Intelligence Squared

The Journey of Humanity, with Oded Galor

Apr 15, 2022

Oded Galor, a Professor of Economics at Brown University and author of "The Journey of Humanity," discusses the optimistic narratives about wealth and inequality in human history. He reveals how significant historical shifts, like the industrial revolution, drastically changed living standards, albeit unevenly. Galor delves into the roots of global inequality, the interplay between cooperation and competition in human nature, and the critical role of education in fostering economic progress, urging tailored policies to address disparities.

01:01:30

Episode guests

Oded Galor

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Resilience and Growth: Lessons from History

21min

Exploring the Roots of Global Inequality

4min

Exploring the Evolution of Humanity

2min

Examining the Roots of Wealth and Power in Historical Context

3min

Economic Divergence and Cultural Impact

24min

The Duality of Human Nature: Cooperation vs. Competition

3min

Oded Galor’s remarkable new book, The Journey of Humanity, can feel like seeing the world with fresh eyes. His analysis of the origins of wealth and inequality is compelling, original and, especially during these troubled times, refreshingly optimistic. Speaking across the political divide the book sets out a convincing blueprint for how a better life can be had by everyone on the planet. Galor, an economist at Brown University, upends many of our assumptions about human progress. For nearly all of human history humans lived a subsistence existence but something astonishing happened 200 years ago and the living standards of nearly all humans have skyrocketed – albeit unevenly – since then. Hosting the discussion is journalist, author and former BBC News Editorial Director, Kamal Ahmed.

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