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PODCAST

Converging Dialogues

Converging Dialogues

Converging Dialogues is a podcast that is designed to have honest and authentic conversations with a diversity of thoughts and opinions. Wide-ranging topics include philosophy, psychology, politics, and social commentary. A spirit of civility, respect, and open-mindedness is the guiding compass. convergingdialogues.substack.com

science social sciences

All Episodes

70:25

#462 - 250 Years of the United States: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2026/01/01

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Richard Bell about the American Revolution on the international stage. They discuss the American Revolution in a global context, Boston Tea Party, East India Tea Company, British citizens opinions of the American Revolution, and the Irish perspective of the American Revolution. They also talk about the Hessians, Native peoples during the American Revolution, French alliance, Spanish involvement, British loyalists, and many more topics. Richard Bell

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78:43

#461 - World Enemy #1: A Dialogue with Jochen Hellbeck

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/29

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jochen Hellbeck about Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and the Jews. They discuss Soviet communism and anti-semitism as unified opposition for the Nazis, anti-communism fueling public agreement, western views of anti-communism and anti-semitism, and how this was given to the German public. They also talk about Hitler invading Poland, pivot to genocide, killing Eastern Europeans, how Germans were treated after the end of WWII, and many more topics

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91:49

#460 - What A Liberal Society Could Be: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/26

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Zakaras about liberalism. They discuss aiming for liberal values, defining liberalism, radical liberalism, libertarianism, freedom and choice, tyranny and autocracy, liberal pluralism, wage and labor exploitation, and many other topics. Alex Zakaras is professor of political science at the University of Vermont. He is the author of many books, including the most recent book, Freedom For All: What A Liberal Society Could Be. Get full access to

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75:14

#459 - Crick: A Dialogue with Matthew Cobb

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/22

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Matthew Cobb about the life and work of Francis Crick. They discuss his upbringing, influences, x-ray crystallography, discovering the double helix of DNA with Watson, reception of his discovery in academia and public, personal misadventures in the 1960s, pivot to brain and consciousness research, legacy of Crick, and many other topics. Matthew Cobb is a professor emeritus at the University of Manchester He earned his PhD in psychology and genetics

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52:22

#458 - A History of the DSM: A Dialogue with Allan...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/19

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Allan Horwitz about a history of the DSM. They discuss the origins of the DSM, DSM I & II, DSM III and its big changes, DSM-V and its massive overhaul, the future of the DSM, and many other topics. Allan Horwitz is the Board of Governors and Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology and the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University. He is the author of many books including, DSM: A

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64:54

#457 - Who Wins Wars?: A Dialogue with Phillips P....

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/15

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla. has a dialogue with Phillips O’Brien about war, peace, and power. They discuss the idea of great powers, why short, clinical wars do not really happen, size and population of countries, economics and materials, societal and structural elements for power, leadership, allies, and many more topics. Phillips Payson O’Brien is a professor of strategic studies and head of the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is a regular

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94:37

#456 - The Future of Space Exploration: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/08

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Caleb Scharf about the past and future dynamics of space exploration. They discuss astrobiology, why look for life in space, dispersal, how we got to the moon (and why we haven’t gone back?!), major obstacles for space travel, going to Mars, Jupiter, Venus, the Sun, the future of space exploration, and many more topics. Caleb Scharf received the 2022 Carl Sagan Medal while director of astrobiology at Columbia University and is currently the senior

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146:43

#455 - 2,000 Years of the Roman Empire: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/12/01

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Edward Watts about the 2,000 years of the Roman Empire. They provide an overview of the Roman Empire and the origins of the Romans, Greek influence and building institutions, Roman citizenship and identity, and the transition from Roman monarchy to Republic. They also talk about Cincinnatus, Carthage, transition from Republic to Empire, Marcus Aurelius, succession and Constantine, along with Christianity and rise of Islam. They also discuss

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58:38

#454 - A Global History of Capitalism: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/11/23

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sven Beckert about a global history of capitalism. They discuss how capitalism has always been global, positive and negative aspects of capitalism, origins and trading from a distance, capitalism within the state and in the countryside, slavery, working class, wealth and income inequality, capitalism in the 21st century, and many more topics. Sven Beckert is Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard University. His research and teaching center on

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87:33

#453 - The Allure of Charlatans: A Dialogue with...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/11/16

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Quico Toro about the current trends with modern charlatans. They talk about how charlatans have become more mainstream in present society, who is their audience, infamous charlatans, astrology, belief, social media, Trump, and many more topics. Quico Toro is a writer and editor who serves as the global opinion columnist for the Washington Post. He is based in Tokyo, Japan. He is the co-author (with Moises Naim) of the book, Charlatans: How

