This is philosophy bytes with me, David.
Edmonds, and me, Nigel Warburton.
Philosophy Bytes is available at www.philosophybytes.com.
Philosophy Bytes is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.
When someone says they're a republican, at least in Britain, we tend to think they mean that they're opposed to the monarchy.
But that's not exactly what Princeton's Philip Pettit means.
He's the author of on the people's terms and a passionate advocate of reviving and revitalizing a republican tradition whose roots he locates in ancient Rome.
Philip Pettick, welcome to philosophy bites.
Thank you.
The topic we're focusing on this time is republicanism.
I wonder if we could just begin by saying very generally what republicanism is.
I think of it, first of all, as a historical tradition.
I guess its most obvious origin is in classical Rome.
You can think of Polybius, in a way, as the father figure.
In a way.
Polybius comes to Rome.
He's actually there as a hostage in the first place, but spends, in the end, quite a long period of his life in Rome and writes up a history of Rome.
And he plays to Rome the sort of role that Montesquieu played to 18th century Britain.
De Tocqueville played to 19th century America.
He told the Romans, listen, guys, you're terrific, and you've got the best institutions in the world.