In this fourth episode of Curriculum Vitae, Peter W. Wood and Jonathan Leaf discuss the purpose of art. Jonathan is a playwright who places deep intellectual questions centerstage. Today, art is seen simply as a means of expressing social complaints or a tool to be used for political stunts. In this episode, Jonathan and Peter attempt to track the philosophical and social attitudes that transformed art from the cultivation of excellence into the production of mass entertainment.
December 16, 2025
Disparate impact theory is on the Trump administration’s chopping block, signaling a move away from discriminatory government policy practices....
March 3, 2026
The U.S. strike on Iran and the foreign funding shaping how universities respond to it....
March 11, 2026
Trump’s EOs and the Supreme Court make DEI illegal—but colleges keep rebranding it to dodge the law....
May 15, 2015
A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....
February 21, 2014
Is art worth dying for? The Monuments Men considers the value of good art and its purpose in preserving a cultural heritage....
October 17, 2018
William Young finds much to praise in the hit musical....
