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: Eugenics
For the first episode in our new series about the hold of bad ideas David talks to the geneticist and science broadcaster Adam Rutherford about eugenics: from its origins in the 19th century through …
00:57:54 |
Thu 25 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Liberation Movements
In our final episode David and Lea discuss liberation movements, from post-colonial liberation to women’s liberation, gay liberation and animal liberation. What, if anything, do these movements have …
00:58:34 |
Sun 21 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Existentialism and Psychoanalysis
In the penultimate episode in this series David and Lea discuss two twentieth-century philosophies of freedom and the human psyche. What can existentialism teach us about the nature of free choice un…
00:53:53 |
Thu 18 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Anarchism and Nihilism
In our series about different ideas of freedom David and Lea have reached anarchism and nihilism. What is the positive vision of human freedom behind the anarchist rejection of the established order?…
00:52:44 |
Sun 14 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: What is the Free Market?
In the latest episode of our series about different ideas of freedom David and Lea explore what makes the free market free – and where it fails. How does buying and selling stuff advance human freedo…
00:52:59 |
Thu 11 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Kant, Enlightenment and Peace
In this episode in our series about ideas of freedom David and Lea explore Immanuel Kant’s vision of rational freedom and perpetual peace. Why was Kant so sure that human reason would produce enlight…
00:56:27 |
Sun 07 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/ Lea Ypi: Machiavelli and Political Liberty
History of Freedom w/ Lea Ypi: Machiavelli and Political Liberty
For the third episode in our series about ideas of freedom David and Lea discuss Machiavelli, republicanism and what it means to live …
00:52:15 |
Thu 04 Apr 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: The Ancients - Socrates, Seneca & Jesus
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 demo…
00:56:21 |
Sun 31 Mar 2024
The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: Why Does It Matter?
In the first episode of our new series about the history of freedom, David and Lea discuss what the idea means to them and why it matters so much. What did freedom mean to Lea growing up in communist…
00:58:21 |
Thu 28 Mar 2024
Introducing PPF+
Sign up now for bonus episodes and ad-free listening – and help support the podcast.
www.ppfideas.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. …
00:03:08 |
Wed 27 Mar 2024
American Elections: 2008
For our final episode in this series, David and Gary discuss the election of 2008, which saw Barack Obama’s extraordinary ascent to the presidency. How did he outthink and outmanoeuvre Hilary Clinton…
00:59:43 |
Sun 24 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1980
Our series on the Ideas Behind American Elections has reached 1980 and the election of Ronald Reagan. David and Gary discuss whether Jimmy Carter was always doomed, what made Reaganomics different an…
00:51:12 |
Thu 21 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1936
The election of 1936 saw FDR re-elected in a landslide. It was also an election in which fundamental questions about the future direction of America were at stake. David and Gary discuss what made it…
00:50:42 |
Sun 17 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1912
We’ve reached the twentieth century and today’s episode is about the decisive election of 1912. David and Gary discuss the year when the Republicans split, the Democrats recaptured the White House af…
00:48:23 |
Thu 14 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1896
This episode in our series on the Ideas Behind American Elections looks at 1896, when a single speech nearly upended American politics. The speech was William Jennings Bryan’s ‘Cross of Gold’ address…
00:54:18 |
Sun 10 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1860
In the third episode in our series on the Ideas Behind American Elections David and Gary talk about what was maybe the most significant election of all: 1860, when Lincoln became president and the co…
01:00:37 |
Thu 07 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1828
For the second episode in our new series on the Ideas Behind American Elections, David and Gary discuss 1828: the first great populist election, which saw the arrival of Andrew Jackson and a new styl…
00:53:56 |
Sun 03 Mar 2024
American Elections: 1800
In the first episode of our new series on the Ideas Behind American Elections, David and historian Gary Gerstle explore the presidential contest of 1800: scurrilous, complicated, game changing. How d…
00:57:37 |
Thu 29 Feb 2024
Q & A: Shakespeare, Gulliver and Trump
In an extra episode this week David answers your questions about the most recent series of the History of Ideas - in particular about the political lessons of Gulliver’s Travels, for its own time and…
00:45:47 |
Sun 25 Feb 2024
The Great Political Fictions: Fathers and Sons
This week’s Great Political Fiction is Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons (1862), the definitive novel about the politics – and emotions – of intergenerational conflict. How did Turgenev manage to writ…
00:56:24 |
Thu 22 Feb 2024
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of D&HR Media Ltd. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.