Shows
Please ExpandNever Had It So Good with Dominic SandbrookIn this episode I interview Dominic Sandbrook on the first of his series on modern British history: Never Had It So Good. We take a deep-dive into British culture, society, politics, and international relations between the period of 1956-1963. We discuss across topics such as the Suez Crisis; Britain's imperial decline and it's new sense of identity within a new international framework; we analyse the complex relationship between the decline of empire and the influx of immigration into the UK; and we spend some time unpacking the nuances of late fifties, early sixties, Conservative economic policy.2025-02-271h 06Please ExpandThe Currency of Politics with Stefan EichIn this episode one of my past co-hosts Giulia Luvisotto takes the lead and discusses the book Money: The Currency of Politics with its author Stefan Eich, Assistant Professor of Government at Georgetown University. Eich draws attention on what he takes to be an important yet unduly neglected truth: far from being a neutral means of exchange, money is intrinsically political. To make his case, Eich retraces the genealogy of this thesis (and of its neglect) by looking at the authors that play a key role in it: Aristotle, Locke, Fichte, Marx and Keynes and tells a gripping story...2024-08-051h 42Please ExpandFear Itself with Ira KatznelsonIn this episode we discuss the origins of the New Deal with Ira Katznelson. I am joined by Simon Gansinger, philosopher and law-enthusiast, to delve into the murky past of the New Deal and to examine how it became one of the most defining moments of US history and why it continues to deserve our attention.We begin by looking at the uneasy alliance between F.D. Roosevelt and the Southern Democrats. Roosevelt required their political support in Congress in order to pass the New Deal, but that came at a price: to keep the subject of...2024-07-012h 03Please ExpandHow Religion Evolved with Robin DunbarIn this episode we look at Robin Dunbar's particular thesis that religion is not just an unexpected outcome of evolution but is, in fact, a mode of engaging with the world that confers substantial benefits on its adherents. We look at the importance of group bonding and the important role that religion plays in this. We talk about why religion is the most effective mode of bonding people in large groups, paying special attention to the role that endorphin release plays in this. Indeed, the emotional background to religion raises interesting questions about the futility of arguing about religious...2024-03-022h 10Please ExpandThe Knowledge Machine with Michael StrevensI talk with Michael Strevens about the scientific enterprise. Does science get at objective truth or is it limited by subjective world-views? We begin by discussing the roles of Kuhn and Popper in the "Great Method Debate", before going on to discuss developments in the sociology of science, by figures such as Bruno Latour, who showed that there is actually quite a bit of subjectivity in everyday scientific activities. We then go on to discuss Michael's contribution to this debate and we examine the "Iron Rule of Explanation". We look at the constellation of ideas that buttress the Iron...2023-12-051h 39Please ExpandThe Aristocracy of Talent with Adrian Wooldridge In this episode we talk about meritocracy and whether it is still a viable system for social organisation. We begin by dissecting the concept of merit by analysing the role that talent or IQ play in assessing whether someone deserves something or not. We discuss the historical relationship between the fight for equality and the growth of the meritocratic ideal. We talk about the importance of education in the construction of a meritocracy; we wonder whether tests are sufficiently fine-grained to tell us whether somebody is deserving of something or not, and we think about the applicability...2023-11-131h 50Please ExpandThe Decline of Magic with Michael HunterIn this episode, Giulia Luvisotto and I interview Michael Hunter on The Decline of Magic. Taking its cue from Keith Thomas's Religion and the Decline of Magic, Hunter goes into the details of why magic declined in the late 17th century. Hunter introduces us to the world of the orthodox thinkers and the free-thinkers (or the Wits!) and the intellectual battlefield on which they exchanged withering treatises about the existence of supernatural phenomena and natural causation. We talk about the rise of the New Science, the struggle of Baconianism against the rising star of Newtonianism, and how the ultimate...2023-04-171h 23Please ExpandPrinces of the Renaissance with Mary HollingsworthIn this episode, I interview Mary Hollingsworth on her new book, Princes of the Renaissance. We begin by talking about just what exactly the Renaissance was and how it developed differently across the Italian peninsula. Then, we discuss the ideal character of an Italian Prince, of their engagement in war but, more importantly, their role as patron of the arts and how they were the focal point for the development of the Renaissance within their particular city-state.We go from talking about the not-so-salacious Borgias, to the mysterious Venetians in their all black robes, to the humbly...2023-03-061h 20Please ExpandConquistadores: A New History with