TED Talks Daily cover image

TED Talks Daily

Lessons from history for a better future | Roman Krznaric

Feb 26, 2025
Roman Krznaric, a social philosopher, reveals how understanding history can guide us to a better future. He explores Edo Japan's circular economy, demonstrating its relevance for modern sustainability efforts. Krznaric highlights the medieval coexistence in Cordoba as a model for tackling today’s xenophobia. He draws parallels between past movements like the abolition of slavery and current environmental activism, advocating for 'temporal intelligence' to teach history applied to modern challenges. Dive into a treasure trove of resilience and hope!
14:28

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Edo Japan's early circular economy demonstrates the potential for sustainable practices that challenge modern consumerism and wastefulness.
  • The convivencia period in medieval Spain exemplifies how cultural tolerance and peaceful coexistence can foster innovation and solidarity in diverse societies.

Deep dives

The Circular Economy of Edo Japan

Edo Japan thrived as a large urban center in the 18th century, evidence of an early circular economy that prioritized sustainability. The community engaged in practices such as repurposing clothing and recycling materials, allowing resources to be reused multiple times before disposal. Traditions like borro emerged, highlighting this culture of sustainability, where items like kimonos transitioned through various uses, ultimately being transformed into cleaning cloths or even used for fuel. This historical example demonstrates that an ecological civilization is possible, contrary to the wastefulness seen in modern consumer capitalism.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode