David Runciman
David Walter Runciman, 4th Viscount Runciman of Doxford, FBA, FRSL (born 1 March 1967), is an English academic and podcaster who teaches politics and history at Cambridge University, where he is Professor of Politics. From October 2014 to October 2018 he was also Head of the Department of Politics and International Studies.[1]
Family and early life
Runciman was born in St John's Wood, North London, England, and grew up there. His father, Garry Runciman, Viscount Runciman, was a political sociologist and academic and his mother, Ruth Runciman, is former chair of the UK Mental Health Commission, a founder of the Prison Reform Trust and former chair of the National Aids Trust. His father, mother, and paternal grandfather and great-grandfather, all attended Cambridge.[2] He was educated at Eton College, an all-boys public school in Berkshire, where he won the Newcastle Scholarship. He went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge.[3]
Runciman is the great-nephew of the historian Sir Steven Runciman. He inherited his family's viscountcy on the death of his father in 2020.[4] From 1997 to 2021 he was married to the food writer Bee Wilson with whom he has three children.[2][5] Since 2021 he has been married to psychotherapist Helen Runciman (née Lyon-Dalberg-Acton), daughter of Edward Acton.
Career
Runciman began writing for the London Review of Books in 1996 and has written dozens of book reviews and articles on contemporary politics since, for the LRB and a number of other publications.[6]
Runciman has published eight books. An adaptation of his PhD thesis was published in 1997 as Pluralism and the Personality of the State. The Politics of Good Intentions: History, Fear and Hypocrisy in the New World Order (2006) evaluates contemporary and historical crisis in international politics after 9/11 while Political Hypocrisy (2008) explores the political uses of hypocrisy from a historical perspective.[7] The Confidence Trap: A History of Democracy in Crisis from World War I to the Present (2013) lays out his theory of the threat of democratic overconfidence.[8] Profile Books published his books Politics: Ideas in Profile and How Democracy Ends in 2014 and 2018, respectively. In 2021 he published Confronting Leviathan: A History of Ideas, looking at thinkers and ideas in modern politics.
In October 2014, he was appointed head of the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. Runciman gave his inaugural lecture on 24 February 2015 on Political Theory and Real Politics in the Age of the Internet.[9] He was preceded in this position by Andrew Gamble and Geoffrey Hawthorn.
Runciman's book Politics: Ideas in Profile explores what politics is, why do we need it and where is it heading.
From 2016 to 2022, Runciman hosted a podcast called Talking Politics with professor Helen Thompson. The podcast convened a panel of academics from the University of Cambridge and elsewhere to speak about current affairs and politics. It ended in March 2022 after over 300 episodes and 26 million downloads.[10] Runciman also hosted a spin-off podcast named Talking Politics: History of Ideas. This podcast focused on key thinkers and ideologies from throughout history.
On 27 April 2023, Runciman launched "Past Present Future: a Podcast of Ideas".
In July 2018, Runciman was elected Fellow of the British Academy (FBA).[11]
In July 2021, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).[12]
After a negative book review in The Guardian of Antifragility by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Taleb referred to Runciman as the "second most stupid reviewer" of his works, arguing that Runciman had missed the concept of convexity, the theme of his book. "There are 607 references to convexity", Taleb wrote.[13][14]
How Democracy Ends
Published by Profile Books in 2018, How Democracy Ends takes a look at the political landscape of the West, showing how to spot the signs that democracy may be under threat. Set out in four major sections:
- Looking at the role of Coups in ending democracy, looking at both modern and ancient Greece in the process.
- How major world-shattering catastrophes could kill off democracy, be that nuclear war or the climate crisis.
- He takes a look at our rapidly changing society, specifically technologically and how the advent of artificial intelligence could soon be a problem.
- Lastly he takes a look into the future, whether democracy will actually end and if it does, could it be replaced by something better?
Reviews of the book have been generally positively. Getting a 3.7 out of 5 stars on Goodreads[15] and 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon.[16] Andrew Rawnsley in The Guardian wrote that the book left him "feeling more positive than I thought I would be" [17]
Selected works
- Runciman, David (1997). Pluralism and the Personality of the State. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521551915.
- Runciman, David (2000). "Is the State a Corporation?". Government and Opposition. 35 (1): 90–104. doi:10.1111/1477-7053.00014. S2CID 143599471.
