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.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 56 minutes
- Episodes
- 235
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Polycrisis
Today’s bad idea is one with a short history but a big reach: the term polycrisis only came into being at the end of the last century but now it seems to be everywhere. David talks to historian Gary …
00:59:10 |
Thu 10 Jul 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Value-Free Tech
For today’s episode in the history of bad ideas David talks to philosopher Shannon Vallor about the myth that technology can be value free. It’s easy to see why Silicon Valley is so keen on the idea …
01:01:03 |
Sun 06 Jul 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Monopoly
For today’s episode in the history of bad ideas David talks to economic historian Marc Palen about monopoly, an idea that has always had its defenders as well as its fierce critics. Why do monopolies…
00:57:11 |
Thu 03 Jul 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Meritocracy
Today’s bad idea is one that started out as satire and ended as a political slogan. David talks to historian of ideas Ben Jackson about meritocracy and its origins in Michael Young’s book The Rise of…
01:01:59 |
Sun 29 Jun 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Charisma
For today’s episode in the history of bad ideas David talks to cultural historian Tom Wright about charisma, a term that often feels essential for understanding modern politics but which ends up obsc…
00:59:41 |
Thu 26 Jun 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: The Decisive Battle
In today’s episode about the power of bad ideas, David talks to historian and podcaster Dan Snow about the myth that wars are settled on the battlefield. Why are we so drawn to the idea of the decisi…
01:00:07 |
Sun 22 Jun 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Genius
Today’s bad idea is ‘genius’, the label that has enabled all sorts of terrible behaviour through the ages. Writer and broadcaster Helen Lewis explains how and why the idea of genius gets misapplied t…
00:56:07 |
Thu 19 Jun 2025
The History of Bad Ideas: Austerity
For the first episode in our new series about how bad ideas take hold, David talks to economist Mark Blyth about austerity, the cost-cutting idea that refuses to die. Why is it an article of faith th…
00:58:36 |
Sun 15 Jun 2025
Politics on Trial: Charles I vs Parliament
Today’s political trial is perhaps the most consequential in English history: the trial and execution of King Charles I for treason in January 1649. How could a king commit treason when treason was a…
01:02:40 |
Thu 12 Jun 2025
Politics on Trial: Galileo vs the Inquisition
Today’s trial is one of the most notorious in history but also one of the most misremembered. Galileo’s epic confrontation with the Catholic Church over the question of whether the earth moves round …
01:04:43 |
Sun 08 Jun 2025
50th Anniversary Special: The 1975 European Referendum w/Robert Saunders
Today’s episode is about a pivotal event in British history that took place exactly 50 years ago: the 1975 referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Community. David talks to historian Rober…
01:00:17 |
Thu 05 Jun 2025
Politics on Trial: Mary Queen of Scots vs the Secret State
In today’s episode an extraordinary political trial that culminated in the execution of one queen at the behest of another: Mary Queen of Scots, convicted of treason in 1586 and beheaded in 1587. But…
00:54:42 |
Sun 01 Jun 2025
Politics on Trial: Thomas More vs the King
In today’s episode another trial that forms the basis for great drama: the case of Thomas More, tried and executed in 1535, events dramatised by Robert Bolt in A Man for All Seasons and Hilary Mantel…
00:57:14 |
Thu 29 May 2025
Politics on Trial: Joan of Arc vs the Church
Today’s political trial took place in 1431 though it was still being re-litigated right through to the twentieth century: the case of Joan of Arc, charged with heresy by the Church and burned at the …
01:00:01 |
Sun 25 May 2025
Politics on Trial: Socrates vs Democracy
The first political trial in our new series is the one that set the template for all the others: the trial of Socrates in Athens in 399 BCE, which ended with a death sentence for the philosopher and …
00:53:57 |
Thu 22 May 2025
Politics on Trial: A History of Lawfare
To introduce our new series about historic political trials – from Socrates to Marine Le Pen – David explores what makes political confrontations in a court of law so fascinating and so revealing. Wh…
00:51:06 |
Sun 18 May 2025
Ideas of Globalisation: What’s Gone Wrong? w/Dani Rodrik
For the final episode in this series David talks to the leading economist Dani Rodrik about the case he made in the early 2000s that globalisation was unsustainable in its current form. How does he t…
00:53:05 |
Thu 15 May 2025
Ideas of Globalisation: The Crisis of the 1970s (and Trump!)
David talks to historian Meg Jacobs about how the 1970s changed everything for America’s understanding of its place in the global economy. How did first the Nixon Shock and then the Oil Shock reshape…
01:03:18 |
Sun 11 May 2025
Ideas of Globalisation: Central Banks vs the People (and Trump!)
Today David talks to political and economic theorist Leah Downey about the role that central banks in general – and the Federal Reserve in particular – have played in the story of globalisation. How …
00:55:53 |
Thu 08 May 2025
Ideas of Globalisation: Hoover and Smoot-Hawley (and Trump!)
David talks to historian Gary Gerstle about the last time the Republican party got caught up in a tariffs disaster and how it changed American politics. The Smoot-Hawley Act of 1930 brought tariffs b…
01:01:00 |
Sun 04 May 2025
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