Notions of Progress

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Marshall Madow

English History Philosophy Science Social Sciences Society & Culture

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Episodes 12

Avg. Duration 26m

Activity Highly Active

Apple Rating ★ 5.0 (1)

Since Dec 2025

Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Every 2 Weeks

Format

Episodic

Consistency

86%

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feeds.blubrry.com

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About This Podcast

The idea of progress — that humanity advances through time toward something better — has been a contested assumption throughout history. The question of whether we as a species, a nation, or as individuals are progressing is being interrogated with a renewed urgency that the present moment demands. Whether that advancement is real, illusory, unevenly distributed, or simply beside the point depends on who is asking, from where, and by what measure. Notions of Progress is a podcast that takes those questions seriously, tracing how the idea of progress has been understood, contested, and reimagined from antiquity to the age of artificial intelligence. The series moves from the ancient Greeks’ ambivalence about technological change, through the Enlightenment’s confidence in cumulative human reason, to the contemporary moment in which artificial intelligence has made the question of progress newly urgent. When machines appear to learn, create, and reason, the assumptions buried inside the word “progress” — about agency, direction, and human advancement — are no longer abstract. Tracing how those assumptions formed, and how they have been challenged across centuries, is the work of this podcast. Rather than prescribing a position, it surfaces the debates — examining how thinkers from Hesiod to Hayek, from Plato to Peter Haff, have understood what it means for humanity to move forward, at what cost, for whom, and by whose definition. The thread connecting Plato’s Academy to the age of artificial intelligence is not a straight line of accumulation — it is a recurring argument about whether progress is something driven by human agency, providence, or an artificial consciousness we project onto history rather than find in it. Host Marshall Madow brings an unusual dual formation to these questions. His MA in History from Cambridge University — where his thesis examined Georges Sorel’s epistemology of myth and the role of ideas in animating collective action — gave him a grounding in how belief systems about progress can function in place of rational thinking as historical forces. His MSc from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, specializing in Complexity Science and Leadership, introduced him to the question from the other direction: how systems evolve, how change propagates through institutions, and why linear models of advancement are often insufficient in explaining complex phenomena. The two areas of study point toward the same problem from opposite ends. Notions of Progress is the inquiry that connects them. Marshall approaches the podcast as a scholar, researcher, and curator — seeking to surface a pluralistic and wide-ranging spectrum of ideas rather than prescribing or advocating one position over another. Contact: [email protected] Social: @notionsofprogress on Instagram · @NotionsProgress on X/Twitter Web: notionsofprogress.com

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Recent Episodes

Interview with Matt Ehret Pt. 2: The Allegory of the Cave

Jun 01, 2026 30m Transcript

What if the most cited passage in Western philosophy has been deliberately misread — by both its critics and its supposed followers? In Part 2 of his conversation with Matt Ehret, Marshall examines…

Interview with Matt Ehret - Plato vs. Aristotle: The Flame, the Vessel, and the Fate of Human Progress

May 18, 2026 38m Transcript

Matt Ehret argues that the divide between Plato and Aristotle is not a historical curiosity confined to the ancient world — it is a living fault line that continues to shape how civilizations…

Aristotle vs. Plato: Two Theories of Progress — and the Institution That Produced Both

May 04, 2026 19m Transcript

The Academy was built on a wager: that philosophy could be institutionalized, accumulated, and transmitted across generations. Episode 10 asks whether the bet paid off — and finds the answer in the…

How Did Plato’s Academy Teach What Could Not Be Taught?

Apr 20, 2026 29m

Plato named philosophy. But naming it was only the first move. The harder question was whether an institution could be built to make the progress he was wagering on actually work.Episode 9 examines…

The Word and the Wager: How Plato Named and Claimed Philosophy | Ep. 8 pt 1

Apr 06, 2026 16m Transcript

About This EpisodeWhere did the word “philosopher” come from — and who got to decide what it meant? In Episode 8, Part 1 of Notions of Progress, we trace the moment Plato took a word that had begun…

Plato vs. the Sophists: Rhetoric, Power, and the Making of Callicles | Ep. 7 pt 2

Mar 23, 2026 31m Transcript

About This EpisodeCan rhetoric make better citizens — or does it simply make better manipulators through the art of persuasion? In Part 2 of the Plato vs. the Sophists arc, Notions of Progress…

Plato vs. the Sophists: The Allegory of the Cave As His Answer On Progress | Ep. 6 pt 1

Mar 09, 2026 20m Transcript

In this episode of Notions of Progress — the first of a two-part examination of Plato — we ask what happens to the Sophists’ theory of progress once Plato is done with it. The Sophists had argued…

The Sophists: Fifth Century Enlightenment? | Ep. 5 Pt.1

Feb 24, 2026 22m Transcript

About This EpisodeIn this episode of Notions of Progress — the first of a two-part solo series — we ask a deceptively simple question: were the ancient Greek Sophists the original enlightenment-like…

Five Faces of Progress: The Road to Anti-Progress |Prof. Tyson Retz Pt.2 | Ep. 4

Feb 09, 2026 44m Transcript

About This EpisodeIn this episode of Notions of Progress - Part Two, we continue exploring the fascinating evolution of progress thinking with Professor Tyson Retz, author of "Progress in the Scale…

Five Faces of Progress: A Conceptual Framework for Historical Change |Prof. Tyson Retz | Ep. 3 Pt.1

Jan 26, 2026 31m Transcript

About This EpisodeIn this episode of Notions of Progress, we explore the fascinating evolution of progress thinking with Professor Tyson Retz, an intellectual historian at the University of Stavanger…

The Promethean Question: : Greek Views on Technological Progress | Ep. 2

Jan 13, 2026 21m Transcript

In Episode 2 of Notions of Progress, we explore the "Promethean Question" - examining Greek antiquity's perspectives on technological progress from 700-300 BCE. Did the ancient Greeks view technology…

Show Trailer - The Long Road To Progress | Ep. 1

Dec 18, 2025 12m Trailer

In "Notions of Progress," host Marshall Madow explores the concept of progress through history, examining technological advancements and philosophical ideas. This trailer delves into themes like AI,…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Notions of Progress have?

Notions of Progress has published 12 episodes since December 2025, covering topics in History, Philosophy.

Is Notions of Progress still active?

Notions of Progress is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 26m.

How do I contact Notions of Progress for sponsorship or guest appearances?