Dr Liam Byrne is a political biographer and historian. He is author of several books, both published by Melbourne University Press: "Becoming John Curtin and James Scullin: The Making of the Modern Labor Party" and "No Power Greater: A History of Union Action in Australia".

I recently interviewed Liam to talk about the history of trade unionism in Australia. In this far-reaching discussion, we touch on the values of unionism, how the labour movement responded to the neoliberalism of the 1980s, and some of the unique features of Australia's industrial relations framework.

Get in touch with the show on Instagram @ideasmatterpod, or with the host on Bluesky @louissdevine

What do John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, and Chantal Mouffe all have in common? They are all representatives of a distinct liberal socialist tradition, according to today's guest, Matthew McManus.

Matt is a lecturer in political science at the University of Michigan, and author of several books on political theory. Today we are discussing his most recent work, The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism.

Liberal Socialism seeks to combine the best insights of either tradition, merging strong protections for individual liberties with a more democratic and redistributive economy. So, is it an oxymoron or an idea whose time has come? Let us know what you think!

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Contact Ideas Matter via email: ideasmatterpod@gmail.com

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What are the ideologies of the Manosphere, and how are they being mainstreamed? Claudia Young, a PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne, is researching these very questions.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss what it means to be 'black-pilled' versus 'red-pilled', how Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson are popularising misogynistic ideas, as well as Raewyn Connell's path-breaking book, Masculinities.

You can follow Claudia's writing on Substack or stay up to date via Bluesky

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Email at ideasmatterpod@gmail.com