Nina Power
Zeitgeist

All political regimes depend upon myths to justify their continued existence. In periods of great upheaval, these myths start to unravel. As post-war liberalism faces collapse, it is imperative we have a handle on how to think about not just the past, present and future, but that we understand the way in which concepts function historically: how do humanity’s great abstractions function over time?

What is the relationship between ideas and material forces? Are there such things as historical facts? What is the relationship between history and culture? Is history linear or cyclical? Are human beings passive vectors of forces, or do they possess the will to alter the future? 

This four-part course, held fortnightly, will read key thinkers in the philosophy of history. The sessions will consider the emergence and ends of history as chaos, stasis, progress, and providence.

Course structure

Zeitgeist is a four-part, in-person course led by Nina Power, held at Verdurin in Spring 2025. Each two-hour session will combine both lecture and group discussion of the reading for that week.

The readings will include texts by Herodotus, Vico, Condorcet, Kant, Hegel, Marx, de Maistre, Dilthey, Collingwood, Danto, Lasch, Spengler, Foucault, MacIntyre, Koselleck, Biggar.

Course fees

Registration for in-person participation is £100.
Concessions are available. Please get in touch.

Online course version

We will also release a self-study version of the course for those who cannot attend in person. This will consist of specially-recorded lectures and a reading list for each lecture, like last year’s Iconoclasm course which is now available.

You can purchase the course now to receive access as soon as it is available or get in touch to register your interest.