The Ben Shapiro Show

"Lions & Scavengers" Audiobook: Chapter 2 (October 7, 2025)

Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)
Episode Theme:
A deep-dive exploration of the building blocks of Western civilization through the metaphor of lions—covering innovators (“hunters”), defenders (“warriors”), and community builders (“weavers”)—and how their combined qualities underpin the resilience and achievements of the West. Shapiro uses historical, cultural, religious, and personal narratives to illustrate the necessity of each type and the responsibilities and virtues that support a thriving community.

Episode Overview

• Setting: Jerusalem, post-October 7, 2023 events; Shapiro’s reflections on Israeli society and the ongoing regional conflict.
• Main Focus: Examination of three archetypes—hunters (innovators), warriors (defenders), and weavers (community builders)—as essential roles within Western civilization.
• Objective: To elucidate how these archetypes are cultivated, their values, and why Western civilization thrives when these roles are affirmed, nurtured, and emulated.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Resilience and Unity in a Time of War

[00:00–07:45]

• Shapiro’s Personal Account: Walking through Jerusalem, notes a remarkable return to communal vibrance and resilience despite ongoing threats and grief.
• Astonishing Hostage Rescue: Details the daring IDF rescue operation in Gaza, lauding the courage of those involved, especially commando chief Inspector Arnon Zamora.
• Quote (Arnon Zamora):
  "I wouldn't ask for anyone else next to me but you. ... It is you and your families who are sacrificing for all. I want you to know how proud I am and how I love you." ([02:50])

2. The Lion Metaphor: Hunters, Warriors, Weavers

[07:45–10:10]

• Lions as Model Citizens: Lions, unlike scavengers, are characterized by initiative, defense, and community-building.
• Quote (Kipling):
  "The jackal may follow the tiger, but cub, when thy whiskers are grown, remember the wolf is a hunter. Go forth and get food of thine own." ([09:10])
• Central Idea: The world’s resources are limited; thriving societies must cultivate lions who outcompete—physically, mentally, or innovatively.

3. Hunters: The Innovators and Builders

[10:10–31:50]

• From Physical Might to Innovation: Traces human progress from might to ingenuity; notes how today’s wealth is built on innovation, not just resources.
• Historic Context:
  • Mansa Musa’s immense gold contrasted with modern standards of living, illustrating how wealth is access to goods and services, not mere material.
  • "Gold isn't wealth. Wealth is better living. ... The only thing that makes you wealthy are the goods, products and services available to you." ([19:45])
• The Story of Sand to Silicon: Sand became one of humankind’s most valuable resources through innovation, emphasizing the power of creative transformation.
• Key Hunter Traits:
  • Problem-solving mindset; resilience through adversity.
  • Focus on solutions, not laments:
    "Problems, in the view of the lions, are merely obstacles that have not yet been surmounted." ([27:00])
  • Accountability over blame:
    "The best looked in the mirror to apportion responsibility, never blaming bad luck." ([35:10])
  • Extremes of Industriousness: Musk, Gates, Edison—emblematic of tireless commitment.
• Risk, Audacity, and Failure:
  • Pioneers blaze new trails in all fields.
  • "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." — Henry Ford ([53:20])
  • Shapiro’s own business anecdote underscores the importance of perseverance and learning from failure in building the Daily Wire.

4. Warriors: Defending the Pride

[31:50–47:30]

• Civilization’s Defenders: Societies need more than innovation; they require guardians willing to fight—physically and morally.
• Citizen-Soldier Ideal: The uniquely Western model of the part-time, principled warrior.
• Historical Reflections:
  • Western “civic militarism” rooted in individualism; a deep sense of ownership and responsibility in the defense of liberty.
  • Quotes from Pericles, Lincoln, and Patton:
    • "The nation is worth fighting for to secure such an inestimable jewel." — Abraham Lincoln ([41:50])
    • "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. ... Americans play to win all the time." — George S. Patton ([43:00])
• Philosophy of War:
  • War is terrible but sometimes necessary; must be waged decisively, seeking the most rapid victory.
  • "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it." — General Sherman ([44:30])
• Deterrence as Peace: The credible threat of overwhelming force deters war.
  • Trump anecdote: "If our enemies think there’s a 5% chance that they will end up at war with the most powerful military... they tend not to risk it." ([46:15])

5. Weavers: The Builders of Social Fabric

[47:30–67:00]

