De Dépendance Podcast addresses the complex issues of our time and how they manifest themselves in our cities and urban regions. From Rotterdam, The Netherlands we interview writers, scholars, and thought leaders.
How rich is too rich? In this episode, we revisit a conversation recorded at De Dépendance in 2024 with philosopher Ingrid Robeyns and economic historian Guido Alfani, two leading thinkers on wealth, inequality, and the history of capitalism.
The discussion took place on the occasion of the publication of Robeyns' book Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth and Alfani's As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West. Together, these books ask a pressing question: what happens when extreme riches become concentrated in the hands of a few?
In conversation, Robeyns and Alfani explore the moral, political, and historical case against extreme wealth. They discuss why today's unprecedented concentration of riches poses a threat to democratic societies, how the role of the wealthy has changed over time, and whether placing limits on personal wealth could help build a fairer and more resilient society. Drawing on philosophy, economics, and history, they reflect on what inequality reveals about the kind of world we have created—and what it would take to imagine a different one.
29 Jun 2026
Arnaud Orain & Caroline de Gruyter on Finitude Capitalism
In this episode, we bring you a recording of a special event we hosted with economic historian Arnaud Orain, whose work offers a new perspective on the history and future of capitalism. He is joined by journalist and European affairs commentator Caroline de Gruyter, one of Europe's most perceptive observers of politics and the liberal order.
The conversation took place on the occasion of the Dutch translation of Orain's book The Finitude of the World: Boundless Capitalism from the Seventeenth Century to Today. In this groundbreaking work, Orain argues that while the neoliberal promise of endless growth may have reached its limits, capitalism itself remains far from exhausted. Instead, he contends, we have entered a recurring historical phase he calls "Finitude Capitalism": a form of capitalism that emerges when the world is perceived as finite and resources become objects of intensified competition, extraction, and control.
Together, they discuss how this logic manifests today in the privatisation and militarisation of the seas, the rise of monopolistic and rentier forms of trade, and the growing power of private corporations that exercise quasi-sovereign authority over both physical and digital spaces. Drawing on history, political economy, and contemporary geopolitics, Orain and De Gruyter reflect on what the return of finitude means for capitalism, democracy, and the future of the global liberal order.
18 Jun 2026
Quinn Slobodian & Ben Tarnoff on Muskism
In this episode, we bring you a recording of a conversation hosted by De Dépendance with historian Quinn Slobodian and writer and technologist Ben Tarnoff, co-authors of the new book Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed.
Quinn Slobodian is Professor of International History at Boston University and the author of Crack-Up Capitalism, Hayek's Bastards, and Globalists. Ben Tarnoff is the author of Internet for the People and co-author of Voices from the Valley, and writes extensively on technology, power, and digital politics.
In conversation with journalist Nuria Ribas Costa, they explore the idea of "Muskism": a political and economic logic embodied by Elon Musk but extending far beyond any single individual. Rather than treating Musk as an exceptional figure, they examine him as a symptom of a broader postliberal age, one in which technological sovereignty, private power, and visions of engineered futures increasingly shape public life.
Together, they discuss the relationship between technology and state power, the appeal of techno-libertarianism, and the ways digital platforms, AI, and infrastructure are reshaping politics and society. Drawing on history, political economy, and contemporary tech culture, Slobodian and Tarnoff ask what Muskism reveals about our present moment—and the kind of future it seeks to build.
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