Listening ideas for 27 April 2011

Binge Thinking History
The Putney Debates
The 1647 Putney Debates saw the development of many of the key democratic ideas we take for granted today. As Thomas Raisborough put it. The poorest he that is in England has a life to live, as the greatest he: and therefore truly, Sir, I think it is clear, that every man that has a life to live under a government ought first by his own consent to put himself under that government; and I do think that the poorest man in England is not bound in a strict sense to the government that he has not had a voice to put himself under All of this was of course against the backdrop of the English Civil War which in many ways makes if even more remarkable.
(review, feed)

Rear Vision
Somali pirates
Piracy has always existed but through most of the 20th century it posed no real threat to maritime trade. That all changed with the growth of piracy off the coast of Somalia.
(review, feed)

Mahabharata Podcast
The March on Kurukshetra
Episode 54 - Krishna returns from his mission to Hastinpur with war on his mind. Yuddistira, having spent the last 12-14 years undergoing massive hardship to prevent this war, is reluctant to accept this truth. He begs for more information, trying to find any way out of this situation. So Krishna obliges by giving us the details of a few more speeches made in the Kuru court, but none of it helps. War is truly inevitable.
(review, feed)

Philosophy Bites
Paul Russell on David Hume's Treatise
The standard reading of David Hume's Treatise is that it reveals him as a sceptic and also as an advocate of a science of man. These two aspects seem to be in tension. The sceptical Hume seems opposed to the more positive contribution he makes about human nature. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Paul Russell suggests a way of solving this riddle. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.
(review, feed)

UC Press Podcast
Changing Planet, Changing Health- UC Press Podcast
Chris Gondek talks with Paul R. Epstein and Dan Ferber about the public health issues around climate change.
(review, feed)

Oxford Biographies
George Orwell, political writer and essayist
English author and journalist. His work is marked by keen intelligence and wit, a profound awareness of social injustice, an intense, revolutionary opposition to totalitarianism, a passion for clarity in language and a belief in democratic socialism.
(review, feed)

More Gandhi - Lelyveld at KQED

Mohandas Gandhi's biography by Joseph Lelyveld Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India has stirred much controversy. Lelyveld has appeared on many podcasts before to discuss and often defend his book. I reviewed some of those here at Joseph Lelyveld about Mahatma Gandhi and saw that this post drew in many, many readers.

Some of this controversy was unexpected to Lelyveld and he keeps on saying that the descriptions of Gandhi that are ascribed to the book are in fact not there. Much of these accusations, he claims, come from people who have not read the book. Notably in India, where the book has even faced banning, it has not even been published yet. Much can be learned from the podcasts. Among them an appearance at KQED's forum (feed), which appeared after I wrote the previous review.



Not only is Lelyveld a great speaker. As usual, Michael Krasny is a great interviewer.

More KQED's Forum:
Our Haggadah - Cokie and Steve Roberts,
All things shining,
The Iranian Elections,
Irvin Yalom,
Susan Jacoby.