Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate

2024-11-25 · 62 min · episode 227 · 8 entities

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→ appeared on Conversations podcast

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Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate
→ discusses Society & Culture concept

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Feed category: Society & Culture
→ discusses Education concept

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Feed category: Education
→ hosted by Mercatus Center at George Mason University company

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Feed author/publisher: Mercatus Center at George Mason University

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mentioned Society & Culture concept

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Feed category: Society & Culture
mentioned Education concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Education
discusses Society & Culture concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Society & Culture
discusses Education concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Education

companys 2

mentioned Mercatus Center at George Mason University company

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Feed author/publisher: Mercatus Center at George Mason University
hosted by Mercatus Center at George Mason University company

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Feed author/publisher: Mercatus Center at George Mason University

persons 1

mentioned Russ Roberts person

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Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate

podcasts 1

appeared on Conversations podcast

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evidence rules-v4
Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate

Episode description as stored

In this crossover episode with EconTalk , Tyler joins Russ Roberts for an in-depth exploration of Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate , a monumental novel often described as the 20th-century answer to Tolstoy's War and Peace . Russ and Tyler cover Grossman's life and the historical context of Life and Fate , its themes of war, totalitarianism, freedom, and fate, the novel's polyphonic structure and large cast of characters, the parallels between fascism and communism, the idea of "senseless kindness" as a counter to systemic evil, the symbolic importance of motherhood, the psychology of confession and loyalty under totalitarian systems, Grossman's literary influences including Chekhov, Tolstoy, Dante, and Stendhal, individual resilience and moral compromises, the survival of the novel despite Soviet censorship, artificial intelligence and the dehumanization of systems, the portrayal of scientific discovery and its moral dilemmas, the ethical and emotional tensions in the novel, the anti-fanatical tone and universal humanism of the book, Grossman's personal life and connections to its themes, and the novel's enduring relevance and complexity. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video . Recorded November 4th, 2024. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Russ on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here .