<p>Anxiety is an inescapable, fundamental human reaction to an unpredictable future. This is the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, a curmudgeon of the 17th century who believed that without a powerful, sovereign government life would be "nasty, brutish and short." Politics and uncertainty go hand in hand. In this podcast,<em> IDEAS</em> explores how a new take on Hobbes on the topic of anxiety offers a surprising perspective on American politics and democracy. For worried politicos today his way of thinking offers valuable lessons.</p><p><br></p><p>*This episode originally aired on Jan. 13, 2025.</p><p><br></p><p>Guests in this podcast:</p><p><br></p><p>Vertika is a political science PhD student at McGill University.</p><p><br></p><p>Kinch Hoekstra is a professor of political science and law at the University of California, Berkeley, and the co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Hobbes.</p><p><br></p><p>Bethany Albertson is an associate professor of political science at the University of ...