LEXINGTON, Va. Oct. 6, 2023 — Col. Ryan R. Holston, professor of political theory in the Department of International Studies and Political Science, and holder of the Jonathan M. Daniels ’61 Chair for Academic Excellence at Virginia Military Institute, was recently featured on the “Hermitix” podcast and “The Sower,” a podcast of The Ciceronian Society, in which he discusses his recently published book, “Tradition and the Deliberative Turn: A Critique of Contemporary Democratic Theory.”  

The book is a study of tradition, and a critique of utopianism as it pertains to modern democratic theory and the way people deliberate in political life. According to Holston, the need for roots and communities to understand one another is often overlooked. “It is important to have political discussions and deliberations in a community in which you can draw on common experiences and a way of life. Persuasion among 300 million people with no shared culture or values is the utopian view,” he explained.

The Ciceronian Society podcast may be heard here, and the Hermitix podcast may be heard here. Copies of “Tradition and the Deliberative Turn: A Critique of Contemporary Democratic Theory” is published by SUNY Press and may be ordered from their website or from Amazon.

- VMI -