Dr. Thomas Fleming is president of the Fleming Foundation. He is the author of six books, including “The Morality of Everyday Life: Rediscovering an Ancient Alternative to the Liberal Tradition,” “The Politics of Human Nature,” and “The Conservative Movement” co-written with Paul Gottfried.
From 1984 to 2015, Fleming was editor of Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, published by The Rockford Institute, where he served as president from 1997 to 2014. He was also the founding editor of Southern Partisan magazine.
As a prolific writer, speaker, and lecturer, Fleming’s essays on politics, culture, ethics, and classical subjects have appeared in many publications, such as The Washington Post, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Chesterton Review, The Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, and Classical Journal, as well as verse in journals like The New Oxford Review. His television appearances include PBS, The Today Show, and the BBC.
Fleming received a B.A. in Greek and French from the College of Charleston and a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In a previous life, he taught classics at several colleges and served as a school headmaster in South Carolina.
Fleming and I discuss everything from Wisconsin, kinship, Rothbard, and Boethesius, to the Founders, the Straussians, the Endarkenment, and the Velvet Underground. He explains how to “cultivate your mind” while living in the “ruins of civilization,” and how true Christianity is the key to it all.
Download this podcast! Or check out our chat on YouTube.
A few choice Fleming lectures and essays:
• Kith and Kin: The Enduring Ethic of the South
• The Southern Genocide
• Down With Seuss!
• The South’s Gonna Do It Again
• On Liberty
• The Greek and Roman Agrarian Tradition
• Loss of Southern Accents
• Dueling and Southern Honor
• Cicero Saves the Republic
• The Other Jefferson
• William Shakespeare, Christian Moralist: Love, Family, Justice, and Hamlet
• Fiddling While Rome Burns: Introduction, Part 2, Part 3, and Conclusion
Comments
This is a wonderful podcast, and a terrific introduction to the wit, wisdom, and worldview of Tom Fleming. I am sure all the Fleming regulars will love it, but I sure hope a lot of Rebecca’s other followers listened. I hope to see a lot of you in Rockford, IL in Mid-July, for one of the best weeks you’ll ever have in Northern Illinois in the summer. Seriously, the summer program is a lot fun and, pace Dr Fleming’s own mild derision of the town, the Fleming family and friends will make sure you don’t go friendless and hungry. Like Abbeville (or a Mises conference even) you’re waking hours will be filled with good lectures, food, and lively conversation with many new friends, not one of whom is PC or will care what you say, except you need to have a few good manners.But our own beloved mamas all taught us what those are, right?
Author
Ken, thanks so much for listening and for you and your “Fleming friends” helping out with some insightful questions for the good doctor of wit and wisdom. I would love to make it to Rockford some time. Indeed, an environment of mannerly discussion and wide-open intellectual inquiry sounds like heaven!
Miss Rebecca, thanks for a wonderful interview with my mentor and friend Tom Fleming. I wish that I could be in Rockford this summer; but the twelve-year tradition of the Abbeville Institute’s Summer School demands that I be there. You are an excellent interviewer, and Tom’s erudition goes before him. I have sent a link to the interview to a number of friends. Please continue the excellent work.
Author
Thank you, Robert, especially for the “excellent interviewer” comment. It’s a challenge to interview these stalwarts whose lives are so fascinating. How much bio do you cover? Do you stick to a couple topics or try to touch on many? What if they hate the questions as well as the interviewer who very well might be shaking in her boots?! 😁
A superb interview with Dr. Fleming! Even as a long-time Fleming Foundation aficionado I learned some things from this session.
I was also pleased to discover your fine website,too; I plan to be a regular visitor. Congratulations on your fine work.
Author
Harry, welcome to this little venture known as Dissident Mama. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on future content. I’m also thrilled the interview was informative for you. That’s music to my journalistic ears!
Just removed the scales from my wearied eyes.
Dr. Fleming.
(paraphrased)
“We are living in the ruins of civilization.”
EUREKA!
Eight words. Perfect summary. Brightest shining light. Finally, I, am really reality woked. Solves all puzzles.
Most sincere thanks.
Author
Glad the interview inspired you, Dave; it did for me, as well. Thanks for commenting, brother!
Mr. Fleming did not inform us as to why he moved to South Carolina from Wisconsin or why he went to live in San Francisco.
Author
He moved to SC as a child and was raised in the Low Country. But as far as SF goes, I’m not sure. If I ever have him back on the show, I’ll be sure to ask him. It sounded as if he went out there in his “wild days,” so I would be interested to know if he dabbled in hippie-dom (and if so, to what extent) and with whom he rubbed elbows in Haight-Ashbury and the like. Thanks for the comment!