The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma Ep 349: The Incredible Insights of Timur Kuran
Oct 2, 2023
Timur Kuran, author and professor at Duke University, joins Amit Varma to discuss the decline of the Middle East compared to Europe, the concept of preference falsification, collecting stamps, the challenges of studying Islam, the slow progress of ideas, the impact of social media, the miscommunication about poverty, school choice in India, preference falsification in politics, the lack of innovation in the Middle East, the effect of Islamic inheritance laws on economic development, the establishment of walks, unintended consequences of private provision of public goods, the rise of joint stock companies and Western banks in the Ottoman Empire, Islam's reformation, and the potential for a schism within Islam.
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Timur Kuran's Philately Passion
- Timur Kuran began collecting stamps at five, sorting them by color.
- This hobby grew into a vast collection of Ottoman and Turkish documents, possibly the largest ever assembled.
The Deeper Value of Collections
- Collecting becomes an obsession, revealing hidden patterns and informing research.
- Kuran's collection provides unique insights into Ottoman and Turkish history, sparking new research interests.
A Historian's Perspective on Current Events
- Studying history gives a longer perspective, revealing the lasting impacts of current events.
- Kuran views wokeness and lack of viewpoint diversity in universities as potential threats to academic freedom.