Anarchism, Democracy & Power | Dr. Sophie Scott-Brown

In this episode, Dr. Sophie Scott-Brown and I explore anarchism, democracy, political power, and the history of radical political thought. We discuss what anarchism is, why it is difficult to define, and why anarchist thought is often more pluralistic than people assume. Dr. Scott-Brown explains how anarchism challenges permanent structures of authority and how people already organise parts of everyday life through informal cooperation. We also examine representative democracy, direct democracy, citizens’ assemblies, radical democracy, and libertarian socialism. Dr. Scott-Brown reflects on the limits of representation, the possibilities and problems of referenda and people’s assemblies, and why democracy may need to be understood as something more fluid, participatory, and self-critical. Finally, we discuss the history of radical politics in post-war Britain, the New Left, anti-nuclear activism, education, universities, neoliberalism, political violence, nonviolent protest, social movements, and what present-day movements can learn from the past.