Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchPolitics on Trial: The Haymarket Eight vs the Police
Season 13 Episode 208
Today’s political trial is one of the most notorious in American history: eight men charged with and convicted of murder in 1886 for a terrorist outrage that none of them committed. A bomb had been t…
Published on 1 month ago
Politics on Trial: John Brown vs Slavery
Season 13 Episode 207
Today’s great political trial concerns the prosecution and execution of John Brown in 1859 for his raid on Harper’s Ferry in the attempt to free America’s slaves, an event that helped precipitate the…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Politics on Trial: Aaron Burr vs the Constitution
Season 13 Episode 206
For today’s epic political trial, David talks to American historian and PPF regular Gary Gerstle about the treason trial of Aaron Burr in 1807. Why was Burr not put on trial for killing Alexander Ham…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Politics on Trial: Louis XVI vs the People
Season 13 Episode 205
Today’s epoch-making political trial concerns the interrogation, conviction and execution of Louis XVI at the heart of the French Revolution in 1792-3. For many at the time and since this event had p…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Politics on Trial: Warren Hastings vs the British Empire
Season 13 Episode 204
To start our new instalment of episodes about the most consequential political trials in history David explores the trial of the eighteenth century: the impeachment of Warren Hastings that ran in the…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
The History of Bad Ideas: Identity
Season 5 Episode 203
For the final episode in our current series on the history of bad ideas, David talks to philosopher Alexander Douglas about the damage that can be done by the idea of identity. Why is the search for …
Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago
The History of Bad Ideas: Behaviourism
Season 5 Episode 202
In today’s episode of the history of bad ideas, David talks to political philosopher Alan Finlayson about behaviourism, a theory of psychology that has penetrated to the heart of politics. How did we…
Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago
The History of Bad Ideas: Polycrisis
Season 5 Episode 201
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 …
Published on 1 month, 4 weeks ago
The History of Bad Ideas: Value-Free Tech
Season 5 Episode 200
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 …
Published on 2 months ago
The History of Bad Ideas: Monopoly
Season 5 Episode 199
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…
Published on 2 months ago