And now what? Doing Political Theory

Another just a thought about a small metaphor that might not be perfect but has changed the way I think about humanity. Not strictly political theory, but still interesting.Enjoy!https://and-now-what.net/https://substack.com/@andnowwhatpod/

This episode tackles the thought of Thomas Hobbes, his fear of what would happen if political authority went away and how that still has such a grasp on our imagination 400 years later. Most importantly, however, it argues that taking on that fear is a mistake and actually a hindrance in thinking about the future. The episode leaves out many things that could and maybe should be said about Thomas Hobbes, so if something seems missing, just head over to the resources on the blog for more.Blog: https://and-now-what.net/Episode page: https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-11-one-mans-fear-looking-at-the-human-condition-with-thomas-hobbes/

How to live in difficult times and how to change them? This is a rerun of an episode from last year about an idea by Vaclav Havel about what it requires to live in difficult times and what it demands of us. If anything, this is more relevant now than it was a year ago. Havel speaks from experience and, although he didn't know it at the time of writing the essay, the strategy worked, too. So, it's about time to rerun it. Go ahead, listen and consider.More info here: https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-4-vaclav-havel-and-living-in-truth/The promised episode on Hobbes is in the works it will reach you soon.

You can't force everybody all the time. This is a thought that we rarely acknowledge. But I think we should appreciate. The blog page is the place to comment.https://and-now-what.net/the-dirty-secret-of-governing

Forced to be free? How ludicrous! Or not? In this episode I tackle Rousseau and how his idea of freedom actually makes sense and how thinking about the general will clarifies why democracy feels so hard. And maybe a little bit what to do about it. Here is the blogpost, you are invited to comment and critique. Enjoy!As usual, there is an episode page which gives some further links. Don't be intimidated, this doesn't require a college degree to get.The picture of Jean-Jacques Rousseau is public domain.The music is by Jack Pearce "Moments of Magic".

Introducing: shorts. This is a new format and those who listened to the end of the lat episode have already had a taste. 3-5 minute episodes on thoughts that don't quite make sense in an episode, but really point in interesting directions. This one is on Marx and AI. Enjoy!Let me know what you think on of the format and the episode on the blog at https://and-now-what.net , on bluesky @andnowwhat.bsky.social or through comments.Link: WITHPod 2-year-olds vs. Al: who's more creative? Cognitive scientist shares the SURPRISING answer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQWDq9FGxFI&list=PLDIVi-vBsOEzArBz5VnChpoJEf4DQCgvG&index=2

In this episode I give you some more Marx. And I won't be talking about the usual stuff but a more, let's say, preliminary thought of his that's convinced me that Marx understood something about capitalism, that all to often gets overlooked. And even if I am wrong about that, looking into these thoughts will make you think and hopefully inspire you to learn more.It's definitely going to be interesting!The episode page with links to the referenced texts and more is found here: https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-9-why-to-read-karl-marx/Image: Гринштейн, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsMusic: Moments of Magic by Jack Pearce

In this episode I talk about what I mean by tolerating ambivalence. It's complicated, but also really thrilling and you might fashioning a whole new life skill here. AND I can use Marx to explain it, not the heavy economic Marx texts but some earlier, more philosophical thoughts. So, it's great if you just want a little first taste. And will still be fun when you have done all the big Marx stuff before. This episode really has something for everyone.As always you can find more info on the blog and you can contact me on bluesky @andnowwhat, too.

Looking at political thought is by no means without challenges. And thinking about how to do that has a lot to teach us about how to look at anything said politically. This episode is a concise summary of what I see as the most useful insights. So listen in and get a very brief summary of the key reflections to be had. And leave with food for thought.As always, further readings and links can be found on the blog at https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-7-a-guide-to-understanding-political-thinking/Episode Picture: Christ's College Cambrigde, by Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Here it is - my wrap up on the truth trilogy. I talk about what's up with all the lies and what role truth plays. Hope you find it thought-provoking. You don't have to listen to the previous episodes to enjoy this one. But if you have questions after, it might be worth going back and listening in. Or you go the Blog and the Episode Page to find more resources.Please enjoy and let me know what you think! https://bsky.app/profile/andnowhat.bsky.socialPhoto Credit: my husband