Past Present Future Podcast
banner
ppfideas.bsky.social
Past Present Future Podcast
@ppfideas.bsky.social

The History of Ideas Podcast. Every Wednesday and Sunday with David Runciman. Wherever you get your podcasts.

Find us at 🔗 www.ppfideas.com

David Walter Runciman, 4th Viscount Runciman of Doxford, is an English academic and podcaster who until 2024 taught politics and history at the University of Cambridge, where he was Professor of Politics. From October 2014 to October 2018 he was also head of the Department of Politics and International Studies. In April 2024 he decided to resign his position at the university to focus on his podcast full-time. He was subsequently made Honorary Professor of Politics. .. more

Political science 70%
Sociology 9%
Pinned
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

Today’s episode is the 1st of two on the extraordinary trial of Marshal Pétain in summer 1945 that ended up putting wartime France in the dock. David talks to historian Julian Jackson about how Pétain found himself so quickly charged with treason.

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Reposted by David Runciman

‘We find ourselves at the only point in the history of the species when the rate of population growth has dramatically slowed and is about to go into reverse.’

Are we doomed? David Runciman on depopulation, online early from our next issue.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
David Runciman · Are we doomed? The End of the Species
Are we doomed to die out? We find ourselves at the only point in the history of the species when the rate of population...
www.lrb.co.uk

Thanks G!

BONUS EPISODE OUT NOW!

In today’s PPF+ bonus David talks to historian of Russia Edward Acton about the trial in 1938 of Nikolai Bukharin, the darling of the Bolsheviks whose conviction & execution were the culmination of the Moscow Show Trials.

Join PPF+ now: www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

Today’s episode is the first of two exploring the Moscow Show Trials that Stalin staged from 1936-38. David talks to historian of Russia Edward Acton about what motivated these grotesque spectacles and who was fooled by what they saw and heard.

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Reposted by David Runciman

Outstanding analysis of an incredible trial. What’s so interesting to me is that the fallout did not settle the debate and militant creationism continues to be a force today

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

We return to our series about the most significant trials in history with our most requested trial: Scopes ‘Monkey’ (1925). Meant to be about a Tennessee schoolteacher but became a battle between science and religion and everything in between.

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Good idea, noted, thanks Hannah!

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

Today’s ep was recorded in front of a live audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. David talks to @brunomacaes.bsky.social & Sarah Wynn-Williams about the battlegrounds in the fight for the future. How will we know what victory looks like?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

BONUS EPISODE OUT NOW!

In today’s bonus episode David & @dmk1793.bsky.social answer more of your questions on all things Fixing Democracy. How do we know when we’ve reached the point of no return?

Join PPF+ for all our bonuses: www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

😆

Reposted by Jack Stilgoe

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

In today’s episode David & @dmk1793.bsky.social try to answer some of the hundreds of questions, comments and suggestions we have had about this series. How do we know if democracy is broken? Have we ever had a real democracy anyway?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Anything but AI
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

For the final in this series David talks to historian @aysezarakol.bsky.social about the prospects for democracy in the age of strongman politics, from Trump to Erdogan, from Orban to Modi. Does democracy have the wherewithal to resist its pull?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Thanks MrB!

Reposted by David Runciman

😱 What risks does Farage pose to our democracy and our society?

🤔 Really interesting and useful live podcast with David Runciman and Rob Ford

🦻 Listen and share!

share.google/KASukS6Sa6Yb...
Live Special: Prime Minister Farage?
229
share.google

Reposted by Rosie Campbell

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

In our penultimate episode in this series David talks to writer @samfr.bsky.social about whether democracy can cope with the demands of the social media age. Is the bigger problem our ever-shrinking attention spans or our ever-divided politics?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Reposted by David Runciman

I found this with @robfordmancs.bsky.social actually quite chilling in how vivid it is. Good to brace ourselves I guess podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...
Live Special: Prime Minister Farage?
Podcast Episode · Past Present Future · 15/10/2025 · 1h 2m
podcasts.apple.com

Noted!

Understood!
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

In this special live episode recorded in front of pupils from schools in Doncaster, David talks to political scientist @robfordmancs.bsky.social about whether Nigel Farage is really going to be the UK’s next Prime Minister.

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Hope you enjoy it!

🚨 Come join us this week!

"Who Rules The World? Trump, Tech & the Fight for the Future"

A PPF Live recording event.

📆 8pm Wednesday 15 October
📍 Cheltenham Literature Festival
🎙️ With @brunomacaes.bsky.social & Sarah Wynn-Williams

🎟️ Tickets here ⬇️

www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/who-r...
Who Rules The World? Trump, Tech and the Fight for the Future | Cheltenham Festivals
David Runciman is joined by politician, journalist and philosopher Bruno Maçães and Sarah Wynn-Williams for a live episode of Past Present Future, the hist
www.cheltenhamfestivals.org

Thanks to the Fitzwilliam Museum @camunivmuseums.bsky.social for the free promotion!! 😆

Hear hear!

Thanks for coming Rory!

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

David talks to political theorist @profafinlayson.bsky.social about what’s gone wrong with political speech and how it can be improved. What can we learn from the ancient art of rhetoric about how to do democratic politics better?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Thanks Toby!

Good to hear!

Reposted by Nic Cheeseman

BONUS EPISODE OUT NOW!

In this PPF+ bonus David talks to @fromagehomme.bsky.social about the idea of guaranteeing female representation in parliament. Where does it already happen? How does it work? What difference does it make?

Join PPF+ for all our bonuses: www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus