Best Nash Squared Podcasts (2026)

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#73 Alex MacDonald : Balancing Economic Liberty and Social Tradition, plus Thoughts on Monarchy 1:13:00

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3d ago1:13:00

1:13:00

Does it makes sense to maximize liberty in the economy and yet limit it at a personal level? Is it even possible? Alex MacDonald says it doesn't make sense. We never make economics the ultimate priority for family decisions, why do we think it's ok to prioritize economy at a national level? This discussion gets to the heart of debate within the con…

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#72 Merry Christmas! Embracing Intentional Ignorance and the Meaning of Gift Receiving 15:35

3d ago15:35

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Christmas greetings plus one big idea. Why read? Better yet, why buy books you will never be able to read? Don't overestimate what you know. Building a personal library of more books that you can ever read will remind you of how much you do not know. It creates a presence in your home of intentional ignorance. I got the idea from this article: Umbe…

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#71 Michael Bonner: The Crisis of Liberalism: The Origin and Destiny of Freedom. 1:05:12

8d ago1:05:12

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Many of our most popular ideas today are medieval. We are all, in some way, medieval thinkers. Dr. Michael Bonner applies his experience as a historian and political consultant to the current crisis of liberalism. He explains what's going on by reaching back several thousand years. Although this episode is heavy, his book is highly readable. He cov…

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#70 Kate Marland: The Conservative Case for High Culture. Engaging Youth Beyond Economic Policies 1:02:11

12d ago1:02:11

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I'm trying something new: this is a lightly edited transcript from the start of the episode: Thanks for listening! Shawn: What do young people want these days? Do they want total unfettered freedom or do they want to be challenged? Check it out. Kate: This is what I love talking about with young people, because they are ready to rise to this challe…

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#69 Sean Speer: Government MUST remain neutral on culture. Will vs Inheritance a core debate 1:14:00

15d ago1:14:00

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Here's the other half of the Koch-Speer debate. As usual, Sean Speer offers a nuanced response that seeks to learn at least as much as he hopes to inform. This whole conversation is essential for Canadians right now, conservatives especially. Its outcome determines the entire cant of the Conservative Party of Canada. Sean laid out his argument here…

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#68 Anthony Koch: Government CANNOT Remain Neutral on Culture 1:05:03

17d ago1:05:03

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Anthony says conservatives don't understand politics. He argues in Without Diminishment that "The state is the architect of culture, not a spectator." Conservatives will keep losing until they realise that the must pick a side, when they form government. They cannot aim to simply manage the state. They need to shape it. This is a hot debate in Cana…

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#67 Matt Spoke: Project Ontario, Real-Life Conservatism, and Building a Strong Conservative Future in Canada 1:02:27

29d ago1:02:27

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Matt Spoke builds communities, develops housing, creates start-up companies, serves on boards of directors, plans grass-roots political conferences, and raises a family. Matt embodies a conservative life. I first met Matt at the Project Ontario conference he organized (with help from others) in Toronto. He speaks well, listens closely, and can carr…

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#66 Ben Woodfinden: The New Right and Red Toryism 57:04

1M ago57:04

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Ben Woodfinden is a former director of communications for Pierre Poilievre. He has practical experience inside politics mixed with theoretical study and work as a consultant. When Ben speaks, people listen. Debate about first principles has finally returned to the Canadian non-left. A new, mostly younger group of conservative writers and speakers h…

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#65 Caroline Elliott: Is Canada's Identity at Risk? How can we save Canada? 55:45

1M ago55:45

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Canada cannot continue unless we share a common sense of what we love. In BC, young students learn from daily land acknowledgements that they can never really call Canada their own. It belongs to someone else. Students in Vancouver sing two national anthems, Canada’s and another belonging to coastal indigenous people. This goes beyond education and…

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#64 Ray Pennings: Religion in the Public Square. Study of Canada-US religiosity 1:05:25

2M ago1:05:25

1:05:25

Want to be active in the public square? Join the symphony. Get involved in what you love. Be public about your pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful. Ray Pennings has spent his life building a winsome and articulate defence of religion in the pubic square. It is not weird to admit we have religious beliefs (including non belief); it's we…

