Ian Buruma is a historian, biographer, memorialist and essayist between “East” and “West" whose insights and intellectual precision make him a joy to discuss with. In his recent biography of Spinoza he argues that the great Enlightenment philosopher has a message that is more urgent today than ever. The idea of a West, of a realm of rational rule and individual choice, of emancipation and liberty, began with these early Enlightenment thinkers as well as with Protestantism which eliminated the priest as intermediary between God and his people, making the relationship to the divine a matter based on individual conscience and personal choice. But what is left of this great utopia in a time in which democracies appear to collapse and the legacy of the Enlightenment seems in crisis? Do these ideals and principles still have the power to carry a social consensus, as well as societies and states, or is this the beginning of the sunset of Enlightened thinking?Support the show
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[43] Julian Baggini — What happened to the Enlightenment?
Julian Baggini is one of the most insightful writers on philosophy in general and the Enlightenment in particular I know. We talk about the Enlightenment, and in how far it was the radical turning point as which it is often seen, or whether it does not mask great continuities under the guise of dramatic change. Has the Enlightenment released a vast liberating energy or was it just another mask of power? And does Western culture have a god-shaped hole at its heart. And how does one talk about the problems of the time if our shared use of language has been ring-fenced so rigidly that it is almost impossible to have a conversation about it? Is there a connection between Enlightenment traditions, liberal values and plain old hypocrisy? And is it possible to rescue these ideals from the hypocrisy that cloaks them? I had immense fun encountering Julian’s sharp thinking, his historical and political points?Support the show
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[42] Misha Glenny — Highways and Byways of History
A historian and journalist, Misha Glenny has written about the history of the Balkans the wars in Yugoslavia, about cybercrime, and about international organised crime in “McMafia” which also became a TV series. In this free-ranging conversation we not only revisit his fascination with history and with accelerating change, but we also discuss what will be next for an international order at the brink of collapse.Support the show
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[41] Luuk van Middelaar — Can Europe do Power?
Luuk van Middelaar is head of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, as he points out an ironic name, because until very recently Brussels and geopolitics rarely occurred in the same sentence. But things have changed, and in a new world in which Russia is invading Ukraine and the USA are, as Luuk put it, “the sun leaving the solar system” Europe will have to find a completely new stance. This ist big history, and we’re right in it. But what could a good European future be? Is the continent capable of reinventing itself? And is the EU the right instrument for this? So many questions, so many really interesting answers from Luuk.Support the show
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[40] Julia Fischer — Wann wurden Primaten zu Menschen?
In dieser Folge gehe ich zurück zum frühesten aller Wendepunkte der menschlichen Geschichte. Die Primatologin Julia Fischer studiert Paviane und besucht seit vielen Jahren dieselbe Gruppe von Tieren, um ihre Kommunikation und ihr Sozialverhalten besser zu verstehen. Obwohl andere Pavian-Arten brutal und hierarchisch sind, sind diese Tiere anders, sanfter, und haben flachere Hierarchien. Wie entstehen die Strukturen einer Primatengesellschaft? Sind die Unterschiede zwischen Ihnen durch Umweltfaktoren bedingt, und was können uns Paviane und andere Primaten über Menschen und ihre Gesellschaften sagen?Support the show
The BlomCast looks at turning points in history, which have always fascinated me. My name is Philipp Blom, I am a historian and broadcaster and author of many books about the Enlightenment, the story of modernity and climate history. The climate catastrophe places us at the greatest historical turning point hin human history. What, if anything, can we learn from moments in the past in which a model of life seemed to change, or had to change, in which whole societies were transformed?
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