David Runciman on Confronting Leviathan

In the Shakespeare and Company podcast, Adam Biles interviews David Runciman, a professor and host of the History of Ideas podcast, about his book "Confronting Leviathan." Runciman discusses the book's origins in his university course and how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the power and contingency of the state. The conversation explores Hobbes's concept of the modern state, representation, and the desire to transcend conflict. They delve into Hobbes's ideas in relation to thinkers like Wollstonecraft, Tocqueville, Marx, and Fanon, discussing the tension between individual freedom and state control, the role of storytelling in politics, and the challenges faced by those excluded from the state's benefits. The discussion touches on the nature of political decision-making in the age of algorithms and artificial intelligence, and the importance of engaging with political ideas through literature.

Outlines

Part 1: Podcast Introduction and Context

Part 2: Hobbesian State

Part 3: Evolution of Political Thought

Part 4: Modern Challenges and Perspectives

Part 5: Conclusion

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The Shakespeare and Company Interview

Part 1: Podcast Introduction and Context

Introduction to the Shakespeare and Company Podcast and Ways to Support It

The State's Influence and the Genesis of "Confronting Leviathan"

Reactions to Lockdowns and Varying State Approaches

Part 2: Hobbesian State

Hobbes as the Starting Point for Understanding the Modern State

Reassessing Hobbes's Reputation and His Vision for Politics

The Primacy of Order and the State as an Automaton

The Impossibility of a Sudden Transition to a Hobbesian State

Part 3: Evolution of Political Thought

Hobbes's Influence on Subsequent Thinkers and the Liberal Idea of Freedom from Politics

Could Hobbes's Sovereign Be a Woman? Wollstonecraft's Challenge to Rationality

The Individual vs. the Collective and the Desire for Privacy

Varying Perspectives on What People Are Willing to Give Up and Tocqueville's Analysis of American Democracy

Part 4: Modern Challenges and Perspectives

Territory, Ideology, and the Role of the Sovereign

Artificial Intelligence and the Nature of Political Decisions

Fanon and the Perspective of Those Excluded from the State

Part 5: Conclusion

The Beauty of Political Texts and the Power of Storytelling

David Runciman on Confronting Leviathan

The Shakespeare and Company Interview

Part 1: Podcast Introduction and Context

00:03Introduction to the Shakespeare and Company Podcast and Ways to Support It

Introduction to the Shakespeare and Company Podcast and Ways to Support It

02:25The State's Influence and the Genesis of "Confronting Leviathan"

The State's Influence and the Genesis of "Confronting Leviathan"

05:25Reactions to Lockdowns and Varying State Approaches

Reactions to Lockdowns and Varying State Approaches

Part 2: Hobbesian State

08:42Hobbes as the Starting Point for Understanding the Modern State

Hobbes as the Starting Point for Understanding the Modern State

13:41Reassessing Hobbes's Reputation and His Vision for Politics

Reassessing Hobbes's Reputation and His Vision for Politics

19:23The Primacy of Order and the State as an Automaton

The Primacy of Order and the State as an Automaton

24:22The Impossibility of a Sudden Transition to a Hobbesian State

The Impossibility of a Sudden Transition to a Hobbesian State

Part 3: Evolution of Political Thought

28:47Hobbes's Influence on Subsequent Thinkers and the Liberal Idea of Freedom from Politics

Hobbes's Influence on Subsequent Thinkers and the Liberal Idea of Freedom from Politics

33:33Could Hobbes's Sovereign Be a Woman? Wollstonecraft's Challenge to Rationality

Could Hobbes's Sovereign Be a Woman? Wollstonecraft's Challenge to Rationality

39:10The Individual vs. the Collective and the Desire for Privacy

The Individual vs. the Collective and the Desire for Privacy

42:34Varying Perspectives on What People Are Willing to Give Up and Tocqueville's Analysis of American Democracy

Varying Perspectives on What People Are Willing to Give Up and Tocqueville's Analysis of American Democracy

Part 4: Modern Challenges and Perspectives

47:23Territory, Ideology, and the Role of the Sovereign

Territory, Ideology, and the Role of the Sovereign

52:39Artificial Intelligence and the Nature of Political Decisions

Artificial Intelligence and the Nature of Political Decisions

57:51Fanon and the Perspective of Those Excluded from the State

Fanon and the Perspective of Those Excluded from the State

Part 5: Conclusion

1:03:33The Beauty of Political Texts and the Power of Storytelling

The Beauty of Political Texts and the Power of Storytelling