Breakthroughs in Political Theory

Join Alex Criddle in the latest Breakthroughs salon where we’ll explore the breakthroughs in political thought across history.

We’ll look at the ancient origins of monarchies in civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia and the development of the idea of democracy and a republic as it was understood in ancient Greece and Rome. We’ll then explore the decentralized hierarchy and alternative governments that existed in some of the Germanic tribes or the Iroquois Confederacy. Finally we’ll look at the development of communism, socialism, and the modern political structures and how the industrial revolution altered political landscapes. We’ll discuss the concept of political progress, how political systems influence human and technological progress, and what we can learn from past political theorists on the development of new political systems.