Listen now (79 mins) | In this episode, I speak with Brad Birzer about the American Sociologist Robert Nisbet and his critique of the Modern Nation State. Nisbet was a strong proponent of decentralization and a multiplicity of associations. We discuss some of his ideas, including developmentalism, the quest for community, and authority. We also discuss Nisbet's influences—Alexis de Tocqueville, Edmund Burke, Proudhon, and the Counter-Revolutionaries—and his critique of Jean Jacques Rousseau, who he called the "demon of the modern mind". Brad is currently working on a book on Robert Nisbet that will be published by Notre Dame Press.