- Maitland, Frederic William (2003). David Runciman; Magnus Ryan (eds.). Maitland: State, Trust and Corporation; Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521526302.
- Runciman, David (2009). The Politics of Good Intentions: History, Fear and Hypocrisy in the New World Order. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400827121.
- Runciman, David (2010). Political Hypocrisy: The Mask of Power, from Hobbes to Orwell and Beyond. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691148151.
- Brito Vieira, Monica; Runciman, David (2013). Representation. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780745658292.
- Runciman, David (2014). Politics: Ideas in Profile. Profile Books. ISBN 9781782831358.
- Runciman, David (2015). The Confidence Trap: A History of Democracy in Crisis from World War I to the Present. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400866076.
- Runciman, David (2018). How Democracy Ends. Profile Books. ISBN 9781541616783.
- Runciman, David (2019). Where Power Stops. Profile Books. ISBN 9781788163330.
- Runciman, David (2020). "Don't be a Kerensky!". London Review of Books. Vol. 42, no. 23. pp. 13–16, 18.
- Runciman, David (2021). Confronting Leviathan : a history of ideas. London. ISBN 978-1-78816-782-6. OCLC 1228314920.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Runciman, David (2023). The Handover: How We Gave Control of Our Lives to Corporations, States and AIs. Profile Books. ISBN 1788163672.
References
- ^ "David Runciman". Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS), University of Cambridge. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ a b Shook, Karen (5 December 2013). "The Confidence Trap: A History of Democracy in Crisis from World War I to the Present, by David Runciman". Times Higher Education. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ O'Reilly, Judith (1 September 2008). "David Cameron's reading list made me the dinner guest from Hell". The Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ^ Crick, Michael (9 January 2008). "Happy families". BBC Newsnight blog. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ Kramer, Jane (18 March 2013). "A Fork of One's Own: A history of culinary revolution". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ "David Runciman". London Review of Books. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Dunne, Tim (17 July 2008). "Political Hypocrisy: The Mask of Power, from Hobbes to Orwell and Beyond". Times Higher Education. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ^ Bogdanor, Vernon (14 November 2013). "The Confidence Trap by David Runciman: Are we too complacent about democracy?". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ "Professor David Runciman". Politics and International Studies (POLIS). University of Cambridge. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ "Talking Politics". Talking Politics. 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Record number of academics elected to British Academy | British Academy". British Academy. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "RSL announces 44 new Fellows and Honorary Fellows". Royal Society of Literature. 6 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ Runciman, David (21 November 2012). "Antifragile: How to Live in a World We Don't Understand by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – review". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Response by Taleb". Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "How Democracy Ends". Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ How Democracy Ends: Amazon.co.uk: Runciman, David: 9781781259740: Books. ASIN 1781259747.
- ^ "How Democracy Ends review – is people politics doomed?". TheGuardian.com. 20 May 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
External links
- University of Cambridge profile page
- Works by or about David Runciman at Internet Archive
- Past Present Future podcast hosted by Runciman
- David Runciman at IMDb
Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Viscount Runciman of Doxford 2020–present | Incumbent |
Baron Runciman 2020–present | ||
Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by | Baronet of Doxford 2020–present | Incumbent |
- v
- t
- e
- Nicholas Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston
- Piers Butler, 18th Viscount Mountgarret
