Ep. 75 - Ben Henderson - People Who Shaped Our World: From John Ruskin to Cyrus The Great

Ben Henderson is an online creator and teaches people about history, art, and philosophy. In this conversation, we cover a wide range of topics, discussing why Big Ben and the British Houses of Parliament are built in a Gothic style but not in the Gothic age, the impact of John Ruskin, the pros and cons of modern architecture, an introduction to Cyrus the Great, and so much more. Ben's dynamic and insightful, and you'll learn a lot in this episode. Ben's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.henderson.history/ Ben's X: https://x.com/benhenderson96 My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe.reilly/?hl=enWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoeReillyPodcast 0:00 - Intro 0:39 - Why Big Ben Is Gothic 4:03 - John Ruskin Wasn’t A Fan 6:23 - Ruskin vs. Orwell 8:38 - In Defence Of Brutalism 13:18 - An Old Approach To Modern Architecture 17:10 - Time + Architecture = Enjoyment? 20:58 - Trump Banning Modernism 26:18 - Elon Musk Liking Ben’s Democracy Tweet 32:38 - Intro To Cyrus The Great47:10 - The Ultimate Dinner Party Game