Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS

Historian David Blight discusses Frederick Douglass's radical ideas on slavery, politics, and his autobiography. They explore Douglass's resistance, escaping slavery, connection with Charles Dickens, evolution into a political activist, and beliefs on representative politics.

Jeremy Bentham’s Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation is a definitive early statement of the basis of utilitarianism: how do we achieve the greatest happiness of the greatest number? David looks at Bentham’s rationale for this approach and the many criticisms it has faced. Bentham has often been accused of reducing politics to mechanical calculation and missing what really matters. But given the time in which he was writing, wasn’t the prioritisation of pleasure the most radical idea of all?Free online version of textRecommended version to purchaseGoing deeper…Philip Lucas and Anne Sheeran, ‘Asperger’s Syndrome and the Eccentricity and Genius of Jeremy Bentham’ (2006)Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish (1975) Thomas McMullan, ‘What does the panopticon mean in the age of digital surveillance?’, The Guardian (2015)(Audio) In Our Time, Utilitarianism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leo Damrosch, a leading expert on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, delves into Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality. He discusses how Rousseau critiques civilization's corrupting influence and outlines the historical progression toward societal inequality. Damrosch contrasts Rousseau's views on humanity with those of Hobbes, focusing on the shift from communal living to a society defined by wealth disparity. The conversation also touches on the artificial structures of modern existence and the need for authenticity in a world shaped by inequality.

We got lots and lots of excellent questions from listeners about the themes and ideas in this series of talks. In this extra episodeDavid will do his best to answer some of them, from Hobbes to Weber, and from Gandhi to feminism. Plus he talks about what's missing from this series and where we might start next time.Go to https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/history-of-ideas for the full collection of reading lists.Quentin Skinner on the state:(Video) Quentin Skinner, ‘What is the state? The question that will not go away’Orwell on Gandhi:https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/reflections-on-gandhi/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Fukuyama, a leading political scientist celebrated for his insights into liberal democracy, discusses the implications of his famous 'end of history' thesis. He examines the resilience and vulnerabilities of democracy today, particularly in the face of rising alternative political systems, notably from China. Fukuyama explores how recent global events and technological advancements challenge our understanding of human agency. He engagingly questions whether democracy can truly adapt and evolve in the current socio-political climate.

Catharine MacKinnon’s Toward a Feminist Theory of the State (1989) challenges two dominant ways of thinking about politics: liberalism, which wants to protect us from the power of the state, and Marxism, which wants to liberate us through the power of the state. What if neither is good enough to emancipate women? Mackinnon explains why patriarchal power permeates all forms of modern politics. Daviddiscusses what she thinks we can do about it.Recommended version to purchase: Catharine A. MacKinnon, Toward a feminist theory of the state (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989).Going Deeper:Lorna Finlayson in the LRB on Catharine MacKinnon, feminism, and the lawCatharine A. MacKinnon, Sexual harassment of working women: a case of sex discrimination (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1979).Drucilla Cornell, ‘Sexual difference, the feminine, and equivalency: a critique of MacKinnon’s Toward a feminist theory of the state’, Yale Law Journal, vol. 100, no. 7, article 12.The NYTimes on Catharine MacKinnon and sexual harassmentCatharine Mackinnon for The Atlantic on #MeToo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frantz Fanon, a psychiatrist renowned for his analysis of colonial violence, shares profound insights on the psychological impact of colonialism. He discusses how his experiences informed his revolutionary ideas in "The Wretched of the Earth." Fanon argues that violence may be vital for liberation, exposing the brutal truths of colonial oppression. The conversation also contrasts his views with those of Marx and examines Hobbesian state theory, providing a critical take on contemporary politics and the complexities of imperialism.

Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition (1958) is a remarkably prophetic book. At its heart is an analysis of the relationship between labour, work and action, set against a time of rapid technological change. Arendt worried about the power of computers, believed in the capacity of people to reinvent themselves through politics and despaired of the influence of Thomas Hobbes. Was she right?Recommended version to purchase: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo29137972.htmlGoing Deeper:James Miller in the LRB on Hannah ArendtHannah Arendt, The Origins of TotalitarianismHannah Arendt, Eichman in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of EvilIn Our Time on Hannah ArendtMatthew Beard for the Guardian, ‘With Robots, is a life without work one we’d want to live?’  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom (1944) was written during the Second World War but Hayek was really worried about what would come next. He feared that wartime planning would spill over into the peacetime economy and destroy hard won freedoms. David explores where Hayek’s fears came from and asks why he worried that democracy would only make the problem worse. He also considers what makes Hayek such a politically influential and divisive figure to this day.Free online version of the text:https://archive.org/details/TheRoadToSerfdom/page/n7/mode/2upRecommended version to purchase: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-road-to-serfdom/f-a-hayek/9780415253895Going Deeper: Geoffrey Hawthorn on Hayek and his overcoat for the LRB F.A. Hayek, ‘Individualism: True and False’ Andrew Gamble, Hayek: The iron cage of liberty (Cambridge: Polity Press, 1996)Stephen Metcalf in The Guardian, ‘Neoliberalism: The Idea that Swallowed the World’ Hayek vs. KeynesMatt Ridley, The rational optimist: how prosperity evolves (London: Fourth Estate 2011) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Weber’s The Profession and Vocation of Politics (1919) was a lecture that became one of the defining texts of twentieth century political thought. In it, Weber explores the perils and paradoxes of leadership in a modern state. Is it possible to do bad in order to do good? Can violence ever be virtuous? Does political responsibility send politicians mad? David discusses the legacy of Weber’s ideas and asks: who is the true Weberian politician?Free online version of the text: http://fs2.american.edu/dfagel/www/class%20readings/weber/politicsasavocation.pdfRecommended version to purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weber-Political-Writings-Cambridge-History/dp/0521397197Going Deeper:Geoffrey Hawthorn on Max Weber for the LRBJoachim Radkau, Max Weber (Polity, 2009)Talking Politics on ‘Politics as a Vocation’ with Jonathan PowellJan-Werner Müller, Contesting democracy: political ideas in twentieth century Europe (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2013)David for the LRB on Weber, Tony Blair, and the politics of good intentions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.