George Janko

Well, Charlie, first, thanks for the opportunity to be on the show. I love being on with my brother, Cornel West. And it's so good to see you again. It's been several years since we've seen each other. I'm hoping that we can get together sometime soon in person again, but it's lovely to be on your show.

Well, Charlie, first, thanks for the opportunity to be on the show. I love being on with my brother, Cornel West. And it's so good to see you again. It's been several years since we've seen each other. I'm hoping that we can get together sometime soon in person again, but it's lovely to be on your show.

I knew you before you were Charlie Kirk, and now you're Charlie Kirk, a big, important contributor to our public discourse here. And just so... So delighted that things have gone this way for you and that you're a force out there. I love your dialogues. You're really trying to practice what Cornell and I have been preaching. You mentioned that sometimes you fall short. Well, we all do.

I knew you before you were Charlie Kirk, and now you're Charlie Kirk, a big, important contributor to our public discourse here. And just so... So delighted that things have gone this way for you and that you're a force out there. I love your dialogues. You're really trying to practice what Cornell and I have been preaching. You mentioned that sometimes you fall short. Well, we all do.

Cornell and I do. As Cornell said, we're all cracked vessels. We're frail, fallible, fallen human beings. But that doesn't mean that we can't and shouldn't do our best to engage with each other in a way that's genuinely fruitful. And that really gets us to the book. One of the great blessings of my life has been my friendship with Brother Cornell.

Cornell and I do. As Cornell said, we're all cracked vessels. We're frail, fallible, fallen human beings. But that doesn't mean that we can't and shouldn't do our best to engage with each other in a way that's genuinely fruitful. And that really gets us to the book. One of the great blessings of my life has been my friendship with Brother Cornell.

And this really began in earnest back in 2005, 20 years ago, when we began teaching together. teaching the great books of Western civilization to these brilliant young Princeton students, teaching Sophocles' Antigone, Plato's Apology, St.

And this really began in earnest back in 2005, 20 years ago, when we began teaching together. teaching the great books of Western civilization to these brilliant young Princeton students, teaching Sophocles' Antigone, Plato's Apology, St.

Augustine's Confessions, and on and on up to the 19th century with figures like John Stuart Mill and John Henry Newman into the 20th century teaching John Dewey and C.S. Lewis and Martin Luther King. And I just found that working with Cornell I was learning every day. Didn't matter whether we ended up agreeing or not. I was deepening my own understanding in my engagement with him.

Augustine's Confessions, and on and on up to the 19th century with figures like John Stuart Mill and John Henry Newman into the 20th century teaching John Dewey and C.S. Lewis and Martin Luther King. And I just found that working with Cornell I was learning every day. Didn't matter whether we ended up agreeing or not. I was deepening my own understanding in my engagement with him.

And he kindly says that he has the same experience and has had the same experience deepening his understanding, whether we happen in the end to come to the same place again. or not. The title of the book says it all. It's what we fundamentally share. And that is a belief that truth matters.

And he kindly says that he has the same experience and has had the same experience deepening his understanding, whether we happen in the end to come to the same place again. or not. The title of the book says it all. It's what we fundamentally share. And that is a belief that truth matters.

Getting at the truth, being in touch with reality, not living with falsehoods, not descending into dogmatism and ideology and tribalism, putting truth above all, whether it squares with our preconceived notions or doesn't square with our preconceived notion. And I'm dedicated to that. And Cornell is dedicated to that.

Getting at the truth, being in touch with reality, not living with falsehoods, not descending into dogmatism and ideology and tribalism, putting truth above all, whether it squares with our preconceived notions or doesn't square with our preconceived notion. And I'm dedicated to that. And Cornell is dedicated to that.

And I can tell you that creates a powerful bond between two people, a bond that's much stronger than anything that may divide us. We do disagree on many very important things, but we are fundamentally united in our desire to get at the truth and to work together to get there.

And I can tell you that creates a powerful bond between two people, a bond that's much stronger than anything that may divide us. We do disagree on many very important things, but we are fundamentally united in our desire to get at the truth and to work together to get there.

So in our conversations, which have been going on for 20 years inside the classroom and outside the classroom, and now in print in our book, Truth Matters, for 20 years, we have been Talking and debating and discussing and arguing with each other, not with a view of defeating the other guy. I never set out to defeat Cornell in an argument. He never sets out to defeat me.

So in our conversations, which have been going on for 20 years inside the classroom and outside the classroom, and now in print in our book, Truth Matters, for 20 years, we have been Talking and debating and discussing and arguing with each other, not with a view of defeating the other guy. I never set out to defeat Cornell in an argument. He never sets out to defeat me.

We work together in a partnership, trying to provide the best arguments on the competing sides with the common goal, the common goal. aim of getting at the truth of things. And as a result of that, I found my own understanding deeply enriched. I found the understanding of our students, whether they are right, left, or center, Charlie. I have found the understanding of our students deeply enriched.

We work together in a partnership, trying to provide the best arguments on the competing sides with the common goal, the common goal. aim of getting at the truth of things. And as a result of that, I found my own understanding deeply enriched. I found the understanding of our students, whether they are right, left, or center, Charlie. I have found the understanding of our students deeply enriched.