Best Ben Burgis Podcasts (2025)

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Analytic Marxism and the Future of Scientific Socialism (feat. Ben Burgis) 2:37:12

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1d ago2:37:12

2:37:12

Ben Burgis joins us for a discussion on the analytic Marxism of G.A. Cohen and the implications of his reading of Marx for 21st century socialism. We discuss Burgis's essay in the new book Flowers for Marx available now with with Revol Press. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/c/emancipationsBy Daniel Tutt

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A Social History of Analytic Philosophy (feat. Christoph Schuringa) 2:21:52

6h ago2:21:52

2:21:52

Analytic philosophy is the leading form of philosophy in the English-speaking world and most academic philosophy departments are analytic. But what explains this power and what is the history of analytic philosophy. Where did it begin and how did it rise to such prominence? I am joined by philosopher Christoph Schuringa to explore the social histor…

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Gramsci's Theory of Bonapartism (feat. Francesca Antonini) 1:47:35

1d ago1:47:35

1:47:35

My guest is Dr. Francesca Antonini, a historian and scholar of Antonio Gramsci. Dr. Antonini teaches at the Ca' Foscari University in Venice Italy. Her latest book is an exhaustive study of Gramsci's theory of Bonapartism, and it is entitled, Caesarism and Bonapartism in Gramsci: Hegemony and the Crisis of Modernity. In this discussion, we examine …

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Season 7 Episode 21: How Capitalism Ends (Bastille Day Special w/Steve Paxton) 1:49:48

3d ago1:49:48

1:49:48

Steve Paxton studied with the great Marxist philosopher G.A. Cohen as a graduate student at Oxford. Since then, he's had blue-collar jobs, white collar jobs, and been unemployed, but he's never stopped writing and thinking about socialism and Marxism. For this special Bastille Day episode, Ben Burgis talks with Steve about his book "How Capitalism …

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Season 7 Episode 20: We Have Always Had a Union (ft. Shaun Richman) 2:06:11

5d ago2:06:11

2:06:11

Labor scholar Shaun Richman joins us to talk to Ben Burgis about his book "We Always Had a Union: The New York Hotel Workers’ Union, 1912-1953." Before that, Ben does an Opening Argument on the absurd attacks on Zohran that have been made everywhere from National Review to Reason to...Matt Taibbi's Substack. (Goddamnit, Matt.) In the postgame for p…

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Season 7 Episode 19: Flowers for Marx 2:02:04

7d ago2:02:04

2:02:04

Two authors from the new anthology "Flowers for Marx" (returning guests Matt McManus & Conrad Hamilton) join Ben Burgis to chat about the book. Before that, Ben and the crew debunk more smears of Zohran. In the postgame for patrons, Matt puts in a shift joining us on our long march through Jordan Peterson vs. 20 atheists. Order Flowers for Marx: ht…

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Season 7 Episode 18: Michael O'Neill Burns & Matt McManus on Marx & Ideology 1:50:41

9d ago1:50:41

1:50:41

Philosophical and comedic YouTube person Michael O'Neill Burns comes on GTAA for the first time and political science professor Matt McManus comes on for the billionth time (rough approximation) so they can discuss Marx and ideology. Before that, Ben and the crew break down some of the worst pro-war talking points wrt Iran. In the postgame, we cont…

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Episode #24: James Fishkin 1:11:46

29d ago1:11:46

1:11:46

Episode #24: James Fishkin

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The Roots of Austerity and 20th Century Fascism (feat. Clara Mattei) 1:08:14

30d ago1:08:14

1:08:14

My guest Clara Mattei has written about austerity’s dark intellectual origins in her important new book The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way for Fascism. We discuss the main ideas of this book and how the historical roots of austerity emerge as a response by the ruling class to the social democratic gains of the wo…

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Organizing the Working Class (feat. Sudip Bhattacharya) 1:24:52

