This Future Based-podcast series hosted by Floris Schleicher, brings you conversations about our political institutions. Topics discussed include: How are our political institutions designed? To what extent can they cope with 21st century problems like climate change, inequality, polarization and migration? What do the possible alternatives to our current political institutions look like? And what might be their advantages and drawbacks? Big and interesting questions. If you want to know more about politics, justice and the future this is the right podcast for you.

Gabriël van den Brink was professor of Public Administration at Tilburg University until 2016 and now works as professor of Philosophy at the Vrije University’s Centrum Èthos. Typical of his methods is the combination of empirical research with philosophical reflections on general life questions. After studying Philosophy at what formerly was the Catholic University of Nijmegen he obtained his doctorate degree in the Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, where he was also employed as researcher. In 2004 van den Brink published the study “Schets van een Beschavingsoffensief,” and in May of this year his new book “Ruw Ontwaken uit een Neoliberale Droom” – “Rough Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream” in English – came out. In this work van den Brink discusses the flaws of liberal thinking, such as the growing distance between the rich and poor, the disappearance of permanent contracts, growing asocial behaviour and the widely shared view that national communities are collapsing. Our upper administrative layer seemed to be oblivious to these developments. Both the political left and right clung religiously to these liberal ideals. It is exactly this, argues van den Brink, which made room for right-wing populists to exploit these dissatisfactions and further aggravate polarisation. Attempts at this have been rather successful, as some results of elections in European countries show. Although worries about the state of Dutch society are widespread and growing, there are few that are able to address these problems with clarity. The question of what is happening to The Netherlands socio-politically is discussed profoundly in this book, and also plays a central role in the current podcast where cautious suggestions are made for a possible resolution of these issues.

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Shownotes:

Intro Floris and Gabriel van den Brink/ 00:09 Human Nature and permanent change / 00:11 Marxism and the Holy Spirit / 00:16 Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations / 00:20 Neo-liberalism and human nature and moral sentiments / 00:25 Autonomy / 00:35 Academic language versus reality / 00:42 Understanding political choices / 00:45 Recognition and movements of revolution in the 60s and 70s / 00:54 Methodological populist / 00:59 Spoiled consumer society and the spoiled elite / 01:05 Western attitude / 01:09 The power of minorities / 01:13 Something is going on / 01:20 European Union / 01:22 Proposal: Europe and its role in the world / 01:28 Right wing elections / 01:31 Climate change and the green agenda / 01:37 OK boomers / 01:40 Corona and agency / 01:45 Booktips and outro

Name-dropping-list:

00:06 Antionio Gramsci / 00:09 Leon Trotsky / 00:16 Adam Smith/ 00:18 Biologist Francis de Waal /00:25 John Locke / 00:25 Milton Friedman /00:44 Marx, Hegel, Piketty / 00:47 Francis Fukuyama

Sound fragments:

Liberal Party / Who Will Pay for Socialism? / Greta Thunberg / Street Interviews: Students about their future / Brexit voices / Trump / Film: Logan’s Run Trailer / Film: Minority Influence / Speech Barack Obama

Suggestions for further reading:

* Please buy your book at your local bookshop. *

Books by Gabriel van den Brink: Schets van een Beschavingsoffensief / Ruw Ontwaken

Article by Gabriel van den Brink: Holy Spirit.

Other books mentioned: Permanent Revolution by Leon Trotsky

The Wealth of Nations / Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith

Identity / The End of History by Francis Fukuyama

Floris Schleicher is a Dutch philosopher, writer and teacher and the host of a brand new podcast series on Future Based: Future Based Politics. Question? Inquiry? Additional information? Get in touch with Floris at: floris@futurebased.org.

Press: goodnews@futurebased.org