COLLAPSE SERIES: Jonathon Rowson - Welcome to the “metacrisis”. Now what?

Aug 20, 2024

Jonathon Rowson, a Chess Grandmaster and metamodernist philosopher, delves into the concept of the 'metacrisis,' discussing how it intertwines with global issues like AI and climate change. He highlights the need for a systemic perspective to navigate today's complexities. Rowson shares how chess strategies can reflect life's challenges, emphasizing concentration and context. The conversation evolves into a philosophical exploration of modernity's end and the urgent need for societal transformation amidst crises, urging listeners to find meaning and self-discovery in turmoil.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Exploring the Metacrisis: A Collective Discussion

02:05 • 5min

Chess: Life's Strategic Escape

06:42 • 15min

Understanding the Metacrisis

21:50 • 7min

The End of Modernity: Understanding the Metacrisis

29:20 • 3min

Navigating Modernity: From Modernism to Metamodernism

32:12 • 28min

Finding Meaning in Crisis and Self-Discovery

01:00:27 • 4min

Hello, dear wild friends! I'm taking a short break, but I wanted to share some of my previous interviews with guests who delve into themes of collapse, the meta-crisis, and the decline of the systems we've always known to grow—like GDP, technology, population, and prosperity.

Many of you have joined my book serialization project on Substack, where we're navigating the collapse awareness journey together. These interviews provide valuable context for our journey. You can join us here if you're not already part of the project. I release one chapter of my book at a time, and we discuss its contents in the comments, tackling this big, beautiful, hard thing as a community, step by step. In the meantime, enjoy this wild conversation with Jonathon Rowson.

Jonathan Rowson (chess Grandmaster, metamodernist philosopher) is one of Britain’s biggest minds and I have invited him onto Wild to talk, well, what’s been dubbed the “meta-crisis” – the fundamental “meaning” crisis at the heart of “all the things” going on in the world today.

Jonathan is a theoretical psychologist with degrees from Oxford and Harvard and a Ph.D on what it means to become wiser. He has worked on “complex collective action” problem solving, was Director of the Social Brain Centre at the Royal Society of Arts and has run events with David Attenborough and Jordan Peterson (not on the same stage!). Jonathan now runs Perspectiva, a research institute that seeks to understand the relationship between systems, souls, and society. This is a big chat, but I think you’ll find this new and wild idea a helpful navigational tool for, well, “all the things”.

SHOW NOTES

As I flag, my UK friends can preorder This One Wild and Precious Life here.

Follow the Perspectiva community and their various events here.

Jonathan is also on Substack and Twitter.

His latest book The Moves that Matter: A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life is out now.

If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" page

For more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!

Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious Life

Let’s connect on Instagram and WeAre8

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