East Coast and TBD discuss the evolution of Western thinking, starting from a time where the faith-based opinions of the Church had primacy, and examining the contributions of Frances Bacon, the “father” of empiricism and skepticism, towards modern-day problem-solving abilities. The conversation inevitably turns to the ways in which Republican lawmakers attempt to suppress critical thinking and democracy, and some ideas as to what we as citizens can do to get things back on track and avoid a total regression into the book-burning Dark Ages. Link to the Robert Freeman article mentioned later in the episode: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/05/23/republican-party-and-end-enlightenment