30d ago1:24:52

1:24:52

My guest Sudip Bhattacharya studies and organizes the working class in New Jersey and he joins me to discuss the findings of his work. We explore some practical strategies for organizing the working class, the future of socialist politics and ways to overcome some of the main limitations to class politics in our time. This conversation is inspired …

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Season 7 Episode 17: Another World is Possible (ft. Natasha Zapata) 2:18:10

1M ago2:18:10

2:18:10

Natasha Hakimi Zapata joins us to chat w/Ben about her important new book "Another World is Possible: Lessons for America from Around the Globe." From Britain's NHS to Singapore's publicly-leased housing system to New Zealand's egalitarian pensions to Norway's family policies, her book documents the way that countries around the world have proven t…

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Season 7 Episode 16: Citizen Marx 2:05:30

1M ago2:05:30

2:05:30

Bruno Leipold joins Ben Burgis to talk about his excellent book "Citizen Marx: Republicanism and the Formation of Karl Marx's Social and Political Thought." Before that, Ben does an Opening Argument responding to Jodi Dean on "neofeudalism." In the postgame for patrons, RM Brown joins Ben and the crew to break down some more of Jordan Peterson's bi…

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Season 7 Episode 15: Nathan Robinson on His Book w/Noam Chomsky (+ Jordan Peterson's Jubilee) 2:17:33

1M ago2:17:33

2:17:33

Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson joins Ben Burgis to talk about his and Noam Chomsky's new book "The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World." In the postgame for patrons, Ben and the cre watch some of Jordan Peterson's Jubilee debate, in which Peterson realizes he can brilliantly defend his position by the 5…

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Restoring the Revolutionary Thought of Karl Kautsky (feat. Ian Szabo) 1:43:30

1M ago1:43:30

1:43:30

I am joined by Marxist historian Ian Szabo to discuss the revival of Karl Kautsky's revolutionary thought among contemporary Marxists. We discuss a recent article on Kautsky's theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and we address the predominant misreadings and misinterpretations that exist about Kautsky, and how his thought speaks to our p…

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The Social Formation of the Far Right (The Archimedean Point) 1:56:39

1M ago1:56:39

1:56:39

Welcome to The Archimedean Point, a new series on the current political situation from a Marxist perspective. In our second episode, Daniel Tutt and Conrad Hamilton discuss the inadequacies of left-liberal accounts of racism and bigotry and why only a Marxist analysis can address the ideology of the far right. We also discuss new work by Daniel on …

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The Politics of Work and Class in Michael Mann's Thief (feat. Mtume Gant) 2:02:41

1M ago2:02:41

2:02:41

Welcome to a special crossover podcast discussion on Michael Mann's first major feature film Thief (1981). While Michael Mann is best known for films like HEAT and Last of the Mohicans, Thief is by far his most political film. The film explores themes of labor, exploitation, class and the inner lives of criminals and convicts. We discuss the Marxis…

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Season 7 Episode 14: Karl Marx in America (ft. Andrew Hartman) 1:57:26

2M ago1:57:26

1:57:26

Andrew Hartman joins Ben Burgis to talk about his fascinating book "Karl Marx in America," where he traces interest in Marx's ideas by American commentators from the Gilded Age to the Great Depression to the Vietnam-era New Left to the present. Before that, Ben does an Opening Argument responding to Ro Khanna on socialism. In the postgame for patro…

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Season 7 Episode 13: Eric Blanc on the Way Forward for Labor 1:06:31

3M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Eric Blanc joins Ben Burgis to talk about his new book "How Worker-to-Worker Organizing Is Revitalizing Labor and Winning Big." Then in the postgame for patrons, Ben and the crew will watch a bit of Ethan Klein vs. Hassan Piker for some reason. Buy Eric's book: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/we-are-the-union/paper Read Eric's Substack: https://www.l…

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Genius After Psychoanalysis (feat. Daniel Cho) 1:32:54

