Thinking Class cover image

Thinking Class

#067 - Prof. Alan Macfarlane - Exploring The Ancient English Roots Of Capitalism And How They Contributed To Its Protestantism

Feb 28, 2025
01:06:28

Alan McFarlane is an anthropologist, historian, and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at King’s College, Cambridge. He is the author or editor of 20 books and numerous articles covering the anthropology and history of England, Nepal, Japan, and China. A fellow of both the British Academy and the Royal Historical Society, Alan has dedicated much of his work to the comparative study of the origins and nature of the modern world. 

In this episode, Alan and I think out loud about how we don't understand what modernity actually is when we talk about it, how understanding modernity helps us understand capitalism and individualism, the unique trajectory of English capitalism, the influence of the Celtic nations on England, and the legacy of the British Empire in shaping national identity, the misunderstanding and reframing of historical narratives, particularly in relation to Marxist interpretations of history, the complexities of British identity, the challenges of cultural integration in an era of mass immigration, the historical significance of the English Reformation, what Alan thinks is the elusive nature of national character, the coexistence of multiple identities, whether Alan subscribes to the notion of a clash of civilizations, the importance of cultural rules and the historical context of Protestantism in shaping English society and much, much more.

Let's grow Thinking Class together.

Enjoy the show, Classmates.

You can find Alan's work here:

You can follow and subscribe to Thinking Class on:

You can watch the show on YouTube 

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