This is made in philosophy bites with me David Edmonds and me Nigel Warburton.

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Philosophy bites 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 revitalising

a Republican tradition whose roots he locates in ancient Rome.

Philip Pettit, 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 that 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's 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 Montescu played to 18th century Britain,

to talk fill plate to 19th century America,

he told the Romans, listen guys, you're terrific,

and you've got the best institutions in the world,

and they loved him for it.

Polybius already underlines what I think become the three main themes in the Republican

...