And now what? Is a political theory podcast, providing you with fresh ideas, perspectives and questions to understand our world. It is made by me, Ulrike, a passionate political scientist and teacher from Berlin. I enjoy political theory because each new thinker, each new idea, each new question is the promise of a new perspective, better answers and fresh understandings. Come along with me for the ride and I hope you enjoy.
More information on the episodes, reading and listening suggestions go to https://and-now-what.net .Check it out! And let me know what you think!
One man's fear - Looking at the human condition with Thomas Hobbes
This episode tackles the thought of Thomas Hobbes, his fear of what would happen if political authority went away and how that still has such a grasp on our imagination 400 years later. Most importantly, however, it argues that taking on that fear is a mistake and actually a hindrance in thinking about the future.
The episode leaves out many things that could and maybe should be said about Thomas Hobbes, so if something seems missing, just head over to the resources on the blog for more.
Blog: https://and-now-what.net/ (https://and-now-what.net/)
Episode page: https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-11-one-mans-fear-looking-at-the-human-condition-with-thomas-hobbes/ (https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-11-one-mans-fear-looking-at-the-human-condition-with-thomas-hobbes/)
29 Aug 2026
Rerun - Living in truth (in difficult times)
How to live in difficult times and how to change them? This is a rerun of an episode from last year about an idea by Vaclav Havel about what it requires to live in difficult times and what it demands of us. If anything, this is more relevant now than it was a year ago. Havel speaks from experience and, although he didn't know it at the time of writing the essay, the strategy worked, too. So, it's about time to rerun it. Go ahead, listen and consider.
More info here: https://and-now-what.net/episodes/ep-4-vaclav-havel-and-living-in-truth/
The promised episode on Hobbes is in the works it will reach you soon.
26 Jul 2026
Just a Thought - The dirty secret of governing
You can't force everybody all the time. This is a thought that we rarely acknowledge. But I think we should appreciate. The blog page is the place to comment.
https://and-now-what.net/the-dirty-secret-of-governing
12 Jul 2026
Forced to be free – Rousseau, the general will and democracy’s challenge
Forced to be free? How ludicrous! Or not? In this episode I tackle Rousseau and how his idea of freedom actually makes sense and how thinking about the general will clarifies why democracy feels so hard. And maybe a little bit what to do about it. Here is the blogpost, (https://and-now-what.net/uncategorized/forced-to-be-free-rousseau-the-general-will-and-democracys-challenge/) you are invited to comment and critique. Enjoy!
As usual, there is an episode page (https://and-now-what.net/ep-10-forced-to-be-free-rousseau-the-general-will-and-democracys-challenge/) which gives some further links. Don't be intimidated, this doesn't require a college degree to get.
The picture of Jean-Jacques Rousseau is public domain.
The music is by Jack Pearce "Moments of Magic".
7 Jun 2026
Just a Thought - Marx and AI
Introducing: shorts. This is a new format and those who listened to the end of the lat episode have already had a taste. 3-5 minute episodes on thoughts that don't quite make sense in an episode, but really point in interesting directions. This one is on Marx and AI. Enjoy!
Let me know what you think on of the format and the episode on bluesky @andnowwhat.bsky.social or through comments.
Link: WITHPod 2-year-olds vs. Al: who's more creative? Cognitive scientist shares the SURPRISING answer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQWDq9FGxFI&list=PLDIVi-vBsOEzArBz5VnChpoJEf4DQCgvG&index=2
31 May 2026
Why I read Marx - and you should, too
In this episode I give you some more Marx. And I won't be talking about the usual stuff but a more, let's say, preliminary thought of his that's convinced me that Marx understood something about capitalism, that all to often gets overlooked. And even if I am wrong about that, looking into these thoughts will make you think and hopefully inspire you to learn more.
It's definitely going to be interesting!
As the blog is moving soon, the episode page will appear at the new site soon. Therefore now just three links to things referenced in the episode.
The Communist Manifesto https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf
The Economic Philosophical Manuscripts https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Economic-Philosophic-Manuscripts-1844.pdf
WITHPod - 2-year-olds vs. Al: who's more creative? Cognitive scientist shares the SURPRISING answer https://youtu.be/ZQWDq9FGxFI?si=pJFoYE4slnxdPKe-
Image: Гринштейн, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Music: Moments of Magic by Jack Pearce
27 Apr 2026
Tolerating Ambivalence and some Marx on Freedom
In this episode I talk about what I mean by tolerating ambivalence. It's complicated, but also really thrilling and you might fashioning a whole new life skill here. AND I can use Marx to explain it, not the heavy economic Marx texts but some earlier, more philosophical thoughts. So, it's great if you just want a little first taste. And will still be fun when you have done all the big Marx stuff before. This episode really has something for everyone.
As always you can find more info on the blog (https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/tolerating-ambivalence-the-case-of-marx/) and you can contact me on bluesky @andnowwhat, too.
20 Mar 2026
A guide to understanding political thinking
Looking at political thought is by no means without challenges. And thinking about how to do that has a lot to teach us about how to look at anything said politically. This episode is a concise summary of what I see as the most useful insights. So listen in and get a very brief summary of the key reflections to be had. And leave with food for thought.
As always, further readings and links can be found on the blog at https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/wp-admin/post.php?post=138&action=edit
Episode Picture: Christs College Cambrigde, by Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
1 Feb 2026
Truth, Lies and All The Rest
Here it is - my wrap up on the truth trilogy. I talk about what's up with all the lies and what role truth plays. Hope you find it thought-provoking. You don't have to listen to the previous episodes to enjoy this one. But if you have questions after, it might be worth going back and listening in. Or you go the Blog (https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/) and the Episode Page (https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/episodes/ep-6-truth-revisited/) to find more resources.
Please enjoy and let me know what you think!
https://bsky.app/profile/andnowhat.bsky.social
Photo Credit: my husband
19 Oct 2025
Truth is not what it seems according to Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault's work on truth is discussed, revealing its unique yet compatible perspectives alongside those of Hannah Arendt and Václav Havel in political theory.
16 Jun 2025
Vaclav Havel and living in truth
Vaclav Havel's experiences inform his political thought, as he explores living authentically and discovering opportunities amidst injustice, offering insights into resistance and personal integrity.
7 Apr 2025
What to learn about truth from Hannah Arendt
Truth is a beast of a concept. There is so many different perspectives that offer different insights. Hannah Arendt teaches us why truth in politics might be just as harmful as lies. It's probably not any of the things you think of. Curious? Enjoy the episode!
https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/?page_id=85
Photo: American Memory, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
22 Dec 2024
Life and Machiavelli
There is many ways of looking at Machiavelli. This one is unusual, but it proves useful to me and maybe you, too. Listen to why Machiavelli has something fundmentally right about life.
episode page https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/how-to-look-at-life-with-machiavelli/
Episode picture CC-BY-SA 3.0 Lorenzo Bartolini, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Niccolo_Machiavelli_uffizi.jpg
2 Dec 2024
About Hope
In this first episode I tackle the concept of hope and - if speaking in political theory terms - there is something to it. There is. I hope you enjoy. Some interesting sources can be found on the episode page on the blog. https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/andnowwhat/episodes/ep-1-about-hope/
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