Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast

75:58

History of Ideas Club: Joseph de Maistre

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/09/29

Send us a text Welcome to the third instalment of our Heritage Series, part of the History of Ideas Reading Club, hosted by Jack Thomson (MA Philosophy, University of Buckingham). In this session, we turn to the fiercely counter-revolutionary thought of Joseph de Maistre (1753–1821) — one of the most provocative and eloquent defenders of authority, monarchy, and faith in the wake of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Jack explores de Maistre’s Considerations on France and The St Pet...

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68:33

History of Ideas Club: Augustine's City of God

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/09/23

Send us a text In this episode of the History of Ideas Club, Jack Thomson (MA Philosophy, University of Buckingham) leads a discussion on St Augustine’s The City of God. We explore Augustine’s response to the fall of Rome, his vision of the earthly and heavenly cities, and the influence of his thought on theology, politics, and philosophy. The History of Ideas Club meets bi-weekly in London to read and debate classic texts in philosophy and political thought. This recording brings the convers...

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82:59

Plato's Republic

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/05/09

Send us a text In this episode of Beyond the Text, Samuel Woodall and Jack Thomson sit down for an in-depth discussion on Plato’s Republic—one of the most influential works in the history of political thought. Written against the backdrop of Athenian political upheaval and the trial of Socrates, The Republic presents Plato’s radical vision of justice, order, and philosophical rule. We explore Plato’s critique of democracy and his proposal for an ideal state ruled by philosopher-kings—those un...

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67:59

History of Ideas Club: Plato's Republic

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/05/09

Send us a text In this History of Ideas Club session, we turn to one of the foundational texts of Western political thought: Plato’s Republic. Written in the aftermath of Athens’ political turmoil and the execution of Socrates, The Republic reflects Plato’s deep skepticism toward democracy and his radical vision for a just society governed by wisdom rather than popular opinion. Plato (c. 427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, presents a powerful critique of Athenian polit...

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77:16

Rawls and Sandel

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/05/09

Send us a text In this episode of Beyond the Text, Samuel Woodall and Jack Thomson take a deep dive into the thought of John Rawls, exploring his major contribution to liberal political philosophy and the critiques it provoked from both libertarian and communitarian perspectives. We begin with A Theory of Justice (1971), where Rawls develops his influential idea of "justice as fairness"—a theory grounded in the principles of liberty and equality, structured around the thought experiments of t...

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81:22

History of Ideas Club: Rawls and Sandel

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/05/05

Send us a text In this session of the History of Ideas Club, we dive into the thought of John Rawls, one of the towering figures of 20th-century political philosophy, and explore the debate he sparked with thinkers like Robert Nozick and Michael Sandel. Rawls’ seminal work, A Theory of Justice (1971), redefined liberal political thought with his concept of "justice as fairness"—a vision rooted in equality, individual liberty, and the famous thought experiments of the "original position" and t...

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91:50

F. A. Hayek: Law, Legislation, and Liberty

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/03/19

Send us a text In this episode of Beyond the Text, we dive into Friedrich Hayek’s Law, Legislation, and Liberty, a profound exploration of legal philosophy, governance, and the limits of state power. Hayek draws a crucial distinction between law and legislation, arguing for the primacy of spontaneous order over centralized control. How do his insights shape our understanding of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law? And what relevance do they hold in today’s political climate? Join us as we...

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84:23

The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/03/18

Send us a text In this session of the History of Ideas Reading Club, we explore Friedrich Hayek's influential ideas on knowledge, society, and governance. We discuss his distinction between scientific knowledge and knowledge about the operations of society, questioning how our ignorance of the complex systems of social interaction impacts freedom. 🤔🌍 Hayek's view that social institutions cannot be rationally constructed from scratch leads us to examine the concept of society as a

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77:14

The French Existentialists: Sartre, De Beauvoir, Camus

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/03/05

Send us a text In this episode, we dive into the key ideas of Sartre, De Beauvoir, and Camus, exploring how French existentialism reshaped our understanding of freedom, responsibility, and justice. 🔹 Jean-Paul Sartre – Being and Nothingness What does it mean to exist in a world without inherent meaning? We examine Sartre’s distinction between being-in-itself and being-for-itself, his concept of bad faith, and the ethical consequences of "existence precedes essence." 🔹 Simone de Beauvoir –

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80:32

John Stuart Mill, Linchpin Between Classical and...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/02/14

Send us a text John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) wasn’t just a brilliant thinker—he was the product of an intense intellectual environment, shaped from childhood by his father, James Mill, and the utilitarian circle of Jeremy Bentham. Trained rigorously in logic, philosophy, and economics, Mill was expected to carry forward the utilitarian mission of maximizing happiness through reason and reform. But this pressure came at a cost. By his early twenties, Mill suffered a crisis that led him to quest...

