NBN Book of the Day - Quentin Skinner, “Liberty as Independence: The Making and Unmaking of a Political Ideal” (Cambridge UP, 2025)

What does liberty entail? How have concepts of liberty changed over time? And what are the global consequences?

Liberty as Independence: The Making and Unmaking of a Political Ideal (Cambridge UP, 2025) surveys the history of rival views of liberty from antiquity to modern times. Quentin Skinner traces the understanding of liberty as independence from the classical ideal to early modern Britain, culminating in the claims of the Whig oligarchy to have transformed this idea into reality. Yet, with the Whig vision of a free state and civil society undermined by the American Revolution of 1776, Skinner explores how claims that liberty was fulfilled by an absence of physical or coercive restraint came to prominence. Liberty as Independence examines new dimensions of these rival views, considering the connections between debates on liberty and debates on slavery, and demonstrating how these ideas were harnessed in feminist discussions surrounding limitations on the liberty of women. The concept of liberty is inherently global, and Skinner argues strongly for the reinstatement of the understanding of liberty as independence.

  • Illustrates the connections between philosophical debates surrounding liberty and the sociopolitical contexts in which they took place
  • Provides a comprehensive analysis and bibliography of rival ways of thinking about liberty
  • Explores the contribution of the American Revolution to discussions on the idea of liberty

Quentin Skinner is Emeritus Professor of Humanities at Queen Mary University of London. He was at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton between 1974 and 1979, and was Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge between 1996 and 2008. He is the author and editor of numerous books on Renaissance and Modern Intellectual History, and the recipient of many awards including the Wolfson Prize for History and a Balzan Prize. Previous publications include the two-volume study, The Foundations of Modern Political Thought (Cambridge, 1978), Liberty before Liberalism (Cambridge, 1998) and, most recently, From Humanism to Hobbes: Studies in Rhetoric and Politics (Cambridge, 2018).

Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channelTwitter.


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Opening Arguments - It Took Years, but Guatemala Held a Brutal Dictator Accountable. What Can We Learn?

OA1159 - We are so pleased to have Temple Law Professor Rachel López on the show to discuss her work in shining light and digitally preserving court records related to the trials following the Guatemalan Civil War. Not only is the archiving of this material so important to those impacted by the government regime over the 30 year conflict, it also demonstrates early examples of transitional justice and what we might learn from it when applying it in the future to governments that commit human rights abuses. Listen in to hear the efforts she undertook to be sure these stories would not be forgotten.

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What A Day - A House Divided

It's make-or-break week in the House for President Donald Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill.' House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday he still believes his party can pass the president's legislative agenda by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of Memorial Day. But deep divisions remain within the caucus over cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, state and local tax deductions, and the bill's implications for the national debt. Marianna Sotomayor, who covers the House for The Washington Post, breaks down the roadblocks facing House Republicans.

And in headlines: The Supreme Court said the Trump administration can temporarily revoke deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a two-hour phone call to discuss a ceasefire with Ukraine, and the Justice Department is set to pay nearly $5 million to the family of a Trump supporter who was fatally shot by police during the insurrection.

Show Notes:

The NewsWorthy - Trump-Putin Call, Riot Settlement & Sesame Street Changes – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

The news to know for Tuesday, May 20, 2025!

We’re talking about the Supreme Court’s latest order that could pave the way for hundreds of thousands more deportations.

Also, conversations with some of the most influential people in the world - what came out of President Trump’s call with Russian President Putin, and Vice President Vance’s meeting with the new pope.

Plus, why the U.S. government may start investigating celebrities, what new changes are coming to Sesame Street, and which iconic movie lines were actually improvised.

Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes! 

 

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Pod Save America - D.C. Reacts to Biden’s Cancer News

President Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer—news that lands in the middle of a media cycle already consumed with questions about Biden's decline thanks to a buzzy new book and the release and of the audio from Biden's special counsel interview. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy unpack the fallout: the questions, conspiracies, criticisms, and some truly disgusting reactions. Plus: Trump's "excellent call" with Putin, his new attacks on the media and Kamala Harris's celebrity endorsers, and Kash Patel and Dan Bongino disappoint MAGA's conspiracist base.

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The Goods from the Woods - Episode #478 – “Smooth Warriors” with Andy Iwancio, Emmett Montgomery, & Derek Sheen

In this episode, Rivers is hangin' out in Seattle, Washington with THREE of the Emerald City's finest purveyors of laughs,  Andy Iwancio, Emmett Montgomery, and Derek Sheen. We kick this one off with an orange Bang Energy Drink made in collaboration with streamer Kai Cenat's "Any Means Possible" content crew. Emmett tells the gang about the weird side of Seattle's history and his life as a walking tour guide of the city. Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" is our JAM OF THE WEEK! Listen now, y'all!  Follow Andy Iwancio on social media @AndyIwancio and check out her records 'Hard Trans' and 'Better Living Through Femistry' on all the streamers! Follow Emmett Montgomery on social media @EmmettMontgomery Follow Derek Sheen on social media @DerekSheen666  Follow our show @TheGoodsPod  Rivers is @RiversLangley  Sam is @SlamHarter  Carter is @Carter_Glascock  Subscribe on Patreon for the UNCUT video version of this episode as well as TONS of bonus content!  http://patreon.com/TheGoodsPod   Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt here:  http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod

The Best One Yet - 🌈 “N-E-T-F-L-I-X” — Sesame Street’s Savior. The Startup-Burying Startup. America’s AAA Downgrade Situationship.

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Netflix just saved Sesame Street… because kids content crushes subscription churn.

America got downgraded after 126 years to AA+... So we’ve got 1 solution to our debt addiction.

Over 90% of startups fail, and one startup buries them… because LinkedIn ain’t reality.

Plus, we’re playing a new game: “Flavor or Fake?”... Is “Hint of Hummus” a real LaCroix flavor?


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Short Wave - Will Trump Unleash Energy Dominance Or Damage?

The Trump administration is rewriting policies and reducing funding for multiple agencies that handle climate change, including NOAA, EPA and FEMA. We asked NPR reporters Lauren Sommer and Alejandra Borunda what that the implications of that are — and who the changes will affect.

Want to hear more ways research is being impacted by the new administration? Email us at shortwave@nprg.org to let us know — and we may cover your idea in a future episode!

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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Original Sin’ argues Biden aides enabled his reelection bid, despite mental decline

Original Sin recounts a number of moments during which former President Joe Biden allegedly struggled to recognize the people around him, like close aide Mike Donilon or longtime donor George Clooney. The new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson argues that there were two versions of the former president, one "functioning" and one "non-functioning." Biden's inner circle, they say, worked to shield the "non-functioning" version from the American public – and even other White House officials. In today's episode, Tapper and Thompson talk with NPR's Scott Detrow about the book and the Biden team's decision to "cover-up" his alleged mental decline.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - The rise of the credit card airport lounge

We are back to answer your questions, listeners. Today on the show, we tackle three big questions: Are airport lounges worth it for credit card companies? How effective have carbon taxes been for Canada? Why is gasoline getting more expensive over the last few months as the price of crude oil has sunk?

If you want to submit your OWN question to be considered in a future episode, send us a message at indicator@npr.org.

Related episodes:
Can cap and trade work in the US? (Apple / Spotify)
A Quick History Of Slow Credit Cards
Breaking down the price of gasoline (Apple / Spotify)

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