TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Good in Theory: A Political Philosophy Podcast

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47 episodes
2020 to 2023
Median: 44 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

This podcast uses political philosophy and the history of ideas to interpret political life, with a particular emphasis on making classic texts and influential arguments accessible without requiring prior background. Much of the discussion centers on ancient Greek political thought and institutions, especially Plato and the political world that shaped him. Through extended engagement with works like Plato’s dialogues, the show explores perennial problems such as what justice is, why people should be moral, how education forms citizens, and how different regimes shape character and desire. Ancient Athens and Sparta also serve as recurring reference points for thinking about democracy, freedom, equality, militarism, and the role of slavery and class conflict in celebrated political orders.

Alongside canonical theory, the podcast frequently connects philosophical frameworks to contemporary issues in liberal democracies. Topics include competing diagnoses of the modern world order after the Cold War; arguments about whether liberal democracy is stable or desirable; and debates over speech, inquiry, and how politics influences how people think and argue. Several conversations focus on power and domination outside the state, such as in workplaces and in meritocratic institutions, and on how economic class and elite professional culture reproduce inequality.

The show also examines ethical theory and moral psychology through thought experiments and debates about what people owe to others, how to evaluate harmful or “harmless” actions, and how emotion, luck, and social meaning affect moral judgment. Other episodes extend political theory into culture and technology, considering how rhetoric works (and fails) in modern politics, how mass media and storytelling transmit moral norms, and how digital platforms can shape human desire and social life. Interviews and crossovers with academics and other podcasters add perspectives on war and the idea of “humane” violence, civilizational conflict narratives, and interpretive approaches to difficult philosophical texts. Overall, the series blends close reading of major thinkers with applications to institutions, conflicts, and cultural forces that structure modern political experience.

Episodes:

46 - Athenian democracy and Plato w/ Graham Culbertson (Everyday Anarchism Podcast) 2023-May-11 64 minutes

45 - Humane War feat. Samuel Moyn 2022-Sep-05 65 minutes

44 - Samuel Huntington "The Clash of Civilizations?" 2022-Aug-17 36 minutes

43 - Tyranny at Work feat. Elizabeth Anderson 2022-Jun-06 54 minutes

42 - The New Aristocracy feat. Matthew Stewart 2022-May-02 54 minutes

41 - Love in the Time of Big Data feat. Alfie Bown 2022-Apr-18 58 minutes

40 - Is Liberal Democracy the Best We Can Do? feat. The Morality of Everyday Things 2022-Feb-08 74 minutes

39 - The Glorious History and Ugly Present of Rhetoric feat. Rob Goodman 2022-Jan-24 73 minutes

38 - GiT Holiday Special with Sep 2021-Dec-26 39 minutes

37 - Thought Lab 4: The Psychology of Horror 2021-Oct-28 36 minutes

36 - Moral Saints 2: Why Be a Saint? 2021-Oct-12 33 minutes

35 - Susan Wolf, “Moral Saints” 2021-Sep-28 26 minutes

34 - The Esoteric Plato feat. Earl Fontainelle 2021-Sep-13 88 minutes

33 - The End of the End of History feat. Philip Cunliffe and George Hoare 2021-Aug-30 65 minutes

32 - Fukuyama’s “The End of History?” 2021-Aug-17 27 minutes

31 - Thought Lab 3: Utilitarianism & the Great Spreadsheet 2021-Aug-02 47 minutes

30 - Plato's Republic 13: Choose Yourself 2021-Jul-19 33 minutes

29 - Plato's Republic 12: Poetic Sweet Tooth 2021-Jul-05 45 minutes

28 - Plato's Republic 11: A Tyrant's Life 2021-Jun-19 36 minutes

27 - Plato's Republic 10: Degenerate Cities, Degenerate Souls 2021-Jun-07 49 minutes

26 - Plato's Republic 9: Horny for the Good 2021-May-14 55 minutes

25 - Thought Lab 2: Tainted Art and Moral Luck 2021-Apr-19 54 minutes

24 - Plato's Republic 8: The Philosopher Kings 2021-Mar-29 43 minutes

23 - Plato’s Republic 7: Socratic Family Values 2021-Mar-16 33 minutes

22 - Thought Lab 1: The Dead Chicken Experiment 2021-Mar-01 44 minutes

21 - GiT Valentine's Day Special: Rousseau and Romance Past 2021-Feb-15 62 minutes

20 - Do Free Markets Make Free Humans? Interview with Jeffrey Bercuson 2021-Jan-18 76 minutes

19 - Granny Gore to Girl Power: Naomi Hamer on the History of Fairy Tales 2021-Jan-04 61 minutes

18 - GiT Xmas movie special with Sep 2020-Dec-21 49 minutes

17 - Plato's Republic 6: How to be a Good Person 2020-Dec-07 45 minutes

16 - Plato's Republic 5: Lies, Noble Lies and Gymnastics 2020-Nov-16 43 minutes

15 - Interview: politics v. philosophy with Agnes Callard 2020-Nov-02 42 minutes

14 - Plato's Republic 4: Myths 4 KidZ 2020-Oct-19 37 minutes

13 - Plato’s Republic 3: City of Pigs, Army of Dogs 2020-Oct-05 41 minutes

12 - Interview: Paul Sagar, what's your problem with Plato? 2020-Sep-21 19 minutes

11 - Plato's Republic 2: Good to be Bad 2020-Sep-21 34 minutes

10 - Plato's Republic 1: Justice for Beginners 2020-Sep-07 34 minutes

9 - Athens: Ahoy Polloi! 2020-Aug-11 53 minutes

8 - Sparta: Killer Beehive 2020-Jul-21 45 minutes

7 - Interview: Rebecca Goldstein 2020-Jul-13 62 minutes

6 - The Polis: Freedom Farms, Phalanxes and Class War 2020-Jul-06 32 minutes

5 - Plato’s Apology 5: The Apology of Athens 2020-Jun-22 37 minutes

4 - Plato's Apology 4: Your Brain On Politics 2020-Jun-08 51 minutes

3 - Plato's Apology 3: Not-So-Dangerous Minds 2020-May-25 33 minutes

2 - Plato’s Apology 2: Free Speech Hero? 2020-May-11 39 minutes

1 - Plato's Apology 1: The Divine Troll 2020-May-11 41 minutes

Trailer 2020-May-04 1 minute