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PODCAST

Past Present Future

Past Present Future is a bi-weekly History of Ideas podcast with David Runciman, host and creator of Talking Politics, exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, culture to technology. David talks to historians, novelists, scientists and many others about where the most interesting ideas come from, what they mean, and why they matter. Ideas from the past, questions about the present, shaping the future. New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday. Take back your personal data

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All Episodes

48:38

The History of Bad Ideas: The Death of the Author

Past Present Future ·

2024/05/16

For our penultimate episode in this series David talks to Kathleen Stock about Roland Barthes’s idea of the Death of the Author (1967).Once very fashionable, the notion that readers not writers are the arbiters of what a text means has had a long and sometimes painful afterlife.As well as exploring its curious appeal and its persistent blindspots, Kathleen discusses her personal experience of how it can go wrong.Two bonus Bad Ideas episodes for PPF+ subscribers – on Email and VAR – will be available

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54:11

The History of Bad Ideas: Anti-Suffragettes

Past Present Future ·

2024/05/12

In this episode of our series on the lingering hold of bad ideas David talks to the writer and broadcaster Helen Lewis about the arguments made at the turn of the last century against giving the vote to women.Why were so many women against female enfranchisement?What did attitudes to women in politics reveal about the failings of men?And where can the echoes of these arguments still be heard today?Helen Lewis’s Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights is available wherever you get your

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46:50

The History of Bad Ideas: Taxonomy

Past Present Future ·

2024/05/09

For the latest episode in our series about the hold of bad ideas, we welcome back the geneticist Adam Rutherford to talk about Linnaean taxonomy, a seemingly innocuous scheme of classification that has had deeply pernicious consequences.From scientific racism to social stratification to search engine optimisation, taxonomy gets everywhere.Can we escape its grip?Sign up now to PPF+ to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes to accompany every series. Coming soon: two bonus bad ideas just for PPF+

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49:49

The History of Bad Ideas: Antisemitism

Past Present Future ·

2024/05/05

Today’s bad idea is one with a very long history: David talks to the historian Christopher Clark aboutantisemitismand the reasons for its endless recurrence.What has made discrimination against the Jews different from other kinds of violent prejudice over the course of European history?How did the ‘JewishQuestion’ become the battleground of German politics?Why do so many Christians have a love-hate relationship with Judaism?And where does the state of Israel fit into this story?For ad-free listening

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50:04

The History of Bad Ideas: Facebook Friends

Past Present Future ·

2024/05/02

In today’s episode about seemingly good ideas gone badly wrong David talks to the philosopher and journalist Kathleen Stock about Facebook Friends, something that was meant to make us happier and better connected but really didn’t.How did online friendship become so performative?Does its failings say more about Facebook and its business models or does it say more about us?And why are academics so susceptible to the madness of social media?For ad-free listening and bonus episodes – including more bad

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44:42

The History of Bad Ideas: The Gold Standard

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/28

In the secondepisodein our series on bad ideas David talks to the political economist Helen Thompson about the gold standard, which was meant to anchor the world economy until it all fell apart a hundred years ago.Why does gold so often appear like a stable basis for money in an unstable world – and why not silver?What made the gold standard a source of instability instead?How can money work if it has no material basis?And is quantitative easing a bad idea as well?For ad-free listening and

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55:24

The History of Bad Ideas: Eugenics

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/25

For the first episode in our new series about the hold of bad ideas David talks to the geneticist and science broadcaster Adam Rutherford about eugenics: from its origins in the 19thcentury through its heyday in the 20thcentury to its continuing legacy today.Is eugenics bad science, bad morality, bad politics – or all three?What are the fears that keep drawing people back to trying to control the consequences of human reproduction?And is a new age of consumerist eugenics upon us?For ad-free

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56:04

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Liberation Movements

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/21

In our final episode David and Lea discuss liberation movements, from post-colonial liberation to women’s liberation, gay liberation and animal liberation.What, if anything, do these movements have in common?Is liberation about equality or is it about difference?And who needs liberating next – children?You can hear our bonus episodes for this series by signing up to PPF+www.ppfideas.comIn the first bonus episode – available now – David and Lea answer listeners’ questions about AI, technology, online

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51:23

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Existentialism and...

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/18

In the penultimate episode in this series David and Lea discuss two twentieth-century philosophies of freedom and the human psyche.What can existentialism teach us about the nature of free choice under conditions of despair?Is there any escape from bad faith?And what can individuals – or even entire societies – learn about their freedom from being put on the couch?Sign up to PPF+ to get two bonus episodes to accompany this and all future series along with ad-free listening:www.ppfideas.comComing

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51:23

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Existentialism and...

