This podcast features Keith Baker, J.E. Wallace Sterling Emeritus Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University, whose scholarship has significantly shaped the study of the French Enlightenment and the French Revolution. The conversation centers on his recent publication, Jean-Paul Marat: Prophet of Terror, while situating it within the broader trajectory of his academic career.The discussion begins by tracing Baker's intellectual formation, highlighting how his education in the United Kingdom and his subsequent academic career-spanning institutions from Chicago to California -have informed his transatlantic perspective on European history. Particular attention is given to his methodological contributions to the fields of intellectual history and political philosophy, especially his emphasis on interrogating foundational concepts such as "society," "public opinion," and "revolution." Baker reflects on his pedagogical approach, underscoring the importance of encouraging students to critically examine categories that are often taken for granted in both historical analysis and contemporary discourse.The podcast then turns to Baker's study of Jean-Paul Marat, a central and controversial figure of the revolutionary period. Through a close examination of Marat's early life, education, and intellectual influences, the conversation explores how his formative experiences contributed to the development of his political thought and public persona. In doing so, the discussion situates Marat not merely as a radical actor during the Revolution, but as a complex intellectual shaped by the scientific, philosophical, and political currents of his time.Overall, the podcast provides insight into the interplay between biography, intellectual history, and political context, illustrating how individual trajectories can illuminate broader transformations in revolutionary thought and practice.

In this episode of The Civic Agora, we sit down with Dan Edelstein, Professor of French and member of the Stanford Civics Initiative, to explore what revolution, citizenship, and education really mean today. From the history of political ideas to his course on Civic, Liberal, and Global Education, Dan explains how classrooms can become labs for democracy, where students learn to listen, debate, and take responsibility as citizens. We also discuss his new book, The Revolution to Come, and what ancient philosophy can teach us about modern civic life.Listen, reflect, and join the conversation on democracy, pluralism, and civic education.Comment your thoughts below and subscribe to stay tuned for upcoming episodes!👉 Follow us: Stanford Civics Initiative – The Civic AgoraYouTube | Spotify | civics.stanford.edu

What can the history of political thought teach us about today's crisis of mass incarceration? In this episode of The Civic Agora (Stanford Civics Initiative), we sit down with Jacob Abolafia-Yale and Harvard graduate, and author of The Prison Before the Panopticon. Together, we explore the history of punishment, the origins of imprisonment, debates on progress in political theory, and the legacy of thinkers from Plato to Foucault.

- Key topics:

- When and why imprisonment became the dominant punishment

- Philosophical debates that imagined prisons before they existed

- Competing traditions of incarceration: authorization vs. reform

- Rethinking Foucault's view of prisons

- What intellectual history offers for reform today

Watch the full conversation to gain new insights into justice, punishment, and the future of political philosophy.

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