For decades, Peter Robinson has sat across the table from some of the most influential minds in America. In Peter Robinson Unbridled, Peter trades in his dress shoes for a pair of boots and the darkened studio for a neighborhood joint in Austin, Texas. Here, he'll be having up-close and personal conversations about the issues that matter with the fascinating men and women forging the next American Century, and having a little fun in the process.
Publisher
The Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin
A Philosopher Looks at America's Founding Document - Dan Bonevac
Dan Bonevac has been a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin for a few years short of half a century. In honor of America's 250th birthday, Peter and Dan discuss the philosophical and intellectual underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence, the basic truths about human nature, and pivotal chapters of the American story. Two hundred and fifty years later, the Declaration still raises the questions worth asking — and Bonevac has spent a career thinking through the answers.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:00 - Unpacking "Self-Evident" Truths
00:04:00 - Natural Rights: Jefferson vs. Rousseau on Locke
00:06:40 - "All Men Are Created Equal" — What Does That Mean?
00:10:00 - The Creator and the Ground of Rights
00:13:00 - Were the Founders Really Believers? Deists, Christians, and the Minimal God
00:17:00 - Who Was John Locke? The Philosopher Behind the Declaration
00:28:00 - Consent of the Governed — Why It's Foundational
00:31:00 - Slavery and the Declaration's Internal Contradiction
00:43:00 - Religious Conservatives, Natural Law, and Limited Government
00:49:00 - The Shepherd Metaphor — Bureaucrats vs. Citizens
00:53:00 - Woodrow Wilson and the Administrative State
00:57:00 - What Are Students Thinking Today?
01:06:00 - The Case for a Core Curriculum
01:13:00 - Is America Broken? Optimism vs. Realism
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Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames
Beth Hames
Researcher: John Masko
Producer: Laura Utt
Editor: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Josh Hardwick, Mike Lloyd
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
15 Feb 2026
George Will: On Politics, Baseball and the American Spirit
In his career, George Will has written 7,000 newspaper columns. Twice a week since 1974, his biweekly commentary has run in The Washington Post. Today on Unbridled, Peter and George discuss just about everything: George's decision to get a doctorate in philosophy, why a doctor of philosophy would then become a newspaper columnist, the role of the columnist in American life, the meaning of politics, conservatism after Donald Trump, "Will's Amendment" to the Constitution, whether there can even be a such thing as artificial intelligence, and the designated hitter in National League baseball, among numerous other topics.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:04:50 - The craft of writing newspaper columns
00:08:40 - Reinvigorating the universities
00:19:55 - The two party system's relationship with America
00:24:38 - The purpose and philosophy of politics
00:34:34 - How should Conservatives orient themselves today?
00:39:24 - Characteristics of the ideal presidential candidate in 2028
00:44:51 - Artificial intelligence
00:46:38 - China
00:53:24 - Literacy today
01:03:08 - Cards!
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames Beth Hames
Researcher: John Masko
Producer: Laura Utt
Technical Director: Zachary Daly
Associate Producer: Rachel Walker
Editor: Josh Meyers
Post Production: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Danny Plitt
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
15 Jan 2026
Leonard Leo: The Conservative Fundraiser Remaking American Culture
As a long-time chair of the Federalist Society, Leonard Leo played a leading role in bringing half of today's Supreme Court to the Bench. Today, as one of the conservative movement's premier fundraisers and strategists, he has dedicated himself to "crushing liberal dominance" in politics, media, and culture. On today's Unbridled, Peter and Leonard discuss Leonard's formative political experiences, his approach to philanthropy, his fight to gain a foothold for traditional conservatism in movies and TV, and how to find great, affordable wines.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:55 - Leonard Leo's background
00:05:22 - Why Leo joined the Federalist Society
00:07:01 - "Crushing" Liberal dominance
00:11:28 - The Left and Right operationalizing their views
00:18:18 - Thinking about philanthropy
00:24:10 - What happened to American universities?