3M ago1:32:54

1:32:54

I am joined by K. Daniel Cho to discuss his provocative new book Genius After Psychoanalysis: Freud and Lacan which argues that genius is not exceptional talent or intelligence but is related to and illuminated by the psychological concept of sublimation. Beginning with a close examination of Freud's work on Leonardo da Vinci, Cho analyzes film, ar…

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Economic Imperialism and Global Working Class Struggle (feat. Immanuel Ness) 1:51:21

3M ago1:51:21

1:51:21

My guest is Dr. Immanuel Ness, one of the foremost scholars of contemporary imperialism, workers’ social organization, Global South political economy, socialism and migration. We discuss the concept of economic imperialism in today's time and how the theory of imperialism has changed since the time of Lenin. We also discuss the theory of the labor …

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Season 7 Episode 12: Congressman Ro Khanna Gives Us An Argument 1:32:17

3M ago1:32:17

1:32:17

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) comes on to talk about the swirling chaos of Trump 2.0 and where Dems are falling short in response. Before that, Ben does an Opening Argument about why the Left should trumpet the fact that social democratic policies are objectively pro-natalist. Pressuring people to have kids is obviously illiberal and bad, but we should tak…

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Season 7 Episode 11: Talking Hegel w/Borna Radnik & Matt McManus 2:08:59

3M ago2:08:59

2:08:59

First-time GTAA guest Borna Radnik and frequent GTAA guest Matt McManus join Ben Burgis to chat about Borna's book "Freedom, in Context:Time, History, and Necessity in Hegel." Before that, in lieu of an Opening Argument and for the first time on YouTube, we'll play a talk Ben gave a while back called "Karl Marx Deserves Better Critics." ...and, las…

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Episode #23: Eric Heinze 1:00:51

3M ago1:00:51

1:00:51

Episode #23

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Season 7 Episode 10: Matt Bruenig & Luke Savage on "Abundance" 2:14:42

3M ago2:14:42

2:14:42

Matt Bruenig and Luke Savage join Ben Burgis to talk about their reviews of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book, "Abundance," and what it all signifies about the drift of contemporary liberalism. Before that, Ben does an Opening Argument about why we should reject the false dichotomy of having to either support Donald Trump's "liberation day" insa…

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Season 7 Episode 9: Songs to Revolt To 2:19:14

3M ago2:19:14

2:19:14

Jake and Andy are joined by Teen Driver’s Mark Gurarie to talk about protest music. Ben shows up for a bit at the beginning but then disappears because he has bad priorities and chose to spend his birthday with his "literal" family instead of his podcasting family. We're not sure what's wrong with him. Ticket link for the San Francisco live show on…

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Rumors and Philosophy (feat. Mladen Dolar) 1:09:25

4M ago1:09:25

1:09:25

I am joined by the philosopher Mladen Dolar, one of the most important Lacanian philosophers working today. A founder of the Ljubljana school of psychoanalysis, Mladen Dolar has written important works on Hegel, Marx and numerous works on Lacanian thought. In this podcast, we discuss his experience studying with Lacan in Paris and the legacy of the…

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Season 7 Episode 8: Debating Socialism w/the Libertarian Institute's Keith Knight 1:31:22

4M ago1:31:22

1:31:22

Ben Burgis faces off with the Libertarian Institute's managing editor Keith Knight in a wide-ranging debate about capitalism, socialism, coercion, authoritarianim, exploitation, and more. Follow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgis Follow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_Show Become a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames ev…

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The Working Class vs. Neofeudalism (feat. Jodi Dean) 1:31:21

4M ago1:31:21

1:31:21

I am joined by political theorist Jodi Dean to discuss her provocative new book Capital's Grave: Neofeudalism and the New Class Struggle. Jodi Dean is one of the most vocal proponents of the "neofeudal thesis", the idea that capitalism has regressed to a neofeudal arrangement characterized by the delinking of capitalist accumulation from production…

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Why Marxists Should Be Public Intellectuals (feat. Russell Jacoby) 1:12:15

