Quentin Skinner discusses his view on liberty, how freedom relates to democracy, and whether there are limits to liberty in representative government.

Quentin is Emeritus Professor of Humanities at Queen Mary University of London and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Cambridge. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of the Cambridge School of the History of Political Thought.

Patricia Owens explores how the gender binary shaped the production and reception of international thought, what recovering overlooked voices means for present-day international relations and how centring historically marginalised perspectives alters theory and practice in the field.

Patricia Owens is Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford. For the past few years, she directed an interdisciplinary research collaboration called “Women and the History of International Thought”.

Apeike Umolu talks about panafricanism, patriotism and time and what these ideas have to do with the call for reparations and the policies of the African Union today.

Apeike Umolu is a Historian of Political Thought and PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge.

Intellectual Historian Richard Whatmore explains why the Enlightenment, 18th century republicanism and the history of free states matter for today’s global politics.

Richard Whatmore is Professor of Modern History and co-director of the Institute of Intellectual History at the University of St Andrews.

Welcome to Roots and Branches, the ideas podcast from the Institute of Intellectual History at the University of St Andrews.

Host Selma Sondern explains what Intellectual History is, why it matters, and what to expect when we launch on 1 July 2025 with Prof Richard Whatmore.