers of grace, usually refused," and more. Anyone interested in American literature, philosophy, or religion will enjoy this conversation.
For more about Fr. Ference's book Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist, visit: https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/understanding-the-hillbilly-thomist
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Ep. 44 - Intellectual Virtue -- with Nathan King
On this episode of More Human, Dean Jordan is joined by Dr. Nathan King, author of The Excellent Mind, who was in Cleveland recently for a series of events with Tri-C students, alumni, faculty, and staff. This conversation continues the theme of those events: what does it mean to be an intellectually virtuous person, why does it matter, and how can we inculcate intellectual virtue in ourselves and others?
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Ep. 43 - J. R. R. Tolkien -- with Holly Ordway
Holly Ordway is one of the world's leading J. R. R. Tolkien scholars and a friend of Cuyahoga Community College. Dr. Ordway is the author of the 2023 book Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography, and on this episode of More Human she joins Dean Jordan for a conversation about some of the ways in which Tolkien's faith informs the world of The Lord of the Rings, why Tolkien is worthy of our attention, and more.
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Ep. 42 - Ohio Poetry -- with Kari Gunter-Seymour, Ohio Poet Laureate
Kari Gunter-Seymour is the poet laureate of the great state of Ohio. On this episode of More Human, she talks with Dean Jordan about her life and career, Appalachian culture, Ohio poets, and why poetry matters. She also offers some practical advice on approaching poetry for people who are unsure how to engage with it.
Customer Reviews
Awesome Podcast
I started listening to this podcast to find out more about the Mandel Scholars Academy at my school and I could not be more impressed or inspired. I love the topics and the interviews that have really made me think about the world in new ways. Learning what the Mandel Scholars Academy is all about has made joining seem like not just a great opportunity but something I need and want to be a part of.
My favorite episodes have been the ones that talk about the projects that students complete as part of the program such as helping the local CSA. I also loved the episodes that cover different philosophic and social topics.
I’ve listened to tons of podcasts over the years and would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested in the Mandel Scholars Academy, anyone who likes to learn about different perspectives and think deeply, and even anyone living around Northeast Ohio. It’s totally worth your time to listen!