History writing

154 - The Philosophy of History: Ibn Khaldūn

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The historian Ibn Khaldūn applies the methods of philosophy to understand the rise and fall of political regimes.

312. Past Masters: Byzantine Historiography

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The larger meaning of history in the chronicles written by Michael Psellos, Michael Attaleiates, Anna Komnene, and Niketas Choniates.

313. Queen of the Sciences: Anna Komnene and her Circle

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Princess Anna Komnene makes good use of her political retirement by writing her Alexiad and gathering a circle of scholars to write commentaries on Aristotle.

321. Judith Herrin on Byzantium and Islam

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Historian Judith Herrin joins us to talk about competition and mutual influence between Islam and Byzantium.

349. No More Mr Nice Guy: Machiavelli

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Machiavelli’s seminal work of political advice, The Prince, tells the ruler how to be strong like a lion and cunning like a fox.

350. The Sentence: Machiavelli on Republicanism

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Peter celebrates reaching 350 episodes by explaining a single sentence in Machiavelli's "Discourses."

351. Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli

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Leading Machiavelli scholar Quentin Skinner joins Peter to discuss morality, history, and religion in the Prince and the Discourses.

352. The Teacher of Our Actions: Renaissance Historiography

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Bruni, Poggio, Machiavelli, and Guicciardini explore political ideas and historical method in works on Roman and Italian history.

69. The Best We Have: The American Negro Academy

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The ANA unites leading African American scholars of the early 20th century, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, William Ferris, Archibald Grimké, and Kelly Miller (pictured).

70. Tommy Curry on the Early 20th Century

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We chat with Tommy Curry about African-American thought between the turn of the century and the Harlem Renaissance.

81. Making History: Carter G. Woodson

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Pioneering historian Carter G. Woodson argues for a new approach to education and economic uplift.

90. Move Fast and Break Things: C.L.R. James

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The Trinidadian historian and cultural critic C.L.R. James applies Marxist analysis to the Haitian Revolution, American cinema, and Shakespeare.

91. Massa Day Done: Oliver Cox and Eric Williams

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Two Trinidadian political thinkers: sociologist Oliver Cox analyzes the nature of racial prejudice, and historian Eric Williams connects capitalism to slavery.

409. One to Rule Them All: Jean Bodin

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The polymath Jean Bodin produces a pioneering theory of political sovereignty along the way to defending the absolute power of the French king.

411. Pen Pals: Later French Humanism

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Joseph Scaliger, Isaac Casaubon, and Guillaume du Vair grapple with history and the events of their own day.

123. History Teaches Us: Walter Rodney

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Pan-Africanist and Marxist historian Walter Rodney rethinks Black Power, engages with Rastafari, and opposes racial division in his home country of Guyana.

420. No Place Will Please Me So: Thomas More

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What is the message of the famous, but elusive, work Utopia, and how can it be squared with the life of its author?

134. The Marx Brothers: Cedric J. Robinson

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Cedric J. Robinson reflects on the power and limitations of Marxism while charting the past and prospects of black radical thought.

135. Mastering Ceremonies: Sylvia Wynter

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Sylvia Wynter offers a bold and provocative assessment of the role of the humanities in understanding humankind.

136. Civilization Reclaimed: African-Centered Thought

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Writers like George G.M. James, John Henrik Clarke, Cheikh Anta Diop, Yosef ben-Jochannan, and Chancellor Williams prepare the way for the Afrocentricity of Molefi Asante and capture the imaginations of hip hop artists and intellectuals like Ta-Nehisi Coates.

438. Don't Give Up Pope: Catholic Reformation

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How the Counter-Reformation or Catholic Reformation created a context for philosophy among Catholics, especially in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.