In this episode, I’m joined by Peter Linebaugh, a historian whose thinking and writing about the commons spans the entirety of a quite distinguished career. His books include The London Hanged, The Magna Carta Manifesto, Stop Thief, Red Round Globe Hot Burning, and, with Marcus Rediker, The Many Headed Hydra. His writing combines a rigorous historical understanding grounded in the archives with a deep concern for and critique of the present, a difficult balancing act to pull off. 

We talk about the commons in history and today, the meaning of industry and idleness, crime and the police, and Linebaugh’s approach to the discipline of history. 

Contact US

Twitter: @PublicSeminar, @lmergner, @pete_sinnott

Email: [email protected]

Credits

Producer: Daniel Fermín

Music: Composed and performed by Samuel Haines. 

Artwork: Daniel Fermín

What We Talked About

The commons and commoning

Christopher Hill

David Graeber and David Wengrow

Adam Smith

Policing