• The Unsung Heroes: Teachers, parents, caregivers, local leaders—these are the weavers who sustain the pride.
• George Eliot:
  "The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts." ([48:30])
• Personal Reflection: Shapiro’s wife as exemplar of a weaver, supporting family, community, and charity.
• Weaver Virtues:
  • Prudence: Respect for wisdom, gradual change, conservatism in social fabric. "Prudence is right reason applied to action." — St. Thomas Aquinas ([52:00]) "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." — The Book of Matthew ([52:35])
  • Mercy: Balance of justice with forgiveness. "Society would cease to exist were justice its only rule." ([54:00])
    • Shapiro draws from Biblical and literary sources; mercy as linked to the feminine, empathy as a root for healing and maintaining community.
    • "God’s love for us, as evidenced by his mercy, is even greater than that of a mother for her child." ([56:20])
  • Risk and Faith in the Building of Family:
    • Marriage and child-rearing are the greatest undertakings of faith and risk, fundamental to society’s endurance.
    • "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds..." — Shakespeare ([61:15])
    • Endorses the transformation of children into lions through civilizational rituals and education.

6. Community, Obligation, and the Foundation of Civilization

[67:00–End]

• Ceremonial Entry into the Pride: The Jewish brit milah as introduction into a covenant of duty and obligation.
  • "From the time we are born, we are born into a thick network of mutual obligation. ..." ([70:20])
• Social Support in Crisis: Story of community mourning and support after the death of a child, illustrating collective resilience.
• Family as the Seed of Society:
  • Cites Genesis and Edmund Burke on the progression from family to tribe to nation.
    • "To love the little platoon we belong to in society is the first principle, the germ, as it were, of public affections." — Burke ([73:40])
• The Central Challenge:
  • Final question—how can a society of strong-willed, ambitious individuals avoid self-destruction?
    • "But how can a civilization of lions ... keep from tearing itself apart?" ([End])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Resilience:
  "Western civilization is filled with people like Arnon Zamora. People who stand when asked to defend their families and their country." ([04:30])
• On True Wealth:
  "Gold isn't wealth. Wealth is better living. ... The only thing that makes you wealthy are the goods, products and services available to you." ([19:45])
• On Innovation:
  "Lions innovate. Innovation is a form of creative problem solving, and lions first and foremost solve problems." ([27:00])
• On War and Peace:
  "Victory in war cannot be purchased cheaply. Lions know this." ([45:25]) "The best guarantor of peace: the credible threat of overwhelming force." ([46:00])
• On Social Bonds:
  "All of us know weavers, those who sew together the sinews of our society. They appear throughout our lives at different times, almost providentially, spurring us forward and binding us together." ([50:00])
• On Commitment and Family:
  "Commitment to marriage is a commitment to an unknown future. That commitment is what makes marriage a miracle and a blessing." ([62:20])
• On Community Support:
  "The entire community provided physical and emotional aid and support to the family during her decline." ([72:00])
• Closing Question:
  "How can a civilization of lions, a civilization filled with individuals who are strong, ambitious and proud, keep from tearing itself apart?" ([End])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–07:45] – Walk through Jerusalem, resilience after October 7; IDF rescue operation and Arnon Zamora.
• [07:45–10:10] – Introduction of the “lion” concept; Kipling and pride as analogy for civilization.
• [10:10–31:50] – “Hunters”: from ancient warriors to modern innovators; the sand-to-silicon story; examples of perseverance and learning from failure.
• [31:50–47:30] – “Warriors”: citizen-soldier model, Western civic militarism, and the philosophy behind effective deterrence and peace.
• [47:30–67:00] – “Weavers”: the quiet builders of social fabric; prudence and mercy; the vital role of women and the family; philosophical and biblical foundations.
• [67:00–End] – Communal rituals, obligation, and the creation of pride; story of community support; the foundational role of family, and the central challenge for a society of lions.

Takeaways

• Civilization’s Health: Depends upon the cultivation of hunters, warriors, and weavers—each vital and complementary.
• Virtue and Responsibility: Individual virtue (resilience, innovation, mercy, duty) upholds the freedom and prosperity of the community.
• Risk and Reward: Building, defending, and sustaining civilization is inherently risky but necessary; failure strengthens those who try again.
• Family and Community: The smallest units—family, community—are the seeds of civilization; their health and strength uphold the pride.

Original Tone: Authoritative, direct, highly principled; blending historical reference, religious wisdom, philosophical argument, and personal anecdote.

Ideal For: Listeners invested in conservative thought, the future of Western civilization, and the interplay of tradition, innovation, and communal duty.