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79:28

John Locke, Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine - The Quest...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/01/29

Send us a textJohn Locke (1632–1704), a key figure of the Enlightenment, is known for his contributions to philosophy, politics, and epistemology. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding introduces the concept of the tabula rasa, arguing that the mind begins as a blank slate, acquiring knowledge solely through experience. This empiricist view challenged traditional notions of innate ideas, such as Plato’s Forms or the Christian doctrine of original sin.A Letter Concerning Toleration fur...

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81:21

The History Of Ideas & Political Thought Reading Club...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/01/27

Send us a text History of Ideas Club (Live) | The French Existentialists In this session of the Liberty series, hosted by Samuel Woodall and Jack Thomson from the Buckingham Political Thought Reading Club, we delve into the world of French existentialism. Join us as we explore the key ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus—examining concepts like radical freedom, bad faith, authenticity, and the absurd. The discussion also covers existentialism's intersections with f...

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75:41

The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/01/25

Send us a textJoin us as we delve into the life and legacy of John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. This seminar explores how Mill's intellectual development was shaped by the close-knit network of families, mentors, and philosophical allies surrounding him. Raised under the rigorous tutelage of his father, James Mill—a key figure in the utilitarian movement—Mill was groomed to advance the utilitarian ideals of reason, reform, and social progr...

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57:40

Beyond the Text: Rousseau's Social Contract

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2025/01/22

Send us a textIn this new episode of Beyond the Text, we're introducing an exciting format going forward! Join Samuel Woodall (PhD Candidate in Intellectual History) and Jack Thomson (MA in Philosophy), both from the University of Buckingham, as they team up to explore Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract.Together, they delve into the revolutionary ideas of the General Will, the principles of civic religion, and Rousseau's vision of a political community. This engaging discussion blend...

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71:41

The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2024/12/23

Send us a textJohn Locke (1632–1704), a key figure of the Enlightenment, is known for his contributions to philosophy, politics, and epistemology. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding introduces the concept of the tabula rasa, arguing that the mind begins as a blank slate, acquiring knowledge solely through experience. This empiricist view challenged traditional notions of innate ideas, such as Plato’s Forms or the Christian doctrine of original sin.A Letter Concerning Toleration fur...

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80:51

The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2024/12/08

Send us a textThis week's discussion will focus on Book 4 of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract. In this section, Rousseau delves into the complexities of the general will, the role of the sovereign, and the delicate balance between individual freedom and collective authority within the state. We'll explore Rousseau's arguments on the necessity of civil religion, the challenges posed by factions, and his provocative assertion that individuals may need to be "forced to be free." Our d...

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12:17

Explorations - The Plinian Society and the Birth of...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2024/09/20

Send us a textWhat if the intellectual debates of 19th-century Edinburgh held the secrets to modern evolutionary science? Join us on Beyond the Text as we uncover the fascinating world of the Plinian Society, where influential minds like Robert Jameson and Robert Edmund Grant engaged in fiery discussions about Lamarckian theory amidst a thriving scientific and literary culture. Discover how the Enlightenment ideals of the time fueled groundbreaking ideas, with contributions from Abraham Gottl...

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76:32

Academy to Arena - Rt Honourable Tom Brake (Lib Dem)...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2024/06/23

Send us a Text Message.This episode is from an interview with the society I founded in 2021, Progressive Britain.In this episode, we are honoured to welcome the Director of Unlock Democracy, and former Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, Tom Brake. 🚀 His think tank is advocating for constitutional reform to engage citizens and close the participation gap nationwide. 🇬🇧Tom Brake, with his extensive experience as the Liberal Democrat spokesman for Environment, Transport, and Regions, Deputy Leader of

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8:56

Explorations - Science in the Age of Revolutions: the...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2024/06/03

Welcome to "Beyond the Text," the podcast that delves into the intersection of science, history, and society. Join your host, Samuel Woodall, as we explore the fascinating world of science during the age of revolutions, just after the Enlightenment.In this week's episode, we embark on an intellectual journey through the Linnaean Society, an organization pivotal to the classification and study of plants and animals. Under the guidance of Dr. Bill Jenkins, we uncover how this society became a m...

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38:39

Beyond the Music - Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas...

Beyond the Text: The Intellectual Historian"s Podcast ·

2024/05/26

Hello, esteemed music enthusiasts, and welcome to "Beyond the Music." I'm Samuel Woodall, your guide on this captivating journey through the life and works of the incomparable Henry Purcell. As an intellectual historian, I bring a unique perspective to our exploration, delving into the intricacies and brilliance of Purcell's musical legacy, politics, and philosophy.Born in 1659, Henry Purcell emerged from humble beginnings to become a towering figure in Baroque music. His story unfolds agains...

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