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Intelligence Squared

Lessons from History on How to Tackle Today's Greatest Challenges, with Roman Krznaric

Sep 9, 2024
Roman Krznaric, a leading social philosopher and author, delves into lessons from the past to address today's pressing issues like climate change and inequality. He emphasizes the transformative power of grassroots movements and the necessity of historical awareness for sustainable living. Joined by Adam McCauley, they explore the revival of democratic dialogue through historical coffeehouses and innovative governance solutions. The conversation highlights the importance of collective identity and action in creating a responsible, engaged society.
56:28

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Quick takeaways

  • Learning from historical social movements allows us to harness collective action today to address issues like climate change and inequality.
  • The necessity for drastic societal shifts often stems from crises, advocating for bold, radical movements to combat entrenched systems and fossil fuel dependence.

Deep dives

Harnessing Historical Lessons for Modern Challenges

The discussion emphasizes the importance of learning from history to tackle contemporary crises such as climate change, fossil fuel dependency, and social inequalities. It argues that rather than viewing the past as a collection of warnings, we should extract positive examples of social movements and transformative changes. The speaker reflects on the failures of current politicians to address pressing issues effectively by being overly focused on immediate gains rather than long-term solutions. A historical perspective can reveal successful past movements that demonstrate our capacity for significant change when collective action is taken.

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