4M ago1:12:15

1:12:15

My guest Russell Jacoby is credited with coining the concept "public intellectual." He has written extensively on socialism in America, western Marxism and Freudian Marxism. We begin with a discussion of his criticism of Domenico Losurdo's recently translated work Western Marxism, we then discuss his recent Jacobin article "American Marxism Got Los…

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Althusser and the Problem of the Petty Bourgeoisie (feat. Nicolas Villarreal) 1:57:28

4M ago1:57:28

1:57:28

We welcome socialist thinker and writer Nicolas D. Villarreal for a discussion on the thought of Louis Althusser, and how to navigate the political and ideological problems of the petty bourgeoisie. We begin with a discussion into whether professionals qualify as a class and what their precise function is for the perpetuation of the bourgeois state…

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The Critique of Class Abstractionism (feat. Mike McCarthy) 1:38:02

4M ago1:38:02

1:38:02

My guest Michael A. McCarthy joins me to discuss his critique of "class abstractionism" or the tendency to theorize the working class in ways that result in vulgar and reductive conclusions. While McCarthy directs his critique to Vivek Chibber and his work The Class Matrix, we also discuss class abstractionism more broadly and how it appears on tod…

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Season 7 Episode 7: Debating Palestine w/Philosopher Spencer Case 2:05:15

4M ago2:05:15

2:05:15

Ben Burgis and philosophy professor and "Micro-Digressions" host Spencer Case hash out their disagreement on Zionism. Before that, Ben and the crew watch a fascinatingly strange AI video and Ben gives an Opening Argument on the Trump administration's authoritarianism, whether it's fascism, and why that even matters. Mean Djene Bajalan joins us for …

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Season 7 Episode 6: Watching Dugin & Glenn Greenwald w/Deep State Kuba 2:09:41

4M ago2:09:41

2:09:41

Far-right Russian thinker Aleksandr Dugin just sat down with Glenn Greenwald for an extensive interview, and we can't look away. Deep State Kuba joins Ben Burgis to watch some of it and discuss. Before that, Ben does an Opening Argument on the issues raised by the outrageous assault on free speech at Columbia. At the end of the main show, we play s…

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Season 7 Episode 5: Conversations with Platypi (Ben & Jason at UC-Irvine) 4:36:52

5M ago4:36:52

4:36:52

A couple weeks ago, Ben Burgis and Jason Myles went to UC-Irvine to speak at a panel on neoliberalism at the West coast conference of the Platypus Affiliated Society. It was a pretty interesting conversation, and we're excited to finally be able to share it. Before that, Ben gives us an Opening Argument about Jeff Bezos's diktat the Washington Post…

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Season 7 Episode 4: Walter Block Calls for Legalizing Sexual Harassment & Privatizing Roads 2:30:58

5M ago2:30:58

2:30:58

Last week, Ben Burgis debated libertarian economist Walter Block. Tonight, we're playing you the recording. (The debate was hosted by the magazine Merion West, which will be simultaneously releasing it on their podcast.) This was a continuation of a written debate that started with Ben's article "The Case for Democratic Socialism": https://merionwe…

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Episode #22: Ben Burgis & Walter Block 1:29:24

5M ago1:29:24

1:29:24

In this episode, Ben Burgis once more debates Walter Block.

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Season 7 Episode 3: Vivek Chibber is Done with Your Nonsense 1:55:10

5M ago1:55:10

1:55:10

Vivek Chibber is an sociology professor at NYU, the editor the socialist journal Catalyst, and the host of Jacobin's new podcast "Confronting Capitalism." He's written a few books, including "The Class Matrix." Recently, a lot of the most unhinged people on Left Twitter got very mad at him for a "Confronting Capitalism" episode he did trying to ana…

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Season 7 Episode 2: Debating Abortion Rights w/Spencer Case 2:12:30

