HISTORY OF IDEAS CLUB · ARCHIVE · PODCAST
Ideas are better in company.
Across three seminar series, Beyond the Text brought major works in intellectual history and political philosophy into serious, welcoming conversation. Led by Samuel Woodall and Jack Thomson, the programme combined historical introduction, close reading and open discussion.
Current status
The in-person programme is currently paused
With Jack now based abroad, regular in-person meetings are paused and no new seminar dates are currently scheduled. The completed programmes remain available here as an archive, while the conversation now continues online through the History of Ideas Reading Club.
Three journeys through the history of ideas
Liberty, Heritage and Revolution each explored around ten thinkers, carrying participants from the ancient world through medieval and early-modern traditions to modern political and philosophical debate.
Liberty
From Plato and Confucius to Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Paine, Mill and modern theories of justice, the series compared rival accounts of freedom, authority and rights.
Heritage
Plato, Augustine, Montesquieu, de Maistre, Burke, Byron, Scruton, Disraeli and Oakeshott opened questions about inheritance, memory and political tradition.
Revolution
From Descartes, Kant and Hegel to the modern republic and industrialisation, the series followed revolutions in thought, politics and society.
How the seminars worked
Meetings began with the historical setting, moved into close engagement with primary texts and left generous time for discussion. The aim was scholarly depth without unnecessary barriers: participants could arrive with specialist knowledge or simply with curiosity.
Recordings from the programme remain part of the Beyond the Text podcast archive, allowing the conversations to continue beyond the original meetings.