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#63 Ron Dart: Is Toryism Dead in Canada? The Red Tory Element in Canadian Conservatism 1:25:00

2M ago1:25:00

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Toryism has faded in Canada, but it still gets blamed for backsliding and bad behaviour in Conservative Party politics. (Full disclosure: I have never seen myself as a Tory, neither High, Low, Red, Blue, or traditional.) Political labels, especially old ones, mean nothing without definition. Even with working definitions, labels often bleed into ea…

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#62 Sam Routley: Unpacking Canadian Conservative voters. Fusionism, culture and economics 1:05:40

2M ago1:05:40

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Conservative voters around the world are leaning into culture and away from economic issues. Sam Routley's research found that Canadian conservatives cling to the 1980's fusionism of traditional social policies and libertarian economics. Can the 1980's fusionism hold? Will economic determinism help Conservatives to win elections today? Links to art…

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#61 Alexander Brown: Young Voters, Culture, and Politics in Canada 57:19

2M ago57:19

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Young conservatives aren't falling in line. Alex says, "We don't care. I'm not incentivized to look the other way. I don't need an invite to a table of six at Terroni in the back room to talk about continuing the status quo." In a world when young voters can't afford a house in Canada, you'd think they'd obsess about economics. They don't. They car…

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#60 Alexander Rosenthal-Pubul: Conservative Humanism - Reconciling Tradition and Modernity 57:17

2M ago57:17

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Is secular humanism a distortion of an older conservative humanism? And why are conservatives so obsessed with international trade? The French Enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu argued that international trade promotes peace. He called it doux commerce, gentle commerce. In what sense is this a conservative idea? Fascinating and somewhat subversi…

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#59 Tim Sargent: Can Economics Save Canada? Does Economics Serve Politics or Should Economics Rule? 58:12

2M ago58:12

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What guides politics? What matters most in political decision making? Since the 1980s, conservatives have looked to economics for guidance: economic growth, tax cuts, and decreased government spending capture the heart of political thought in North American Conservative political parties. This sparks two questions. 1) How well did this approach per…

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#58 Ross Upshur: AI in Medicine, Limits of Evidence Based Medicine, & What Does It Mean to be Human? 1:00:00

3M ago1:00:00

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This episode is (ostensibly) about medicine, not politics. What does human-centred care mean in a world of AI? Are doctors becoming obsolete, when it comes to decision making? When should we hand over our clinical judgement to AI? I asked Ross Upshur for his thoughts on logical positivism. Are most doctors positivists? "Despite it being... as a p…

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#57 Grant Havers: Understanding Marshall McLuhan's Relevance: AI, Social Media, and Conservative Thought 1:20:49

3M ago1:20:49

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By Shawn Whatley

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#56 Calum Nicholson: Boomers are Frozen in Fortune & Society is Blinded by Science 1:21:38

3M ago1:21:38

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Boomers have a worldview "frozen by fortune, not forged in fire." Through no fault of their own, the boomer generation remains blind to aspects of current reality from their experiences growing up in the post-WWII era. That era has ended. For more on this, check out Dr. Nicholson's guest post on Peter Boghossian: The Boomerang Our discussion tackle…

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#55 Paige MacPherson: Smartphones, Canadian Education Performance, and School Choice 1:06:48

3M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

Canada is libertarian on student cell phones in classrooms and statist on school choice (in most provinces). We get a poor return on investment when it comes to education in Canada. Our math and reading scores are several years behind (even before Covid). Students are distracted by over 100 messages on their cellphones each day. And teachers cannot…

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#54 Étienne-Alexander Beauregard - Gen-Z Conservatism & Anti Civilization: Why Our Societies Collapse From Within 57:41

3M ago57:41

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Gen Z sits at the cusp of major change in conservatism. Young people do not feel a warmth and longing for Reagan or Thatcher. Sure, they value freedom, but they also what to know where the guardrails stand. Étienne-Alexandre speaks clearly for a new generation of non-left thinkers. He asks what might be the role of conservatism in the near future. …

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#53 Tristin Hopper: Extremism in Canadian Universities and review of his book, "Don't be Canada" 48:17

