James C. Scott on The Perils of State Power
In one of his final extended interviews, which was recorded three years before his recent death, the late anthropologist James C. Scott and Yascha Mounk discuss the need to be vigilant about the ways ...
31 Aug 202458min
Timur Kuran on Why We Lie About Our Beliefs
Yascha Mounk and Timur Kuran discuss the perceived social and political pressures that lead individuals to conceal their true beliefs—and what that means for our politics. Timur Kuran is Professor of...
24 Aug 20241h 7min
The Promise and Perils of Contacting Extraterrestrials
Yascha Mounk and Douglas Vakoch discuss whether it is morally justified to alert aliens to humanity's existence. Douglas Vakoch is an American astrobiologist, extraterrestrial intelligence researcher...
17 Aug 20241h 4min
Freddie deBoer on “Peak Woke”
Yascha Mounk and Freddie deBoer discuss whether the sweeping set of progressive ideas that came into force in 2020 has really begun to recede. Freddie deBoer is a writer, academic, and critic. He wri...
10 Aug 20241h 15min
Anne Applebaum on Autocracy, Inc.
Yascha Mounk and Anne Applebaum discuss the new tools autocrats use to stay in power. Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Senior Fellow of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins...
3 Aug 202449min
Shalom Auslander on Self-Loathing and How to Overcome It
Yascha Mounk and Shalom Auslander discuss the origins of the stories that make us feel bad about ourselves. Shalom Auslander is an American novelist, memoirist, and essayist. He is the author of For...
27 Jul 20241h 7min
Matthew Yglesias on Kamala
Yascha Mounk and Matthew Yglesias discuss Kamala Harris' strengths and vulnerabilities, and what she needs to do to win. Matthew Yglesias is a writer and journalist, co-founder of Vox, and founder of...
24 Jul 20241h 19min
Eitan Hersh on the Perils of Political Hobbyism
Yascha Mounk and Eitan Hersh discuss the importance of strategic political action that focuses on goals and outcomes. Eitan Hersh is Professor of Political Science at Tufts University, focusing on U....
20 Jul 20241h 2min
