The History of Freedom w/Lea Ypi: The Ancient...

In today’s episode David explores the trial that gripped China at the end of 1980: the case against the three men and one woman accused of being responsible for the worst excesses of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). How did the court try to hold Mao’s followers responsible for ...  Show more

Today’s episode is about the epic battle between Muhammad Ali and the US government over its attempt to draft him during the Vietnam war and what happened when that fight reached the US Supreme Court. What were Ali’s grounds for claiming to be a conscientious objector? How did th ...  Show more

Tyler Stovall speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his Cundill prize-shortlisted book White Freedom, which explores how European and American ideas about ‘liberty’ and ‘freedom’ have been underpinned by racism since the Enlightenment. (Ad) Tyler Stovall is the author of White Freedom: ...  Show more

After 155 years, Juneteenth, a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved Americans, is being acknowledged as a holiday by corporations and state governments across the country. Today, we consider why, throughout its history, Juneteenth has gained prominence at moments of pai ...

At the heart of all contemplative traditions is the promise of freedom. But what does this freedom mean? Freedom from what? The answer to that: suffering. In this episode, we explore how one could actually find freedom from suffering, and how it could be experienced in a single m ...  Show more

When we think of democracy in the ancient Greek world, our minds often go straight to Athens, the purported birthplace of democracy. But was Athens truly the home of democracy? And if so, who's responsible for giving a voice to the people?

In this episode, T ...