Past Present Future podcast
Hosted by Past Present Future
An academic podcast exploring the history of political and philosophical ideas behind books, films, and historical events.
This is an academic but accessible tour through the lineage of major political, social, and cultural ideas. Host David Runciman uses current events, historical anniversaries, and works of fiction as entry points to unpack complex theories. The format alternates between solo lectures, structured dialogues with recurring academic co-hosts, and live-audience interviews with subject-matter experts, creating a varied but consistently rigorous listening experience.
“Unlike narrative history podcasts, Past Present Future focuses specifically on the evolution of *ideas*—how concepts like democracy, anarchy, or complicity are born and change over time. Runciman's authority as a Cambridge professor, combined with the show's multiple formats, distinguishes it from both personality-driven political commentary and simpler history storytelling.”
Who hosts this show
Past Present Future is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by David Runciman, a political scientist and author who previously created the acclaimed "Talking Politics" podcast. Runciman explores the history of ideas from politics and philosophy to culture and technology, speaking with historians, novelists, and scientists about where important ideas originate and why they still matter. The show is produced independently and supported in part by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
Credentials & credits
- Honorary Professor of Politics, University of Cambridge
- Former Head of the Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University
- Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)
- Author of numerous books on politics, including 'How Democracy Ends' and 'Confronting Leviathan'
- Co-founder of the Cambridge Centre for the Future of Democracy
Other ventures
- Host of 'Talking Politics' podcast (2016-2022)
- Author and contributor for publications including the London Review of Books
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01Live Film Special: Never Let Me Go w/Adam RutherfordJun 28, 2026 · 57 min
- 02Now & Then with Robert Saunders: The Brexit Referendum 10 Years OnJun 28, 2026 · 1h 04m
- 03Live Special: Jimmy Wales on the Lessons of WikipediaJun 21, 2026 · 59 min
- 04The Great Political Fictions: HHhHJun 19, 2026 · 56 min
- 05The Great Political Fictions: The YearsJun 14, 2026 · 57 min
- 06The Great Political Fictions: The Human FactorJun 10, 2026 · 1h 01m
- 07The Great Political Fictions: The DispossessedJun 7, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 08The Great Political Fictions: The Golden Notebook Part 2 w/Catherine TaylorJun 3, 2026 · 1h 02m
Notable episodes
- 01Now & Then with Robert Saunders: The Brexit Referendum 10 Years On
A signature episode of the 'Now & Then' format, showcasing the show's academic approach to analyzing recent, pivotal historical events.
- 02Live Film Special: Never Let Me Go w/Adam Rutherford
Demonstrates the show's interdisciplinary range, applying political and philosophical analysis to a work of fiction in a live interview setting.
- 03The Great Political Fictions: The Years
Represents the solo-host format, where Runciman provides a deep, lecture-style analysis of a significant work of literature (by Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux).
What you'll be asked on this show
When interviewing, David Runciman acts as an academic guide, framing the conversation with broad, philosophical questions. He often opens by establishing the core premise or genre of the topic at hand. Rather than rapid-fire questions, he engages in a discursive, conversational build-up, allowing both host and guest to elaborate on points. He probes deeper by challenging common assumptions (e.g., "Can the referendum be explained simply as party management?") or by asking guests to connect their subject to wider societal dangers or future possibilities. There is no single signature closing question; the discussions are guided to a thematic conclusion.
David Runciman's style is that of a measured, methodical university lecturer. Episodes often begin with him carefully providing the necessary context—a detailed plot summary of a novel or a historical overview—before proceeding with the analysis. The show's structure is diverse, featuring solo deep dives, recurring series like 'Now & Then' with co-hosts, and live interviews.
Questions Past Present Future keeps coming back to
10 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Past Present Future reaches for it.
process
2- Q.01
“Is it possible to do history on an event as recent and live as this?”
Often used at the beginning of 'Now & Then' episodes to frame the challenge of analyzing contemporary history.
- Q.02
“How decisive was the role of this key individual?”
This question serves to weigh the impact of individual agency against broader historical forces.
origin
2- Q.01
“Can this event be explained simply by this common, single-cause theory?”
Runciman asks this to challenge simplistic narratives and introduce more complex, structural explanations.
- Q.02
“Did this event create these political tribes, or did it just reveal them?”
A recurring question used to analyze the impact of major events on social and political identity.
controversy
2- Q.01
“Was the winning side's campaign built on lies, as the losing side often claims?”
He poses this to move beyond partisan claims and evaluate the actual tactics and ethics of a political campaign.
- Q.02
“Did the collision between these two forces inevitably lead to a crisis of democracy?”
This explores the constitutional and structural consequences of political conflicts.
mindset
2- Q.01
“Were the voters motivated by nostalgia or an attempt to recapture the past?”
This explores the psychological and emotional motivations behind major political shifts.
- Q.02
“Was the central issue just a proxy for other grievances like immigration or anti-politics?”
This question seeks to uncover the deeper, underlying issues that are expressed through a single vote.
craft
1- Q.01
“How should we categorize this work—as science fiction, speculative fiction, or something else?”
Used in episodes on fiction to establish the genre and its implications before diving into the themes.
future
1- Q.01
“Does this work speak to a danger in how we understand scientific or social progress?”
This connects the themes of a fictional work to real-world ethical and future-facing concerns.
Signature segments
- · Host's intro: "Hello, my name's David Runciman and this is Past, Present, Future..."
- · The 'Great Political Fictions' series
- · The 'Now & Then' series on historical anniversaries
- · Live specials recorded at cinemas and festivals
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically high-level academics, authors, or specialists chosen for their deep expertise on the specific topic of an episode. Examples include geneticist Adam Rutherford to discuss a film about cloning and historian Robert Saunders to analyze the Brexit referendum.
- Adam Rutherfordon Live Film Special: Never Let Me Go w/Adam Rutherford
- Robert Saunderson Now & Then with Robert Saunders: The Brexit Referendum 10 Years On
- Jimmy Waleson Live Special: Jimmy Wales on the Lessons of Wikipedia
- Catherine Tayloron The Great Political Fictions: The Golden Notebook Part 2 w/Catherine Taylor
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Based on the provided evidence, sponsors include a mix of major tech companies (Google, Windows 11, Shopify), financial and professional services (Accenture, Indeed), and consumer brands (San Pellegrino, Mint Mobile). This suggests an estimated target audience of educated, professional, and high-information consumers.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of Past Present Future?
- The host is David Runciman, an Honorary Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge and author. He also created and hosted the 'Talking Politics' podcast.
- What is the format of the show?
- The format varies. Some episodes are solo lectures by David Runciman, others are dialogues with a co-host for a series, and some are live interviews with guest experts.
- How often do new episodes come out?
- The podcast is bi-weekly, with new episodes typically released on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Is this podcast still running?
- Yes, it is an active podcast with new episodes released regularly.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- Past Present Future is available on its official website, ppfideas.com, and on all major podcast platforms.
- What is the 'Now & Then' series?
- It's a recurring series, often with historian Robert Saunders, that examines significant political anniversaries, like the Brexit referendum, to analyze their causes and consequences.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Past Present Future Official Websiteppfideas.com
- [02]David Runciman - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]David Runciman - University of Cambridge Profilepolis.cam.ac.uk
- [04]David Runciman - London Review of Books Contributor Pagelrb.co.uk
- [05]Talking Politics Podcast (Archive)talkingpoliticspodcast.com
- [06]David Runciman - RCW Literary Agencyrcwlitagency.com
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