17min chapter

Worker and Parasite cover image

The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph A. Tainter

Worker and Parasite

CHAPTER

Collapse of Complexity: Insights on Societal Decline

This chapter explores the collapse of complex societies by analyzing a book that critiques common misconceptions and emphasizes systemic failures. The speakers discuss the central thesis that diminishing returns to complexity drive societies to simplify, while also critiquing mystical explanations of societal fall. Additionally, they reflect on the broader implications of societal decline, including the challenges presented by modern diets, health crises, and energy solutions in the context of climate change.

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