4M ago48:17

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Once again, Canadian university professors show their extremism in response to Charlie Kirk, a mirror of their praise for Oct 7. Professors shape opinion; they shape culture. Do we want the kind of culture they promote? Turning to his book, Tristin argues that Canada's world-famous policy failures are self-inflicted. He believes we could recover, i…

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#52 Josh Lewis: Conservatism, Saving Elephants, Populism, Donald Trump, and Economic Morality 1:09:50

4M ago1:09:50

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Josh Lewis is a traditional conservative who has worked in 'government' in America, has served in retail politics, and has interviewed hundreds of leading thinkers in American conservatism. Josh has a unique ability to bridge the gap between politics and life, philosophy and culture. His developed his skill comes from a deep discomfort with what he…

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#51 Reflecting on Charlie Kirk. Are we tired of being bullied? 22:53

4M ago22:53

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I couldn't stay silent and sane. Once again, the AI summary is scarily accurate, so I will let is stand. Let me know what you think. Shawn AI Summary: Responding to Tragedy: Honouring Charlie Kirk & Challenging Silence In this deeply reflective episode of Concepts, host Shawn Whatley breaks from his usual avoidance of current events to address a tu…

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#50 George Nash: The Conservative Intellectual Movement 1:09:54

4M ago1:09:54

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If you find conservatism confusing, you are not alone! Dr. George Nash has spent 50 years explaining all the strands that weave together into the collection of ideas we call conservatism. The AI summary is surprisingly good, so I will simply point out the book links below: The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945 Russel Kirk's C…

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#49 Yuval Levin: Unity, Citizenship, and American Constitutionalism 1:03:00

4M ago1:03:00

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How can we live together when we don't t all think alike? Are there nothing but power struggles, or is there a better way? Dr. Yuval Levin explains that we don't need to disagree less; we need to learn to disagree better. Unity does not mean unanimity. We should be hopeful, not simply optimistic. Yuval has spent several decades trying to persuade c…

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#48 Nico Lagan: Political Orphans, Masculinity, and Faith 1:08:01

4M ago1:08:01

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The non-left in Canada includes an interesting and often overlooked group. They promote a mix of exercise, martial arts, masculinity, self defence, freedom, self sufficiency, honour, Christianity, and more. This group baffles academics and exasperates leftists. Both left and right seeks to dismiss and minimize their impact. But they represent a lar…

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#47 Andy Crooks: Moral Courage and the Heart of Conservatism 1:10:51

5M ago1:10:51

1:10:51

Andy captures the heart of conservatism unlike anything I've found elsewhere. He has lived it. He embodies it. And he welcomes others to enjoy it. Andy Crooks spelled out what's at stake for Canada, and he explained what we must do to save it. Stark, fun, inspirational, and tragic. I can't think of a better embodiment of the heart an soul of conser…

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#46 Marco Navarro-Genie: Red Toryism, Canadian Identity, and the Role of Conservatism 1:08:19

5M ago1:08:19

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Marco packages powerful barbs in (slightly) softened academic polish. It makes his writing and speaking fun to consume and hard to forget. Do check out his Substack https://substack.com/@navarrogenie Looking forward to hearing what you think! Thanks again! AI summary: Special guest Dr. Marco Navarro-Genie, VP of Research at Frontier Center for Publ…

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#45 Sean Walsh: The Hard Problem of Consciousness, AI, and Conservatism 53:48

5M ago53:48

53:48

Sean has a PhD in the philosophy of artificial intelligence. He writes well and thinks deeply. He's also experienced more grit than the average academic. This was not a light discussion, but I think you will find it well worth your time. Articles mentioned: Wandering Thoughts Artificial, human and angelic intelligence Sean is Associate Editor of Co…

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#44 Tristan Rogers: Conservatism Past and Present--A Philosophical Introduction 1:06:32

5M ago1:06:32

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Tristan and I discuss his new book on conservatism. It is fun and deep and convoluted...you will love it. The AI summary (below) chunks out the main sections. Books and articles mentioned: Conservatism Past and Present: A philosophical introduction, by Tristan Rogers https://amzn.to/4lYHPbC England: An Elegy, by Roger Scruton https://amzn.to/4lMKkO…

