Portraits of Liberty

For a long time, the word democracy was synonymous with anarchy due to the horror stories of ancient Athenian democracy. The self-taught polymath and enthusiastic democrat George Grote rehabilitated democracy by arguing that Athens, the birthplace of democracy, was a vibrant and liberal society. Grote was no mere academic; he was also on the frontline for the fight for democratic rights such as the secret ballot and a more inclusive voting system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discussions of monarchy and hierarchy usually dominate medieval political thought. The 14-century thinker Marsilius of Padua breaks with his contemporaries arguing the church and state should be separate entities and that laws should be based on the consent and common good of all. Despite being a medieval mind, Marsilius has a distinctly modern voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite his obscurity, François Poullain de la Barre is a philosopher who thought beyond the constraints of his time. In 17th-century France Poullain articulated a case for gender equality. His proposal was so radical few took it seriously at the time. Poullain is still relevant today for his analysis of how oppression is “justified” and how to unlearn prejudices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the harsh realities of 18th-century criminal law, where minor offenses led to severe punishments and judges wielded unchecked power. Explore the revolutionary ideas of Cesare Beccaria, who advocated for a system focused on deterrence rather than retribution. Dive into his strong opposition to the death penalty and torture, revealing how his influential essay sparked reform across Europe and America. Learn how his vision continues to shape modern legal frameworks today.

Between 1720-1723 in England, a popular weekly pamphlet became a thorn in the government's side for viciously criticizing the corruption and greed of politicians. This pamphlet was known as Cato's Letters, written by John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon consisted of over a hundred "letters" on topics such as freedom of speech, religious toleration, the benefits of liberty, and the right to resist tyrannical governments. Their writings became extremely popular not only in England but also in America. Throughout the American Revolution Cato's Letters were quoted as an esteemed authority of the nature of freedom and the nightmare of tyranny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medieval feminism sounds like an oxymoron. The medieval ages inherited a caustic tradition of misogyny from the ancient world. The 15th-century writer Christine de Pisan argued in her work The City of Ladies that the ideas of both her predecessors and contemporaries were delusional. Pisan explained the inherent equality between men and women. For Pisan, both sexes had a capacity for virtue, and both ought to be educated in the same manner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.