Roots and Branches

Political theorist Melissa Lane talks about constitutionalism in Plato’s philosophy and how his differentiation between ‘ruling’ and ‘holding office’ can help governments rule for the good of the people.   Melissa is Class of 1943 Professor of Politics at Princeton University. She has published extensively on ancient Greek political thought and its modern significance. 📚 REFERENCES Meli...

Political philosopher and peace activist Ramin Jahanbegloo discusses Persian mysticism, liberalism and tyranny and how a comparison between the Ancient Greeks and Persians might help understand the struggle for political and cultural freedom in Iran today. 📚 REFERENCES Jahanbegloo, Ramin, The Idea of Persia: A Philosophical Enquiry (Gingko Library, 2025) Ramin Jahanbegloo Mohammad Ali Foroug...

Political economist Andrea Capussela discusses how a republican conception of freedom and Schumpeter’s idea of ‘creative destruction’ can converge to foster economic reform and innovation. After working in Mergers & Acquisitions, Andrea became Head of the Economics Unit of Kosovo’s International Civilian Office in 2008 and later adviser to Moldova’s Minister of Economy. He has spent the last t...

Along the case of Kenya’s “Migrated Archives” Dr Riley Linebaugh illustrates how questions of archival custody shape justice, memory, and public life, how they relate to W. E. B. Du Bois’ “colour line” and why archival accessibility is a vital asset for democracy. 📚 REFERENCES Riley Linebaugh.  Curating the Colonial Past: The ‘Migrated Archives' and the Struggle for Kenya's History&nbsp...

Public intellectual Quentin Skinner discusses his view on liberty, how freedom relates to democracy, and whether there are limits to liberty in representative government. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of the Cambridge School of the History of Political Thought. 📚 REFERENCES Quentin Skinner,  Liberty as Independence: The Making and Unmaking of a Political Ideal  (Cambridge U...

Patricia Owens (University of Oxford) explores how the gender binary shaped the production and reception of international thought, what recovering overlooked voices means for present-day international relations and how centring historically marginalised perspectives alters theory and practice in the field.  📚 REFERENCES Owens, Patricia. 2025.  Erased: A History of Internationa...

Apeike Umolu  (University of Cambridge) talks about panafricanism, patriotism and time and what these ideas have to do with the call for reparations and the policies of the African Union today.  📚 REFERENCES Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi. 2022.  Against Decolonisation: Taking African Agency Seriously.  London: Hurst Publishers. Apeike Umolu: https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/people/apeik...

Intellectual Historian Richard Whatmore (University of St Andrews) explains why the Enlightenment, 18th century republicanism and the history of free states matter for today’s global politics. 📚 REFERENCES Whatmore, Richard. 2023. The End of Enlightenment: Empire, Commerce, Crisis. London: Allen Lane. Whatmore, Richard. When Liberty Dies: Fanaticism, Free States and the Future. Forthcoming with A...

Welcome to  Roots and Branches , the ideas podcast from the Institute of Intellectual History at the University of St Andrews. Host  Selma Sondern  explains what Intellectual History is, why it matters, and what to expect when we launch on 1 July 2025 with Prof Richard Whatmore. 🔗 LINKS • Show page ↗  http://www.intellectualhistory.net/roots-and-branches • Follow on Insta...