A new series of talks by David Runciman, in which he explores some of the most important thinkers and prominent ideas lying behind modern politics – from Hobbes to Gandhi, from democracy to patriarchy, from revolution to lock down. Plus, he talks about the crises – revolutions, wars, depressions, pandemics – that generated these new ways of political thinking. From the team that brought you Talking Politics: a history of ideas to help make sense of what’s happening today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
https://play.acast.com/s/history-of-ideas
Luxemburg on Revolution
Rosa Luxemburg wrote ‘The Russian Revolution’ (1918) from a jail cell in Germany. In it she described how the Bolshevik revolution was going to change the world but also explained how and why it was already going badly wrong. David explores the origins of Luxemburg’s insights, from her experiences in Poland to her love/hate relationship with Lenin. Plus he tells the story of her terrible end.
Free version to download
Recommended version to buy
Going Deeper:
- Vladimir Lenin, ‘What Is to be Done?’ (1902)
- Hannah Arendt, ‘A Heroine of Revolution,’ The New York Review of Books (1966)
- Kate Evans, Red Rosa (2015)
- (Audio): In Our Time, 'Rosa Luxemburg' (2017)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.