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52:49

#452 - Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War:...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/11/09

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robin Waterfield and Polly Low about the new translation of Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War. They talk about the various plot points of the history, historical writing, inspiration from Herodotus, Polis city-states, and ethnicities and people groups. They also talk about authorship, oral vs. written history, translating from Attic Greek to English, translation choices, and many more topics. Robin Waterfield is a British classical

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79:58

#451 - The Rise and Fall of Poland's Illiberal...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/11/03

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley about the modern political themes of Poland. They discuss the rise of the Law and Justice party (PiS) and neoliberalism, Poland post-1989 and liberalism, and the impact of globalization and Western influence on Poland. They also talk about “Poland A” and “Poland B” and the rural and urban regions, cultural issues and backlash, institutional challenges, Poland’s current economics, future of Poland, and many more topics

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103:34

#450 - Prague: The Heart of Europe: A Dialogue with...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/10/20

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Cynthia Paces about the history of Prague. They talk about Prague as the heart of Europe, cultural diversity, and origins of Prague. They discuss Charles IV, Rudolph II, Maria Theresa, and Frantisek Palacky as major figures in developing Prague as a modern and cosmopolitan city. They talk about Prague throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and many more topics. Cynthia Paces is a historian and professor of history at The College of New Jersey.

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91:46

#449 - Living for Seven Decades: A Dialogue with...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/10/12

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Michael Gurven about humans living for seven decades. They discuss our evolution for seven decades, post-reproductive life, healthspan vs. lifespan, subsistence populations, multigenerational cooperation, older age, seven decades in the future, and many more topics. Michael Gurven is an evolutionary anthropologist and professor at University of California-Santa Barbara. He has conducted fieldwork for two decades with South American indigenous

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203:40

#448 - Lincoln's Tragic Pragmatism: A Dialogue with...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/10/06

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with John Burt about Lincoln and moral conflict. They discuss Lincoln’s tragic pragmatism for morals and public engagement, on slavery and emancipation, implicit concepts, freedom, moral obsessions, and liberalism. They also talk about morals and violence, popular sovereignty, cultural shifts, the Whig party, Rawls, modern comparisons, America as an idea, and many other topics. John Burt is a professor of American literature at Brandeis University. His

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72:24

#447 - 5,000 Years of India: A Dialogue with Audrey...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/09/29

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Audrey Truschke about the history of India. They discuss India as a subcontinent, the Indus Valley civilization, nomadic to cities and empires, trade, Indo-European language and Sanskrit, Vedas and Hinduism, and development of other religions. They also talk about Ashoka, the caste system, Muslims, Ghurids, Sikhism, the Mughal Empire, British Raj, India today and the future of India. Audrey Truschke is Professor of South Asian History at Rutgers

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70:58

#446 - Translating The Aeneid: A Dialogue with Scott...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/09/22

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Scott McGill and Susannah Wright about their new English translation of The Aeneid. They discuss past English translations of The Aeneid, plot of The Aeneid, and comparisons with Homer’s epics. They discuss authorship of Virgil, The Aeneid as Roman propaganda, translating from Latin into English and the oral vs. written tradition. They also talked about the Iambic vs. Dactylic meter, relationship between humans and gods, why The Aeneid is still

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164:58

#445 - A New History of the Renaissance: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/09/15

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bernd Roeck about the Renaissance. They discuss what the Renaissance gave to the modern world, the Renaissance and the West, seven pillars of modernity, and the impact of other civilizations on the Renaissance. They discuss the level of impact that Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome deserve on the Renaissance, Christianity and the West, Islamic impact on the Renaissance, Western European marriage pattern, feudalism, origins of the University and the

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80:08

#444 - The Fall and Rise of the Taliban: A Dialogue...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/09/08

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jon Lee Anderson about the Taliban in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. They provide an overview of Afghanistan, how the Taliban came to power, makeup of the Taliban, their intentions for an Islamic state, Hamid Karzai, Taliban resurgence in 2012, US withdrawal, Taliban reign at present, the future of Afghanistan, and many more topics. Jon Lee Anderson is an author and a staff writer for The New Yorker. As a longtime observer of political

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57:36

#443 - A Concise History of Islam: A Dialogue with...

Converging Dialogues ·

2025/09/01

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with John Tolan about the history of Islam. The give an overview of Islam, discuss the Prophet Muhammad, succession and split after his death, Umayyad caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, and 3 caliphates of 1000 AD. They talk about the Turks and Ottoman empire, Wahhabism, Arab nationalism, Islam in the 21st century, and many more topics. John Tolan is Professor of History at Université de Nantes and works on the history of religious and cultural relations

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462 results

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