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