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#43 Brian Day: The Fight for Canadian Healthcare | A 30-Year Battle for Patient Rights 1:07:55

6M ago1:07:55

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Dr. Brian Day has spent decades fighting for patients' rights. He trained during an era of no wait times and doctors competing to provide care for patients. People find this hard to believe, and system planners find it horrifying. Canadian medicare was once the envy of the world. Today, countries try to avoid creating 'Canada-like' results. Dr. Day…

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#42 Nathan Pinkoski: Actually Existing Postliberalism 1:01:22

6M ago1:01:22

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A quiet revolution occurred in the 1990s. Our institutions shifted. The global war on terror solidified the shift and obliterated the distinction between public and private, which was once a feature of liberalism. The fusion of public and private represents a new era of actually existing postliberalism. https://firstthings.com/actually-existing-pos…

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#41 Rebecca Vachon: Canada's Rapid Expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)/Euthanasia 50:44

6M ago50:44

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Canada has the fastest growing assisted dying program in the world. Medical Assistance in Dying (passive and active euthanasia) is now tied as Canada's 5th leading cause of death. We tackle loneliness and social isolation, individualism, and (briefly) social response to suffering. Not a light episode, but a crucial topic to discuss. Thanks for chec…

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#40 Happy Canada Day! What is Canada? What are we celebrating? 6:19

6M ago6:19

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Short recording for Canada Day. I hope you find (or found) time to enjoy the day and reflect on what we are celebrating. Canada is young: many Canadians alive now are more than 1/2 as old as Canada itself. Given its youth, what exactly is Canada? What aspects do we hope to pass on to our children and grandchildren? Whatever Canada is it must be "pl…

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#39 Adam Swart: CEO Crowds on Demand. Paid Protesters a Moral and Political Dilemma? 54:10

6M ago54:10

54:10

I had a friendly debate with Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds on Demand, the largest protest company in America. He ran circles around me having clearly argued almost all my points many times before. He called out my hypocrisy at being intolerant of paying protesters while being ok with all the other money that flows around inside politics. Adam forced me…

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#38 Ryan Alford: Seven Absolute Rights and necessary limits on government 1:00:29

6M ago1:00:29

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Our legal history will shock you. It has more tradition than libertarians can stomach and more anti-government sentiment than conservatives can tolerate. Dr. Alford explains why we need both more history and more enthusiasm to put government in its place. He ends with a message of hope for rescuing Canada. Seven Absolute Rights: Recovering the Hist…

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#37 Daniel Pitt: The essence of conservatism from Burke to Scruton. 1:00:22

7M ago1:00:22

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I got a chance to visit with Dr. Dan Pitt, co-author of Intellectual Conservatism: From Burke to Scruton. We focussed on a chapter he wrote which offers a brilliant rubric for understanding conservatism -- one of the best I've seen. Dr. Pitt offers an attractive view beyond the status-quo liberalism in which all political parties operate, for the m…

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#36 Ferenc Hörcher (Hungary) on Intellectual Conservatism from Burke to Scruton 53:21

7M ago53:21

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Conservatives are often suspicious of intellectuals and for good reason. Novel ideas dreamt up by radical intellectuals have caused enormous suffering over the past 200 years. But Conservative parties cannot survive without intellectual substance. European conservatism doesn't suffer from the North American tendency to confuse conservatism with cla…

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#35 Peter Copeland: The politics of Pope Leo XIV. What can we expect from the new pope? 51:27

7M ago51:27

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Pope Leo's election garnered far more interest than usual. We are in a time of great change. People are paying attention. The Pope shapes public opinion, and people are eager to know what Pope Leo might say. I asked Peter all the most provocative political questions I could imagine. What might the Pope think about resource development, immigration,…

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#34 David Livingstone: Radical Conservatives, postmodernism, and D'Arcy McGee on Canada's Founding 1:03:35

7M ago1:03:35

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Dr. Livingstone worries about postmodernism destroying Truth. I worry about about postmodernism destroying history as a way to understand the present. David says we need universals to resist postmoderns. I say we should fear universals lest the postmoderns inflict us with their 'values'. In this episode we resolve the debate (sort of). Thanks for w…

