Always enjoyable listening to Drout. I'm one of those people who studied engineering and are now really getting into the liberal arts for the first time as an adult. The liberal arts do have value, I'm sure of it, but it is the rare few who are still carrying on the tradition in academia. That is why Drout's work for "The Modern Scholar" is probably just as important, or more so, than his work as a professor. Mature adults can take a lot of interest in this stuff, but the majority of college students lack the maturity to really think about it, anyway.

I'm writing this as the scandal about Claudine Gay's plagiarism is all over the news. She's a member of the ruling class; she went to Phillips Exeter Academy where she was supposed to learn those skills to rule, those liberal arts, then Princeton and Stanford for undergraduate, then Harvard for her doctorate. Drout was warning about Critical Theory ten years ago, this is where we are now. ( )

Good set of lectures, but I doubt it will appeal to a lot of people. I always enjoy listening to Drout's ideas and explanations, but this is perhaps not the best introduction to his work and teaching. Still, if the subject matter is of interest, you'll probably enjoy this. ( )