Different Matters by Damien Grant Dr Oliver Hartwich on Different Matters, Leonardo da Vinci, the enlightened world and where it's headed.
Sep 25, 2025
Dr. Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative and expert in political philosophy, dives into fascinating themes such as the roots of Enlightenment thinking traced back to Leonardo da Vinci. He discusses the post-war order's fragility, mentioning the impact of significant historical events like 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis. Hartwich warns of declining civic knowledge and the fragmentation of society, and he frames AI as an amplifier of change, questioning its effects on democratic values. Join for a compelling exploration of where today's challenges may lead us.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Leonardo's Practical Job Application
- Leonardo applied to Ludovico Sforza in 1482 presenting himself primarily as a military engineer who could build bridges, chariots and catapults.
- He then casually added that he could also paint and sculpt, showing his polymath persona and practical self-presentation.
Renaissance To Modern Prosperity
- Leonardo symbolizes the start of an era that led to unprecedented rises in living standards through Renaissance, Enlightenment and the first globalization period.
- That era produced science, institutions and property rights that enabled the modern economic miracle until World War I interruption.
Bretton Woods' Temporary Triumph
- Bretton Woods and post‑war institutions under US hegemony created a stable, rules-based international order that lasted about half a century.
- The 1989 collapse of communism seemed to confirm it, but events from 9/11 onward exposed deep fragility in that order.