logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
56m 21s

The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: The An...

David Runciman
About this episode
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 i ... Show More
Up next
Today
The History of Bad Ideas: Celebrity
David talks to historian and broadcaster Greg Jenner about the surprising history of the idea of celebrity, from Roman generals to 18th-century child stars to contemporary pop culture icons. How is celebrity different from fame or renown? What makes celebrity so seductive, so per ... Show More
1h 8m
Jul 15
The History of Bad Ideas: Deliverism
Today’s episode is about a bad idea with a very recent history: David talks to political historian David Klemperer about the dangers of deliverism. When did the view that delivering for the voters is a good idea become so controversial? What does it get right and what does it get ... Show More
56m 57s
Jul 12
The History of Bad Ideas: Narrative History
Today’s bad idea is a way of doing history: David talks to historian Alec Ryrie about the seductions and pitfalls of narrative history. Why do we need more Herodotus and less Thucydides? What makes so many historians believe that the meaning of a story is determined by its end? H ... Show More
56m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Virtue Ethics and The Quest for Character
<p>Massimo Pigliucci, philosophy professor and author, joins Breht once again, this time to discuss his newest book <em><a href= "https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/massimo-pigliucci/the-quest-for-character/9781541646957/"> "The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and ... Show More
1h 5m
Oct 2021
Freedom
Freedom: Laurie Taylor explores an unruly & disputed concept. Annelien de Dijn, Professor of Modern Political History at Utrecht University, asks how it came to be identified with limited government. Does our view of freedom owe more to the enemies of democracy than the liberty l ... Show More
28m 12s
Aug 2023
Episode #187 ... How much freedom would you trade for security? (Foucault, Hobbes, Mill, Agamben)
On today's episode we talk about the upsides of a surveillance state. The ongoing social dilemma of freedom vs security. The value of privacy. States of exception. And Deleuze's Postscript on Societies of Control. Get more: Website: https://www.philosophizethis.org/ Patreon: http ... Show More
37m 14s
Dec 2023
What Would Socrates Do?
<p>Humans have wrestled with questions about identity and purpose for millennia. So it’s no surprise that the insights of people who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago have stood the test of time. This week, philosopher Tamar Gendler explores how three great thinkers f ... Show More
50m 27s
Aug 2017
#92 — The Limits of Persuasion
Sam Harris speaks with David Pizarro and Tamler Sommers about free speech on campus, the Scott Adams podcast, the failings of the mainstream media, moral persuasion, moral certainty, the ethics of abortion, Buddhism, the illusion of the self, and other topics. If the Making Sense ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2023
Episode #190 ... Are emotions a waste of time? - Neo-Stoicism (Martha Nussbaum)
Today we talk about the lessons found in the ancient Greek play titled Hecuba. We talk about the great Stoic ethicists Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. We talk about Martha Nussbaum and her work looking to infuse classical Stoic ideas with all that we've learned in the scie ... Show More
31m 33s
Feb 2023
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle and Plato ICYMI
The Greek thinker Socrates was put to death for encouraging his students to question everything - from their own beliefs to the laws and customs of Athenian society. But his ideas didn't die with him.  Here's a chance to hear two episodes from our archive examining the legacy of ... Show More
56m 2s
May 2023
The Freedom of Speech
Book bans, disinformation, the wild world of the internet. Free speech debates are all around us. What were the Founding Fathers thinking when they created the First Amendment, and how have the words they wrote in the 18th century been stretched and shaped to fit a world they nev ... Show More
48m 52s
Sep 2022
Ep. 300: Nietzsche on Relating to History (Part One)
tail spinning
44m 1s
Apr 2023
Bitesize Ep 57 - The Great Debates: How to debate philosophical topics in English | Ft. Ben Marks
📝 Get FREE Episode Worksheet 🧐 Take English Level Test 👄 Improve Your Pronunciation Charlie invites the historian that lives down under back on to discuss various philosophical topics, including freedom, rules, lockdowns, and lying. They explore the idea of dreams feeling real ... Show More
25m 22s