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/18

In the penultimate episode in this series David and Lea discuss two twentieth-century philosophies of freedom and the human psyche.What canexistentialismteach us about the nature of free choice under conditions of despair?Is there any escape from bad faith?And what can individuals – or even entire societies – learn about their freedom from being put on the couch?Sign up to PPF+ to get two bonus episodes to accompany this and all future series along with ad-free listening:www.ppfideas.comComing next

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50:14

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Anarchism and Nihilism

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/14

In our series about different ideas of freedomDavidand Lea have reached anarchism and nihilism.What is the positive vision of human freedom behind the anarchist rejection of the established order?What can nineteenth-century anarchists teach us about freedom in the twenty-first century?And if nihilists are against everything, what are they for?Sign up to PPF+ to get ad-free listening and two bonus episodes a month – just go toppfideas.comComing up next:Davidand Lea discuss existentialism and

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50:29

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: What is the Free...

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/11

In the latest episode of our series about different ideas of freedom David and Lea explore what makes the free market free – and where it fails.How does buying and selling stuff advance human freedom?What does the free market free us from?And is it really possible to be free in a world dominated by credit and debt?Sign up now for PPF+ to get bonusepisodesand ad-free listeningwww.ppfideas.comNext on the History of Freedom: Anarchism and Nihilism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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53:57

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Kant, Enlightenment...

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/07

In thisepisodein our series about ideas of freedom David and Lea explore Immanuel Kant’s vision of rational freedom and perpetual peace.Why was Kant so sure that human reason would produce enlightened progress?Was he right?What are the obstacles likely to derail the advance of peace, then and now?How well do his arguments about free speech and free expression hold up in the age of the internet?Sign up now for PPF+ to get bonusepisodesand ad-free listeningwww.ppfideas.comComing up next on the History

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49:45

The History of Freedom w/ Lea Ypi: Machiavelli and...

Past Present Future ·

2024/04/04

History of Freedom w/ Lea Ypi:Machiavelli and Political LibertyFor the thirdepisodein our series about ideas of freedom David and Lea discuss Machiavelli, republicanism and what it means to live in a free state.What are the institutions that can protect people from domination and exploitation?How can political elites be held to account?Where are human beings most likely to find themselves at the mercy of others – and what can be done to help them escape?Sign up now for PPF+ to get bonusepisodesand

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53:51

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: The Ancients -...

Past Present Future ·

2024/03/31

In episode two of our new series David and Lea explore some ancient ideas of freedom and ask what they mean today.What can Socrates teach us about the nature of free inquiry and the pitfalls of democratic freedom?Is Stoicism a guide to emancipation from desire or an exercise in selfishness?And how did Christianity upend the notion of freedom by annexing it to ideas of salvation and love?A conversation about dissent, self-knowledge and faith.Sign up now for PPF+ to get ad-free listening and bonus

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55:51

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Why Does It Matter?

Past Present Future ·

2024/03/28

In the first episode of our new series about the history of freedom, David and Lea discuss what the idea means to them and why it matters so much.What did freedom mean to Lea growing up in communist Albania?Is it possible to know true freedom without also having experienced oppression?And how is being free different from being lucky?Subscribe now to PPF+ to get bonus episodes and ad-free listening for this and all future series. Just go to www.ppfideas.com.Coming up next on the History of Freedom:

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1:38

Introducing PPF+

Past Present Future ·

2024/03/27

Sign up now for bonus episodes and ad-free listening – and help support the podcast.www.ppfideas.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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57:13

American Elections: 2008

Past Present Future ·

2024/03/24

For our final episode in this series, David and Gary discuss the election of 2008, which saw Barack Obama’s extraordinary ascent to the presidency.How did he outthink and outmanoeuvre Hilary Clinton?What role did the financial crisis play in his path to the White House?And was it really the vice-presidential candidates in this election who pointed the way to America’s political future?To sign up for our free fortnightly newsletter to accompany this and future series, just click on the top link in

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48:42

American Elections: 1980

Past Present Future ·

2024/03/21

Our series on the Ideas Behind American Elections has reached 1980 and the election of Ronald Reagan.David and Gary discuss whether Jimmy Carter was always doomed, what made Reaganomics different and how Reagan succeeded in being an optimist and a scaremonger at the same time.Did this election really inaugurate a new era in American politics – and if so, are we still living in it?To sign up for our free fortnightly newsletter to accompany this and future series, just click on the top link in our

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48:12

American Election: 1936

Past Present Future ·

2024/03/17

The election of 1936 saw FDR re-elected in a landslide.It was also an election in which fundamental questions about the future direction of America were at stake.David and Gary discuss what made it a turning point for American democracy and ultimately for the wider world.Could the power of the Supreme Court be tamed?What was the true nature of economic freedom?And what threatened the New Deal - dissent at home or looming dangers abroad?To sign up for our free fortnightly newsletter to accompany this

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