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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

Where Are We Going? Nuclear War Part 1

15 February 2026

00:00 / 01:04

For the first in a new series of conversations exploring the future that faces us all, David talks to S. M. Amadae about what nuclear weapons and the prospect of nuclear war have done to the human condition. Was 1945 the decisive watershed in the history of humanity? What made the possibility of nuclear conflict different from previous ideas of catastrophe? How did we reconcile ourselves to the horrifying consequences of what we had built?

Out now on PPF+: a bonus episode to accompany our recent series What’s Wrong With Political Philosophy? in which David and Paul talk about how personal experience shapes our political and philosophical outlook – a conversation exploring luck, accidents, human frailty and human connection. To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

Next Time: M.A.D. and N.U.T.S.

You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of our episodes and PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com

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More episodes

What’s Wrong with Political Philosophy? Learning from Bernard Williams and Judith Shklar

11 February 2026

00:00 / 01:04

What’s Wrong with Political Philosophy? Learning from Max Weber

8 February 2026

00:00 / 01:04

What’s Wrong with Political Philosophy? Learning from Adam Smith

4 February 2026

00:00 / 01:04

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