The Scale of Democracy and Nationalism

The podcast explores the scale at which democracy can effectively function, referencing the classical Greek idea of citizen participation but acknowledging the limitations of scaling it up to modern levels of national politics. It discusses how the concept of the nation emerged as a construct to mobilize and unite people beyond regional differences, emphasizing its role in anti-monarchist movements and the fight against imperial powers. The podcast questions whether the idea of the nation is inherently stable or fragile, and explores different historical perspectives on democracy, including Plato's anti-democratic stance and Aristotle's belief in the wisdom of crowds.