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David Runciman

The History of Ideas Podcast
with David Runciman

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A bi-weekly podcast exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, science to fiction.

Latest episode

Films of Ideas: Wittgenstein w/Nikhil Krishnan

28 December 2025

00:00 / 01:04

The fourth episode in our season of live recordings from the Regent Street Cinema is about another film that explores the relationship between biography and philosophy: Derek Jarman’s Wittgenstein (1993), which tells the story of an extraordinary life in a way that is both light and profound. David talks to writer and philosopher Nikhil Krishnan about Ludwig Wittengenstein’s ideas of war, science, truth, freedom, sexuality, language, loyalty and communism and how they are portrayed on screen. Does the life explain the ideas or do the ideas explain the life?

Next time: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind w/Beeban Kidron

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More episodes

Films of Ideas: Rosa Luxemburg w/Lea Ypi

24 December 2025

00:00 / 01:04

Films of Ideas: My Dinner with Andre w/Lee Hall

21 December 2025

00:00 / 01:04

Films of Ideas: Rope w/Nicci Gerrard & Sean French

17 December 2025

00:00 / 01:04

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