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Welcome to Beyond the Text, a podcast series dedicated to delving into intellectual history with depth and context. In a world saturated with quick takes, Beyond the Text goes the extra mile. Paying homage to Skinner's insights on the importance of context, this podcast unveils overlooked aspects of historical and intellectual narratives.
Co-hosted by Samuel Woodall and Jack Thomson, Beyond the Text explores the profound impact of thought and ideas throughout human history—forces that have driven change, shaped societies, and sparked revolutions. Beyond the mere words on the page, this podcast unravels the layers surrounding pivotal concepts and moments. Each episode meticulously examines the connections, influences, and societal currents that contribute to their evolution.
Join us on this journey to grasp the true significance of intellectual history. Whether you're an enthusiast, a curious mind, or someone intrigued by the myriad forces shaping our world, Beyond the Text provides a space for nuanced exploration. Tune in and venture beyond the surface to understand the rich tapestry of our intellectual heritage.
Samuel Woodall is a PhD candidate in Intellectual History at the University of Buckingham. He previously earned an MLitt in Intellectual History from the University of St. Andrews and a BA (Hons) in History and Politics from the University of Exeter.
Jack Thomson holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of Buckingham and brings a philosophical lens to the exploration of ideas, ensuring each discussion is both rigorous and thought-provoking.
| Episode | Date |
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Beyond the Text: Edmund Burke and the Moral Imagination
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Apr 13, 2026 |
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Beyond the Text: Moderation and Memory: Rapin de Thoyras and the Making of English Party
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Apr 13, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Clubs: Industrialisation and Karl Marx
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Apr 06, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: The Birth of the Modern Republic: France, America, Haiti
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Mar 23, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: Revolution of Modernity: Descartes, Kant, Hegel
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Mar 09, 2026 |
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Beyond the Text: Joseph de Maistre: Order, Authority, and the Counter-Revolution
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Mar 02, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: The Copernican Revolution in Astronomy
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Feb 23, 2026 |
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Beyond the Text: Augustine’s City of God
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Feb 16, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: The English Civil War
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Feb 09, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: The Gregorian Reforms and the Protestant Reformation: Changing Concepts of Law and State
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Jan 26, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: Rome: From Empire to Republic (and Back Again)
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Jan 19, 2026 |
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History of Ideas Club: 'And the Word Became Flesh…’: Christianity’s Emergence and Impact
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Dec 15, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Disraeli and Oakeshott
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Nov 10, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Roger Scruton
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Nov 03, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Edmund Burke and the Romantic Poets
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Oct 13, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Joseph de Maistre
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Sep 29, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Augustine's City of God
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Sep 15, 2025 |
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Beyond the Text: Plato's Republic
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Sep 08, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Plato's Republic
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Sep 01, 2025 |
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Beyond the Text: Rawls and Sandel
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May 09, 2025 |
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History of Ideas Club: Rawls and Sandel
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May 05, 2025 |
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Beyond the Text: F. A. Hayek: Law, Legislation, and Liberty
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Mar 19, 2025 |
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The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading Club Presents: Liberty Series, Hayek.
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Mar 18, 2025 |
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Beyond the Text: The French Existentialists: Sartre, De Beauvoir, Camus
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Mar 05, 2025 |
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The History Of Ideas & Political Thought Reading Club Presents: Liberty Series French Existentialism
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Jan 27, 2025 |
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Beyond the Text: John Stuart Mill, Linchpin Between Classical and Modern Liberalism
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Jan 20, 2025 |
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The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading Club Presents: Liberty Series: John Stuart Mill
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Jan 13, 2025 |
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Beyond the Text: John Locke, Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine - The Quest for Liberty
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Jan 06, 2025 |
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The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading Club Presents: Liberty Series, Locke & Paine.
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Dec 23, 2024 |
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Beyond the Text: Rousseau's Social Contract and the Civic Religion
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Dec 15, 2024 |
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The History Of Ideas And Political Thought Reading Club Presents: Liberty Series, Rousseau.
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Dec 08, 2024 |
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Explorations - The Plinian Society and the Birth of Evolutionary Science in 19th-Century Edinburgh
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Sep 20, 2024 |
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Academy to Arena - Rt Honourable Tom Brake (Lib Dem) on Constitutional Reform, Brexit and the Union
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Jun 23, 2024 |
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Explorations - Science in the Age of Revolutions: the Context of Darwin.
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Jun 03, 2024 |
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Beyond the Music - Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and King Arthur
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May 26, 2024 |
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Explorations - Transcribing the Bentham Project
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May 04, 2024 |
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The Interviews - Rt Honourable Jesse Norman MP (Con) on "The Winding Stair": Dissecting Francis Bacon's Ambition and the Art of Historical Fiction
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Mar 17, 2024 |
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The Interviews - Professor Ritchie Robertson on 'The Enlightenment and the Pursuit of Happiness'
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Feb 22, 2024 |
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Thinkers: Shapers of Political Thought Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine Explored
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Feb 20, 2024 |
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The Interviews - Professor Anthony Pagden on 'The Enlightenment and Why it Still Matters'.
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Feb 15, 2024 |
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The Interviews - Professor Denis Lacorne on 'The Limits of Tolerance'
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Feb 10, 2024 |
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Academy to Arena - The Tyranny of Reason
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Feb 06, 2024 |
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The Interviews - Professor Dominic Aquila on 'The Church and the Age of Enlightenment (1648-1848)'
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Jan 30, 2024 |
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Histories - The Enlightenment or the 'Age of Reason'
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Jan 29, 2024 |
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Explorations - Enlightenment, Encyclopédie and Ernst Cassirer
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Jan 22, 2024 |
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Academy to Arena - Rt Honourable Hillary Benn MP (Lab): Brexit, COVID-19 and Education
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Dec 20, 2023 |
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Academy to Arena - 19th Century Cornwall: Popular Protest, Religion and the Path to Brexit
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Dec 19, 2023 |
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Explorations - Natural Law and Natural Rights
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Dec 17, 2023 |
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Explorations - Resistance and Reformation
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Dec 09, 2023 |
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The Interviews - Saviël ter Hart on 'How Should Moral Ideas be Formed?'
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Nov 10, 2023 |
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Explorations - Meddling with the Medieval
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Oct 28, 2023 |
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Thinkers - Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Pt. 4, The Social Contract & Emile
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Oct 19, 2023 |
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Thinkers - Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Pt. 3, Discourse on Inequality
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Oct 17, 2023 |
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Thinkers - Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Pt. 2, Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
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Oct 09, 2023 |
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Thinkers - Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Pt. 1, Characteristics, Contracts & Confessions
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Oct 07, 2023 |
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Explorations - All the Classics: Part 2, Confucius (Kong Fuzi) & the Axial Age
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Oct 02, 2023 |
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Explorations - All the Classics: Part 1, Platonic Thought
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Sep 19, 2023 |
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Explorations - Interpreting the Past: Skinner and Foucault
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Sep 09, 2023 |
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Explorations - By the Book: The Rules of Intellectual History
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Aug 28, 2023 |