In this episode I argue that political theory is always grounded in myths of origin. In classical thought, politics is seen as immanent—arising naturally from God or human nature. Modern thinkers like Hobbes and Rousseau reject this givenness, instead inventing hypothetical states of nature and social contracts. These constructs function as transcendent narratives, secular creation myths that legitimize political order while claiming to be rational and immanent. The paradox is that modern theory denies transcendence yet cannot escape it, smuggling it back in through origin stories. Later critics such as Nietzsche, Schmitt, and Foucault highlight how myth persists at the heart of modern rationality. Contemporary politics continues to rely on founding myths—constitutions, revolutions, “the will of the people”—which sustain legitimacy through a kind of secular faith. Ultimately, politics is always both immanent and transcendent: rooted in what is given, yet dependent on the stories we tell about its creation.


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"Dare to use your own reason" - Immanuel Kant

This episode includes AI-generated content.