5M ago2:12:30

2:12:30

Philosophy professor and "Micro-Digressions" host Spencer Case joins Ben Burgis for a friendly debate on abortion rights. Before that, Ben talks about RFK's insane critique of Medicare for All. No postgame, sorry, but we'll make it up to our loyal patrons with a particularly awesome one next time! Check out Micro-Digressions: https://www.youtube.co…

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Season 7 Episode 1: The Gulf of Liberal Socialism (ft. Matt McManus) 2:08:46

6M ago2:08:46

2:08:46

A lot has happened since the last episode of GTAA. Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America (thus ending our long national nightmare of having to accept an "of Mexico" body of water touching our sacred American soil), and Matt McManus came to L.A., where he and Ben Burgis did a live event to discuss Matt's book on liberal socialism. Ben…

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Episode #21: F.H. Buckley 1:01:12

6M ago1:01:12

1:01:12

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Debating Marxism - Daniel Tutt vs. Chris Cutrone 1:52:13

6M ago1:52:13

1:52:13

I have invited Chris Cutrone onto the show for a critical debate and discussion on our differences regarding Marxism in America, imperialism, interpretations of Nietzsche and the meaning of the left. Chris Cutrone is not someone that I agree with in matters of Marxism, but we have talked past each other for several years now and we have decided to …

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Episode #20: Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher 1:03:55

6M ago1:03:55

1:03:55

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Episode #19: Seth Berkowitz 1:10:55

6M ago1:10:55

1:10:55

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Jacques Rancière Interview on Emancipations 1:23:01

7M ago1:23:01

1:23:01

Please welcome Jacques Rancière to the Emancipations podcast. In the unlikely event you are not aware of the work of Jacques Rancière, he is seemingly impossible to classify as a thinker. He emerges from the May 68 moment, a student of Althusser who broke from his teacher and went on to develop some of the most uniquely inspiring works on emancipat…

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Season 6 FINALE: Jordan Peterson Wrestles with God/Ben at MSNBC (ft. Matt McManus & Robert Myles) 2:24:52

7M ago2:24:52

2:24:52

In our last episode before this year's season break, Matt McManus & Robert Myles join Ben Burgis to break down Jordan Peterson's new book "We Who Wrestle with God." (He doesn't seem to have read any more Marx since 2019.) Before that, Ben and the crew take a look at Ben's article at MSNBC about Obama and the various responses it's provoked--a disda…

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Episode #18: Alexandra Hudson 52:04

7M ago52:04

52:04

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Season 6 Episode 43: The World is on Fire But Mean Djene & Deep State Kuba Can Talk Us Through It 2:15:58

7M ago2:15:58

2:15:58

[Many apologies about the delay! Lots going on lately. The other delayed ep will be posted by the end of the week.] Jihadists are taking over Aleppo, US missiles are striking deep into Russia, and the atrocities in Gaza have reached the point that a *former Israeli Defense Minister* (and Likud Party member!) recently accused Netanyahu of "ethnic cl…

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Marx and the Struggle for Freedom (feat. Vanessa Wills & Daniel Tutt) 1:56:13

7M ago1:56:13

1:56:13

We are joined by Marxist philosophers Vanessa Wills and Daniel Tutt for a discussion moderated by Sam Greenhouse. This in-person podcast event delves into the philosophy of Marx and how Marx's thought relates to the ongoing quest for freedom in today’s world. We discuss Marx's Ethical Vision, Vanessa's important new book on Marx. Please join us on …

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Marx and the Problem of Inequality (feat. Branko Milanović) 1:30:30

8M ago1:30:30

1:30:30

We welcome Branko Milanović for a discussion on inequality and Marxism and his latest book Visions of Inequality: From the French Revolution to the End of the Cold War. A sweeping and original history of how economists across two centuries have thought about inequality, told through portraits of six key figures. Branko Milanovic obtained his Ph.D. …

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Episode #17: Iona Italia 1:23:39

8M ago1:23:39

1:23:39