I’ve recently become fascinated by 17th century genius Blaise Pascal, so I was delighted to speak to Graham Tomlin, the author of ‘Blaise Pascal – The Man Who Made the Modern World’ (a book which I loved!)

Graham Tomlin taught theology at Oxford University for many years and served as Bishop of Kensington from 2015 until 2022. He is Director of the Centre for Cultural Witness, the author of many books and articles, and the founder of Seen & Unseen.

Subscribe to my Substack to send in questions for upcoming guests! https://elliotbewick.substack.com/

Get the book! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blaise-Pascal-Made-Modern-World/dp/1399807641/

Graham on X: https://x.com/gtomlin

CHAPTERS

00:00 What’s the biggest impact Blaise Pascal has had on the world?

01:10 Pascal’s early years

07:20 The religious makeup of Pascal’s family

10:21 Pascal’s health struggles

14:55 Pascal clashes with Descartes

16:14 “I think, therefore I am”

19:32 Pascal’s criticism of Descartes’ position

21:58 How these ideas still affect us today

25:49 The Infinite Pleasure Machine experiment

28:26 Do we value human life for evolutionary reasons?

32:22 Is it wrong to prioritise happiness?

38:44 Is ‘being yourself’ a good idea?

41:44 What even is ‘The Self’?

44:32 Pascal’s intellectual life in Paris

48:40 Pascal invents the Pascaline

51:58 The ‘Night of Fire’ and the Provincial Letters

59:59 How Pascal changed after his religious experience

1:03:08 What is Pascal’s Wager?

1:10:52 What is Pascal’s most important idea?

1:13:13 How can a God who hides Himself be benevolent?

1:16:37 How can young people learn from Pascal?

1:20:31 Find more from Graham

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotbewick/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliotbewick

X: https://x.com/elliotbewick

ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION:

In a world saturated by social media and marked by skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and ADHD among Gen Z, young people are growing up in a landscape of chaos and contradiction. While protests swell in city streets and activists hurl soup at famous artworks to demand climate action, a quieter crisis unfolds within - the mental and emotional battles faced by a generation trying to make sense of it all.

The Next Generation is hosted by 20-year-old Elliot Bewick, offering a raw and honest look at the world through the eyes of those living in it. Bringing together insight from professionals and young people on the ground, this podcast isn’t here to complain or chase clout. It’s here to bend the arc of the modern world towards solutions, truth and a love for the beautiful adventure of life itself.

I had such a good time talking with Meghan Daum in LA! She is the author of seven books including My Misspent Youth, The Problem With Everything, and the award-winning The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects Of Discussion. She’s also the host of The Unspeakeasy Podcast and founder of The Unspeakeasy, a forum devoted to viewpoint diversity and free expression.This production was made possible by DFI Rentals - book gear for your next shoot here: https://www.dfirentals.com/Subscribe to my Substack to send in questions for upcoming guests! https://elliotbewick.substack.com/Check out Meghan’s Substack: https://www.theunspeakablepodcast.com/Find more from Meghan: https://www.meghandaum.com/CHAPTERS:00:00 “Culture is being held hostage by its own hyperbole”08:39 Why don’t Gen Z want normal jobs?15:03 Seductive half truths18:57 Amusing ourselves to death24:17 Where the Gen Z pursuit of happiness goes wrong32:20 “Hysteria is monetisable” and the flaws of feminism45:37 How feminism negatively affects both sexes49:07 How do we move forward from this?52:42 The Gen Z shift towards Christianity56:55 Charlie Kirk’s assassination59:20 Is it irresponsible to sit on the fence?1:13:14 New media pushes us into echo chambers1:22:10 Are Gen Z growing up in a uniquely difficult time?1:27:45 Are too many people going to university?1:32:34 Why are you so vocal in the trans debate?1:39:36 Should we use preferred pronouns?1:45:30 Attitudes around transgenderism are changing1:53:12 Is there such a thing as ‘true trans’?1:55:56 What’s the way forward for Gen Z?1:58:48 Final thoughtsMy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotbewick/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliotbewickX: https://x.com/elliotbewickABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION: In a world saturated by social media and marked by skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and ADHD among Gen Z, young people are growing up in a landscape of chaos and contradiction. While protests swell in city streets and activists hurl soup at famous artworks to demand climate action, a quieter crisis unfolds within - the mental and emotional battles faced by a generation trying to make sense of it all.The Next Generation is hosted by 20-year-old Elliot Bewick, offering a raw and honest look at the world through the eyes of those living in it. Bringing together insight from professionals and young people on the ground, this podcast isn’t here to complain or chase clout. It’s here to bend the arc of the modern world towards solutions, truth and a love for the beautiful adventure of life itself.

Putting his life on the line, author Cillian Dunne journeyed to Central America to live with Carlos Wittgreen, the right-hand man of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. Granted access to hundreds of Noriega’s long-hidden files, and with the first hand testimony of the enforcer himself, Cillian wrote ‘The Right Hand Man’, available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FZMHHKQC/

It was so cool hearing what it was like spending time with such a dangerous man, the various assassination attempts, and the nefarious dealings that took place between the CIA and this revolutionary socialist regime. Check it out!

This production was made possible by DFI Rentals - book gear for your next shoot here: https://www.dfirentals.com/

Subscribe to my Substack to see the bonus questions and send in your own for upcoming guests! https://elliotbewick.substack.com/

Cillian's website: http://therighthandmanbook.com/

Follow Cillian: https://www.instagram.com/dunne.cillian/

CHAPTERS

00:00 What is the Panama Canal and how is it relevant to the rest of the world?

04:26 How did America seize control of the Panama Canal?

09:03 Revolutions and socialism in Panama

17:40 How Noriega got into bed with the USA

23:56 The Iran-Contra Affair

25:42 Assassination attempts on Noriega

28:50 What I uncovered about CIA, DEA & DOJ intervention

35:07 What was the most shocking thing going on at that time?

40:39 The drug trade across borders

45:45 Further unpacking the Iran-Contra Affair

48:54 What was it like spending time with Noriega’s right hand man?

54:58 The power dynamics between global leaders

57:38 What do you want to achieve with your book?

59:43 What do you make of conspiracy theories?

1:04:42 More about Cillian

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotbewick/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliotbewick

X: https://x.com/elliotbewick

ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION:

In a world saturated by social media and marked by skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and ADHD among Gen Z, young people are growing up in a landscape of chaos and contradiction. While protests swell in city streets and activists hurl soup at famous artworks to demand climate action, a quieter crisis unfolds within - the mental and emotional battles faced by a generation trying to make sense of it all.

The Next Generation is hosted by 20-year-old Elliot Bewick, offering a raw and honest look at the world through the eyes of those living in it. Bringing together insight from professionals and young people on the ground, this podcast isn’t here to complain or chase clout. It’s here to bend the arc of the modern world towards solutions, truth and a love for the beautiful adventure of life itself.