- Francis Annesley, 16th Viscount Valentia
- Henry Dillon, 22nd Viscount Dillon
- John Skeffington, 14th Viscount Massereene
- John Caulfeild, 15th Viscount Charlemont
- Richard Dawnay, 12th Viscount Downe
- Robert Molesworth, 12th Viscount Molesworth
- Adam Chetwynd, 11th Viscount Chetwynd
- Alan Brodrick, 12th Viscount Midleton
- Gustavus Hamilton-Russell, 11th Viscount Boyne
- Nicolas Gage, 8th Viscount Gage
- Phil Monckton, 13th Viscount Galway
- Mervyn Wingfield, 11th Viscount Powerscourt
- Michael Flower, 11th Viscount Ashbrook
- Pyers Southwell, 7th Viscount Southwell
- Thomas Vesey, 7th Viscount de Vesci
- Edward Hewitt, 9th Viscount Lifford
- William Ward, 8th Viscount Bangor
- William Ward, 8th Viscount Doneraile
- Henry Pomeroy, 11th Viscount Harberton
- Robert Maude, 9th Viscount Hawarden
- John Skeffington, 7th Viscount Ferrard
- Charles Monck, 7th Viscount Monck
- Foley Vereker, 9th Viscount Gort
- Edward Jervis, 8th Viscount St Vincent
- Robert Dundas, 10th Viscount Melville
- Jeremy Addington, 8th Viscount Sidmouth
- Paul Pellew, 10th Viscount Exmouth
- Thomas Stapleton-Cotton, 6th Viscount Combermere
- Peter Clegg-Hill, 9th Viscount Hill
- Thomas Hardinge, 8th Viscount Hardinge
- Alexander Hood, 4th Viscount Bridport
- Christopher Portman, 10th Viscount Portman
- Francis Brand, 7th Viscount Hampden
- Henry Smith, 5th Viscount Hambleden
- Michael Holland-Hibbert, 6th Viscount Knutsford
- Christopher Brett, 5th Viscount Esher
- Giles Goschen, 4th Viscount Goschen
- Matt Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley
- Charles Colville, 5th Viscount Colville of Culross
- Christopher Gully, 6th Viscount Selby
- Patrick Knollys, 4th Viscount Knollys
- Wenworth Beaumont, 4th Viscount Allendale
- Alastair Akers-Douglas, 4th Viscount Chilston
- Peter Curzon, 4th Viscount Scarsdale
- Edward Bigham, 5th Viscount Mersey
- Michael Pearson, 4th Viscount Cowdray
- Terence Kearley, 3rd Viscount Devonport
- William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor
- Ivor Guest, 4th Viscount Wimborne
- Rhodri Philipps, 4th Viscount St Davids
- Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere
- Henry Allenby, 4th Viscount Allenby
- Frederic Thesiger, 4th Viscount Chelmsford
- James Long, 5th Viscount Long
- Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater
- James Younger, 5th Viscount Younger of Leckie
- Nicholas Samuel, 5th Viscount Bearsted
- Janric Craig, 3rd Viscount Craigavon
- Robin Bridgeman, 3rd Viscount Bridgeman
- Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
- Crispin Joynson-Hicks, 4th Viscount Brentford
- Adrian Buckmaster, 4th Viscount Buckmaster
- Rupert Bathurst, 4th Viscount Bledisloe
- David Pollock, 3rd Viscount Hanworth
- Hugh Trenchard, 3rd Viscount Trenchard
- Jonathan Samuel, 5th Viscount Samuel
- David Runciman, 4th Viscount Runciman of Doxford
- Nicolas Davidson, 4th Viscount Davidson
- William Weir, 3rd Viscount Weir
- Piers Inskip, 3rd Viscount Caldecote
- Jonathan Berry, 5th Viscount Camrose
- Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate
- Richard Margesson, 3rd Viscount Margesson
- James FitzRoy Newdegate, 4th Viscount Daventry
- William Addison, 4th Viscount Addison
- Richard Berry, 3rd Viscount Kemsley
- Peter Penny, 4th Viscount Marchwood
- Henry Montgomery, 3rd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
- John Anderson, 3rd Viscount Waverley
- John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso
- Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough
- Jason Cooper, 3rd Viscount Norwich
- Christopher Leathers, 3rd Viscount Leathers
- Peter Ramsbottom, 4th Viscount Soulbury
- Thomas Lyttelton, 3rd Viscount Chandos
- Ashley Huggins, 3rd Viscount Malvern
- Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L'Isle
- Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley
- Timothy Lloyd George, 4th Viscount Tenby
- Clive Mackintosh, 3rd Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax
- Andrew Morrison, 3rd Viscount Dunrossil
- James Stuart, 3rd Viscount Stuart of Findhorn
- Jonathan Kemp, 3rd Viscount Rochdale
- Mark Slim, 3rd Viscount Slim
- Richard Head, 2nd Viscount Head
- Simon Lennox-Boyd, 2nd Viscount Boyd of Merton
- Christopher Mills, 3rd Viscount Mills
- Caspar Hare, 3rd Viscount Blakenham
- John Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles
- James Manningham-Buller, 3rd Viscount Dilhorne