00:27:21 - Suggestions for Conservative philanthropy
00:37:44 - Leonard Leo's funding
00:40:43 - Conservatism today
00:53:59 - Positive cultural changes
01:02:47 - Cards!
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames
Beth Hames
Researcher: John Masko
Producer: Laura Utt
Editor: Josh Meyers
Post Production: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Josh Harwick, Nathan Jennings
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
15 Dec 2025
American Neo-Feudalism and How to Escape It - Joel Kotkin
On episode 3 of Unbridled, Peter sits down with writer and demographer Joel Kotkin. Joel is one of the most incisive interpreters of America's social and economic fabric. He is also politically close to unclassifiable--equal parts old-time liberal and contemporary conservative. Joel and Peter talk immigration, automation, affordability and unaffordability, the decline of California and the Coasts, and the rise of Texas and the Heartland.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:04:12 - The new aristocracy: consolidation of power in Big Tech
00:06:40 - The new clerisy: the educated managerial class
00:09:07 - The rest of us: the yeomanry and serf class
00:12:15 - Alienation driven by AI
00:15:05 - Counterarguments for Joel
00:19:55 - Does the gap between the poor and rich matter?
00:24:45 - Modern opportunities outside of large cities
00:30:55 - The oligarchy's response to Trumpism
00:36:44 - The change in the cultural zeitgeist despite Trump's narrow victory
00:42:07 - Red State vs. Blue State governance
00:48:44 - Young people dedicating themselves to their political inheritance
00:53:26 - Card game!
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames
Beth Hames
Researcher: John Masko
Producer: Laura Utt
Editor: Josh Meyers
Post Production: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Josh Hardwick, Nathan Jennings
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
14 Nov 2025
The Happy Warrior Remaking Higher Education - Will Inboden
Over recent decades, the American university has been on a conveyor belt toward higher costs, less intellectual diversity, and less relevance to contemporary American life. Will Inboden, a decorated historian of foreign policy and newly appointed provost of the University of Texas at Austin, is here to change that. Will and Peter discuss how higher education got into a rut, how universities can lead us out of it, the point of Shakespeare, and how to build lifelong friendships.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:30 - Why choose a career in academia
00:05:00 - Shaken public trust in institutions of higher learning
00:13:00 - The role of a university
00:16:50 - Academic freedom
00:20:26 - STEM research and the CCP
00:29:00 - Decline of the liberal arts
00:40:15 - The pursuit of truth
00:42:30 - Viewpoint diversity
00:48:00 - Life as provost
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames
Beth Hames
Researcher: John Masko
Producer: Laura Utt
Editor: Josh Meyers
Post Production: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Josh Harwick, Nathan Jennings
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
15 Oct 2025
Finding Truth and Friendship in Divided Times - Cornel West & Robert George
In 2025, Cornel West and Robert George--two thought leaders who disagree on just about everything--aren't supposed to be friends. But against all odds, they are. In this first episode of Peter Robinson Unbridled, Cornel and Robbie discuss their improbable friendship, their love of music, their new book Truth Matters, and how they look for the truths we all share in an age of division.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames
Beth Hames
Researcher: John Masko
Producer: Laura Utt
Editor: Josh Meyers
Post Production: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Josh Harwick, Nathan Jennings
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
27 Sept 2025
Official Trailer: Peter Robinson Unbridled, A New Civitas Institute Series
In Peter Robinson Unbridled, Peter trades in his dress shoes for a pair of boots and the darkened studio for a neighborhood joint in Austin, Texas. Join him for personal conversations about the issues that matter with fascinating men and women forging the next American Century. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host: Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin
Researcher: John Masko
Executive Producers:
Mat Hames
Beth Hames
Producer:
Laura Utt
Editor: Josh Meyers
Post Production: Jacob Estrada
Camera: Josh Harwick, Nathan Jennings
Music by Brandon Shufflebarger
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6 ratings
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