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#33 John von Heyking on political friendship, pro-Hamas protests, and the future of Canada. 53:27

8M ago53:27

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Can a country survive if we aren't united about common fundamental matters? Pro-Hamas protests block streets in Toronto. They have even forced ambulances to turn around. This has really bothered me. Aside from basic procedural solutions -- keeping a lane open for emergency vehicles or having police enforce the law -- can we solve the deeper, existe…

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#32 Mark Carney and Justin Trudeau are universalists. Donald Trump is not. What is universalism? 19:12

8M ago19:12

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Prime Minister Mark Carney and Justin Trudeau are universalists. Donald Trump is a (rare) politician who, for the most part, doesn't seem to be a universalist. Universalism is an essential concept to help us understand modern politics. It's a core pillar of liberalism, but many 'conservatives' are universalists also. AI Summary Understanding Univer…

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#31 Simplifying liberalism. Start with individuals. 17:24

8M ago17:24

17:24

Go ask a professor for a simple definition of liberalism or conservatism. If they are honest, they won't give you a short answer. These terms are super complex. But we need somewhere to start. In this short segment, I offer a place to start talking about liberalism: a theory with 4 pillars. The first pillar we discuss is individualism. We will disc…

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#30 Geoff Russ -- Hope for Canada vs progressive internationalism 46:27

8M ago46:27

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Geoff stands out as a new kind of writer on the non-left. He offers hope that embraces Canada's past without repudiation -- truly rare these days Thanks for listening! AI Summary Shawn interviews Geoff Russ, a Vancouver-based writer, about the evolving concept of Canadian nationalism and identity. They discuss the need for newcomers to understand t…

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#29 Grant Havers on Leo Strauss, Conservatism, and Modern Political Issues 1:02:08

8M ago1:02:08

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This episode goes deep into the philosophy of Leo Strauss and the modern Conservative movement by looking at Professor Haver's book on Strauss and Ango-American democracy. I got too excited with the discussion and stopped paying attention to the recording quality. It's less than I would have hoped, but the content Grant shares is excellent. I offer…

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#28 Jodi Bruhn: Political Myths, the non-left voter, and COVID fallout 1:06:40

8M ago1:06:40

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Professor Bruhn is a unique thinker. She calls herself someone of the 'non-left'. Her advocacy on indigenous issues does not rest on the more common progressive principles. I hope you enjoy the episode! AI summary: In this episode, Shawn dives into Canadian political thought with Dr. Jodi Bruhn. They explore topics such as the conservatism of Pierr…

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#27 Ted Morton: The Charter Revolution & Conservative Politics 54:57

8M ago54:57

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Ted Morton offers a perspective you cannot find anywhere else in Canada. He's an academic, turned politician, returned academic from Alberta. If you want to understand Canadian politics, you simply have to spend time digging into Alberta. Ted has a great sense of humour and seems to love chatting about the thorniest political issues. He jokes that …

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#26 Another short introduction. Why would an MD bother with politics? 4:36

8M ago4:36

4:36

Our lives are shaped by the political systems in which we live. When our country starts to struggle, we need to revisit the ideas that animate the programs and structures around us. In just under 5 minutes, I explain why we need to focus on political ideas now, and why philosophical conservatism offers a (paradoxically) new and fresh way to think. …

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#25 Ginny Roth on Political Myths, Biggest Election Misses, Trump, and Canada's Future 45:29

8M ago45:29

45:29

Ginny returns to answer common Canadian myths and misconceptions, as well as offering analysis on the upcoming election. We start out with four familiar comments or questions: Is the Conservative Party uncaring, especially about people in need? Will Pierre Poilievre end up spending as much as Mark Carney? The CBC is Canadian. Isn't it a trusted sou…

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#24 Jeremy Geddert: Canadian Nationalism & George Grant 1:01:16

9M ago1:01:16

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Canadian Conservatism, National Identity, & Critique of Post-Colonialism In this episode, Shawn interviews Professor Jeremy Geddert about George Grant, renowned Canadian philosopher and author of 'Lament for a Nation'. They delve into Grant's critique of the Laurentian elite, his perspectives on Canadian nationalism, conservatism, and his critique …