[laughter] guest i think we have so little perspective on this moment that it is quite impossible to say. I think the perception that many people in the United States and, of course, also around the world have that this is an extraordinary uni shall time is something that we are in a time out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that very sense i think it is kind of an interesting phenomenon. I think that will be studied. Host when you think about today, do you compare it to any other period in history . Guest no, you know, as a historian, im interested in analogies. I think we have a cognitive tendency to enjoy analogies to find one thing to be like another, all the time, just in the same way, you know, im the kind of person that sees likenesses in family members. I look at a new baby and say oh that looks just like great grandma so and so. But at the same time, even as i say that, i recognize that a lot of that is my need for familiarity.
Books as a historian what is your contemporary view of how our world will be viewed . We have so little perspective on this moment is quite impossible to say but the perceptionptio t many peopln the United States and around the worldha have the extraordinary initial time. In a way that was experiencing. Host thinking about today do compared to any other period of history . Guest know. As a historian i think we have a cognitive tendency to enjoy analogies to be thing like anotherre f. And then to say that looks just like my great grandma with the baby but then also with my need for familiarity so as my career as a historian that is a journalistic tick to understand theres a whole crop leftparenthesis president ial beyond the one biographers as a way to contain that chaos as a way to avoid with that moment in time. Host you gave a talk on your book what do we mean in American History . How do we reckon that it is two different as to share a common ancestry as a people and it seems a fair
National journal and bloomberg about her legacy and what is next for the court and the nomination process. We will also take your phone calls and tweets, live on cspans washington journal. Ginsburg wasder illegal embodiment of the womens rights movement. Her years on the Supreme Court made her the liberal standardbearer for the Progressive Movement in the u. S. C died she died friday. Chief Justice John Roberts has called her a justice of historic stature and attributes are pouring in for the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her powerful for dissents, as well as her strong opinions, ginsberg will be known not only as a powerful justice, but as a crusading lawyer whose work changed the United States. He will spend todays show remembering and talking about the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader ginsburg. We are going to open up regional lines. That means if you are in the eastern or central time zones. Ou will call 202 7488000 if you are in the mountain and pacific time zones we wan
Could you encapsulate what it means to lead a Meaningful Life for you . Ginsburg to put it simply, it means doing something outside yourself. Itell the law students address now and then, if you are going to be a lawyer and just practice your profession, you have a scale, so you are very much like a plumber. But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside of yourself, something to repair tears in your community, something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That is what i think a Meaningful Life is. One lives not just for oneself but for ones community. That is wonderful, thank you. Do you think that is the same as a purposeful life . Justice ginsburg yes. Your purpose is what you aim for. Great. How has family played a part in your own life and your own meaning in your life . Justice ginsburg it plays a very large part. It is one of the things that a justice scaliaew and me together, because we both cared a lot about families. Sough
That just a minute. I have to start out, full disclosure, and say that when johanna wrote me about this event a few months ago and said is there any chance youd be free . I wrote her immediately back and said absolutely. I would love to see you. The book sounds great. I cant wait to see it. We go back to the white house in the early 1980s when both of us were just out of middle school. Well put it this way, we were early on in our career as journalists. I think we bonded back then, even though i was in broadcast and she was in front. We always kind of gravitated towards each other. I was such a huge fan of her reporting and she was such a respected journalist. Johanna, youve gone on to even greater things. She went on to earn her ph. D. As youve just heard, she is a scholar and resident. Shes done extraordinary historical work. For those of you have not had a chance to read it or peek at it, you are in for a treat. Johanna, without going any longer on all the professes, just why havent