Edmund and Benjamin discuss Tocqueville. They discuss his thoughts on both America and France, his contributions on civic education, civil society, equality, liberty, and so much more.

Alexis de Tocqueville

Alex and Benjamin discuss Slavoj Žižek's concept of ideology, his version of materialism, and the role ritual plays in his thought.

Žižek and the Politics of Ideology

Alex and Benjamin discuss John Maynard Keynes through a political theory lens. They hone in on Keynes' strategy for saving capitalism, his impact on interwar Marxism, his use of J.A. Hobson's theory of imperialism, and more.

John Maynard Keynes as a Political Theorist

Drawing on the work of G.E.M. de Ste. Croix, Peter Temin, and Walter Scheidel, Alex and Benjamin dig into the economy of the Roman Empire. They explore the role of markets, the level of social mobility, whether a core/periphery model applies, and the influence of contemporary concerns on Roman historiography.

The Roman Economy

Alex and Benjamin bring on Doug Lain to talk about free speech in the 21st century. Doug offers his take on why free speech matters, and we discuss the political economy of speech and the role the state and civil society play in shaping public discussion. They also discuss his critique of Noam Chomsky and his interest in the work of Guy Debord.

Free Speech with Doug Lain

Alex and Benjamin kick off a series on French political thought in the second half of the 20th century with an episode on ideology and power.

Althusser & Foucault, Ideology & Power

Alex and Benjamin explore the agonistic political thought of Deleuze and Guattari, focusing especially on their ideas about territory, change, and flow.

Deleuze & Guattari

Alex and Benjamin discuss Jean-François Lyotard's critique of Marxism, his "evil book," intersections between politics, art, and science, and how Lyotard answered the charge of relativism.

Lyotard

Alex and Benjamin discuss Laclau's socialist strategy, populism, empty signifiers, and the relationship between Laclau's socialism and Marxism.

Laclau

Alex and Benjamin explore a debate G.K. Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw had a century ago concerning political economy, then we dive into their political writings.

G.K. Chesterton & G.B. Shaw as Political Theorists

Alex and Benjamin talk about the explosion of monasteries in late antiquity. As it turns out, withdrawing from politics can be yet another way of trying to do politics.

Monks in the City

Alex and Benjamin talk about 18th century German philosopher Christian Wolff. Wolff suggested that there are reasons behind our motivations. Even a soldier who deserts his post is motivated to desert for a reason. Does that mean that rebels are motivated to rebel for reasons? And when two states are motivated to war with one another, does that mean that they both have reasons to go to war?

Christian Wolff

Alex and Benjamin delve into Habermas' notions of the public sphere, legitimacy, and communication. They also discuss postmetaphysical thinking.

Habermas

Alex and Benjamin explore post-political themes in Haruki Murakami's rat tetralogy.

Murakami and Political Despair

We explore the methodological contributions of the late historian of political thought, John Pocock. We talk about the role of language and context in interpreting texts, distinctions between "history" and "philosophy," and the implications of these methodological shifts for the political economy of the university.

Pocock & History in Political Theory

Alex and Benjamin discuss the Roman persecution of the Christians - why the Romans did it, how the Christians responded to it, and the ways the experience shaped Christian political thought going forward.

Tertullian

Alex and Benjamin discuss Terry Eagleton's work, focusing on interactions between religion and Marxism in the context of the "end of history" - the 1990s and beyond.

Terry Eagleton

Alex and Benjamin explore the history of political thought from the point of view of Bastiat - who threw many ancient and enlightenment thinkers together into the basket of plunderers. If we think we come from God whole and complete, the need for civic education falls away...

Frédéric Bastiat

Benjamin Studebaker and Edmund Wilson welcome you to a new series about the history of political thought and some of the people who have contributed to it.

Welcome to Political Theory 101

Benjamin and Edmund discuss why both Hobbes and Plato think the state is necessary, comparing and contrasting the two along the way.

Hobbes, Plato, and the Rise of the State

Benjamin and Edmund discuss the ancient zero-sum conception of liberty, attempts by later political theorists to universalise it, and some of the ways understandings of liberty have changed to accommodate that.

Draws most heavily on Aristotle's "Politics" and Constant's "The Liberty of the Ancients Compared With That of the Moderns" and "Adolphe".

Aristotle, Constant, and the Distribution of Time

Edmund and Benjamin discuss the role of charismatic leaders in politics in the Roman Empire, interwar Germany, and more recently.

Caesar, Weber, and the Power of Charisma

Raeffe Gibson joins Benjamin and Edmund to discuss the idea that states need to be unified around common values.

Augustine, Schmitt, and Political Theology (w/Raeffe Gibson)

Edmund and Benjamin discuss the many different origin stories of inequality, drawing on Catharine MacKinnon and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Edmund on power:
https://edmundjwilson.com/2019/11/01/on-power-tech-the-state-and-class/

Benjamin on Yang:
https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2019/08/14/andrew-yang-is-playing-hide-and-seek-with-the-left-press/

MacKinnon, Rousseau, and the Origins of Inequality

Edmund and Benjamin return from the winter vac to talk about what happens when markets are depoliticised.

Rawls, Hayek, and Liberalism's Relationship with the Market

Edmund and Benjamin dig into Roman history, focusing on shifts in the legitimation stories as the republic becomes an empire. They discuss the evolution of the Platonic academy in the Roman period and spend some time with Stoicism.

https://www.patreon.com/politicaltheory101

Cicero, Seneca, and the Transition from Republic to Empire

Edmund and Benjamin discuss the four schools of international relations theory--realism, liberalism, Marxism, and constructivism. They consider the influence of materialism and idealism on the schools, along with the role of domestic politics and international institutions. Featuring Benjamin's John Mearsheimer impression.

https://www.patreon.com/politicaltheory101

Mearsheimer, Wendt, and International Relations Theory

Edmund and Benjamin discuss theories of crisis, comparing Reinhart Koselleck's old-school theory to more recent contributions from Andrew Gamble and Wolfgang Streeck. They also chat about 20th century crises and how our crisis today is a bit different. This is the first in a three part series on "Legitimacy Crises".

https://www.patreon.com/politicaltheory101

Gamble, Streeck, and Theories of Crisis

Edmund and Benjamin discuss Marx's theory of history, positioning Marx in relation to his German predecessors and to some of the Marxists that follow him. The Greeks make an appearance, too.

Marx and Materialism

Edmund and Benjamin put Marx's theory of alienation into conversation with Durkheim's theory of anomie, examining how we can't live with social roles or without them. This leads to a discussion of how social roles are reified, via Lukacs.

Durkheim and Lukacs on Alienation, Anomie, and Reification

A podcast about political theory. Freely available to all, but we'd love your support on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/politicaltheory101

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Political Theory 101

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