Fernando CervantesIn this episode I interview Fernando Cervantes, author of "Conquistadores", where we discuss his new interpretation of the conquest of the Americas. By placing figures like Columbus and Cortes in their proper historical context, Fernando paints a picture of the conquest of the Americas that is no less violent than traditional narratives, but much less wicked.We talk about the Christian, medieval, crusading spirit that is fundamental to understanding the motivations and actions of the conquistadors; we look at the methods used by missionaries to spread Christianity and how their flexibility to blending native religions with Christianity...2022-12-0556 minPlease ExpandAmerica and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present with John GhazvinianIn this episode I interview John Ghazvinian, author of "American and Iran", where we talk about the surprising history of American-Iranian relations by beginning in 1720, and continue all the way through the circuitous and, sometimes tortuous, path that is the history of these two remarkable nations.We look at the foundations for American interest in Iran; the growth of Iranian fascination with American democracy; the fascinating dual character of Iran as both the inheritor of Ancient Persia and Cyrus the Great, on the one hand, and as a Muslim nation, on the other hand; the role that...2022-11-0759 minPlease ExpandTime's Witness with Rosemary HillIn this episodes we talk about an obscure group of professionals called "Antiquaries" ,whose intellectual activities became increasingly relevant in the period from 1789 -1851. We discuss the changing self-image of the English; the antiquaries made the Gothic central to English identity; and it is to the antiquaries that we owe the canonisation of Shakespeare. We grapple with questions concerning historical authenticity, the role of creativity in historical narratives, and ultimately wonder whether the histories we get are simply the ones that we need.2022-10-031h 08Please ExpandThe History of the Bible with John BartonI interview John Barton on “The History of the Bible: The Book and its Faiths”, with my guest J. A. Velasco. We grapple with some challenging issues surround the Bible. We discuss problems surrounding the authorship of the various books of the bible; we talk about the role that divine inspiration can play in our comprehension of the Bible; and we try to unpack the kinds of moral truths that one can reasonably take away from the Bible.2022-02-2155 minPlease ExpandThe Life and Death of Ancient Cities with Greg WoolfI interview Greg Woolf on "The Life and Death of Ancient Cities", with my guest J. A. Velasco. We talk about three main themes of Greg's book. First, we discuss the innovative evolutionary framework through which Greg has chosen to discuss the phenomenon of urbanisation. Second, we talk about the claim that inequality between people grew as urban centres expanded. We investigate whether there was less inequality in rural settings or whether the appearance of no inequality is simply due to the difficulties in inferring inequality from the archaeological record. Third, we reflect on the nature of urban centres...2022-01-241h 02Please ExpandThe Invention of Science with David WoottonI interview David Wootton on "The Invention of Science". We talk about what science is and how science came about in the 16th century. We look at the rise of perspective painting; Columbus's discovery of America; and the invention of the printing press. We discuss the significance of Galileo's discovery of the phases of Venus and David's notion of "killer facts"; and we discuss the impact of David's arguments for contemporary academic history of science as well as the Kuhnian legacy. After the interview I focus on two concepts that we look at in the interview: the...2021-12-201h 14Please ExpandThe Light Ages with Seb FalkI interview Seb Falk on "The Light Ages", with my guest J. A. Velasco. We get right to the core of Seb's book and discuss whether people in the middle ages were doing science; we talk about whether people in the middle ages saw themselves as collaborating and competing with each other; and, finally, we look at some fascinating individuals and how they thought about the world, from Robert Grosseteste, Roger Bacon, Petrus Alphonsi, and Ibn al-Haytham.After the interview I spend some time with J unpacking the concept of medieval science and think further about what...2021-11-2256 minPlease ExpandThe Boundless Sea with David AbulafiaI interview David Abulafia on "The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Ocean", winner of the Wolfson History Prize. We discuss topics such as why some island nations are better than navigating than others; how important trade was to motivating maritime travel; how seriously we should take the intentions of Christian missionaries in the New World; the concept of discovery and its role in the history of the oceans; and just how much our relation to the Oceans has changed in recent years.After the interview I spend some time unpacking the concept of discovery and...2021-10-241h 00
Please ExpandIntroduction to Please ExpandWelcome to Please Expand! In this introductory episode I talk about what Please Expand is, how you can get involved with it, and how you can support it.2021-10-1803 min