# Democracy and the Arts, in America? A Conversation on Tocqueville with Bob Stacey (Ad Navseam, Episode 212)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ad-navseam-1368151/democracy-and-the-arts-in-america-a-conversation-on-tocqueville-with-bob-stacey-ad-navseam-episode-212
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ad-navseam-1368151/democracy-and-the-arts-in-america-a-conversation-on-tocqueville-with-bob-stacey-ad-navseam-episode-212.md
Podcast: [Ad Navseam](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ad-navseam-1368151)
Published: 2026-02-27T19:12:32+00:00
Episode link: https://adnavseam.podbean.com/e/democracy-and-the-arts-in-america-a-conversation-with-bob-stacey-ad-navseam-episode-212/
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/qajmww7qm2tqr43j/AN212-_1st_draftbenre.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3988

## Resource

This week Dave and Jeff are joined in the vomitorium by Dave's former colleague and long-lost friend Dr. Bob Stacey. Bob is headmaster and instructor in government at the St. Augustine school in Jackson, TN. The menu today includes a discussion of Alexis de Tocqueville's famous work Democracy in America, specifically a portion of Vol. II.1.15. Should everyone be allowed to study Greek and Latin? Can the pursuit of literature, art and music thrive in the hurly-burly of a representative democracy? Is it the case that in "democratic centuries", as Tocqueville says, "the education of the greatest number [of citizens] be scientific, commercial, and industrial rather than literary"? These and other questions occupy the hosts and guest for a happy 60 minutes or so, along with occasional digressions on presidential politics, the delights of gift shops, and more. Don't miss it! Also, tune in to sign up for your chance to win the new Hackett Complete Works of Aristotle, in 2 volumes.

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## Transcript

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