The Economic and Political History Podcast

Our Obsession with Human Origins: Inventing Prehistory | Stefanos Geroulanos with Javier Mejia

May 25, 2024

Stefanos Geroulanos, Director of the Remark Institute and a professor at NYU, discusses his book 'The Invention of Prehistory.' He examines how Enlightenment thinkers shifted views on human origins, impacting notions of race and imperialism. The conversation delves into the allure of prehistory, the evolution of cultural hierarchies, and how Darwinism influenced political ideologies. Geroulanos also critiques historical narratives regarding Neanderthals, revealing how ideologies shape our understanding of identity in contemporary contexts.

58:03

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Episode guests

Stefanos Geroulanos

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Quick takeaways

Stefanos Geroulanos discusses how Enlightenment thinkers redefined human history, moving from religious to empirical interpretations that shaped Western thought and justified imperialism.

The podcast examines the tendency of contemporary narratives about human origins to reflect present-day values, raising concerns about their historical accuracy and implications for our understanding of humanity.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Intellectual History

The discussion delves into the evolution of intellectual history, highlighting how the speaker's background in Greece and education in the U.S. shaped his interdisciplinary approach. Engaging with both historians and literary scholars allowed him to explore concepts beyond individual intellectuals, focusing instead on broader themes and networks of ideas. His previous works revolved around complex subjects such as anti-humanism and the understanding of human nature. This emphasis on interconnected concepts rather than isolated ideas defines his methodology in examining intellectual history.

Intro

3min

Exploring the Intricacies of Intellectual History

4min

Unraveling Human Origins: The Presentist Perspective

11min

Understanding the Triad View of Progress

5min

Darwinism and Political Ideologies

18min

Reframing Neanderthals: Identity and Ideology

15min

Challenging Myths and Expectations in Modern Contexts

2min

Interview with Stefanos Geroulanos, author of 'The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins'

Books about humanity's origins captivate readers, while news outlets eagerly cover archaeological discoveries, reflecting a long-standing fascination with prehistory. In "The Invention of Prehistory," historian Stefanos Geroulanos explores how Enlightenment-era thinkers began to consider a human past beyond recorded history, moving away from religious explanations to empirical ones. Geroulanos details how various ideas—from the “state of nature” to theories about Neanderthals—shaped Western intellectual thought and justified imperialist and repressive regimes. These notions, ranging from seeing other cultures as "savages" to justifying war through evolutionary theories, underpinned colonial violence and modern imperialism. Geroulanos contends that prehistory narratives reveal more about the times they were conceived than about ancient realities, suggesting that to improve our future, we should move beyond the quest for origins. His work reexamines the impact of our historical interpretations on contemporary society.

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Javier Mejia is an economist at Stanford University who specializes in the intersection of social networks and economic history. His research interests also include entrepreneurship and political economy, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Middle East. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Los Andes University. Mejia has previously been a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at New York University-Abu Dhabi and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Bordeaux. He is also a frequent contributor to various news outlets, currently serving as an op-ed columnist for Forbes Magazine. Twitter (X): ⁠https://twitter.com/JavierMejiaC⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/javier_mejia_c/⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-mejia-cubillos/⁠ Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@javiermejia5309?si=LEy5CuqD83qVB8jd⁠

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