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#540: Harvard Polymath Noah Feldman — Deep Focus for Hyper-Productivity, Learning 10+ Languages, Predicting the Future with History, the Possibilities (and Limitations) of DAOs, Lessons from the Iraq Invasion, Designing the Supreme Court of Facebook, the Virtue of Scholarship, and the Wild Life of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

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Oct 21, 2021

Guest

Noah Feldman

Join Harvard professor Noah Feldman as he shares his insights on deep focus and hyper-productivity. He recounts his fascinating journey of learning over ten languages and how this shaped his understanding of different cultures. Feldman dives into the complexities of governance, discussing his role in crafting Iraq's constitution and designing the Facebook Oversight Board. He examines Decentralized Autonomous Organizations' potential and highlights the lessons learned from America's tumultuous constitutional history, blending ethical philosophy with practical governance challenges.

02:47:40

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ANECDOTE

Early Language Exposure

Noah Feldman's parents instilled a global perspective, exposing him to diverse cultures and languages early on.
An anecdote from his childhood in Egypt highlights language's power and the unexpected connections between people.

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ADVICE

Learning Languages

Learn languages to decode the world and understand diverse perspectives. Don't let age be a barrier; start anytime.

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ANECDOTE

Dr. Bishai's Mentorship

Dr. Bishai, Feldman's Arabic teacher, mentored him as a teen, bending rules and fostering a love for the language. He replaced the final exam with a celebratory dinner, emphasizing genuine learning over formal assessment.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Mindfulness and Meditation Insights

01:48 • 5min

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The Power of Language: Personal Journeys

06:53 • 23min

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Balancing Life and Origins of Al-Qaeda

29:39 • 9min

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Transformative Impact of Voice Recognition on Writing and Health

39:08 • 3min

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Navigating Voice Recognition and Legal Interpretation

42:36 • 21min

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Navigating Chaos: The Iraqi Constitution Experience

01:03:31 • 12min

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Crafting Governance: The Complexity of Constitutions

01:15:26 • 25min

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Exploring Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

01:40:19 • 12min

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Exploring America's Constitutional Struggles

01:52:23 • 32min

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Governance Innovations in Big Tech

02:23:59 • 12min

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Navigating Global Crises: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Climate Change

02:35:58 • 2min

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The Importance of Dialogue and Intellectual Curiosity

02:38:13 • 3min

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Mindfulness and Sleep Solutions

02:41:06 • 6min

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#7682

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

The Metaphysical Club

A Story of Ideas in America

Louis Menand

This book delves into the intellectual and cultural history of late 19th- and early 20th-century America, focusing on the lives and ideas of four key figures: Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., William James, Charles Sanders Peirce, and John Dewey. It explores how these thinkers, associated with the informal 'Metaphysical Club' in Cambridge, Massachusetts, contributed to the development of pragmatism. The book also examines the broader social and historical context, including the impact of the American Civil War and the emergence of new scientific disciplines like statistics and evolutionary biology. Menand's work is praised for its detailed biographical accounts and its insightful analysis of how these thinkers shaped modern American thought.

#6866

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Political order and political decay

From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalisation of Democracy

Francis Fukuyama

In this book, Francis Fukuyama continues his exploration of the formation and decay of political societies, begun in 'The Origins of Political Order'. He examines the development of modern political institutions from the French Revolution to contemporary times, including the impact of industrialization, colonialism, and the rise of global democracy. Fukuyama argues that a well-functioning modern state requires a balance between a strong, efficient state, the rule of law, and democratic accountability. He critiques the current state of American politics, highlighting issues such as 'vetocracy' and the judicialization of political processes, which he believes contribute to political decay. The book also explores case studies from various regions, including Europe, Asia, and Latin America, to illustrate different paths of political development and decay.

#2189

• Mentioned in 17 episodes

Misquoting Jesus

The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

Bart Ehrman

In 'Misquoting Jesus', Bart D. Ehrman provides a detailed account of the textual criticism of the New Testament. He explains how the earliest surviving manuscripts of the Bible were copied by hand, often by amateur scribes, and how these copies introduced various textual variants. Ehrman discusses both accidental and intentional changes made to the manuscripts, including alterations to de-emphasize the role of women in the early church, to harmonize different portrayals of Jesus, and to oppose certain heresies. The book also includes Ehrman's personal reflections on how his study of Greek manuscripts led him to abandon his ultra-conservative views of the Bible. Despite the variations, Ehrman and other scholars agree that these changes do not affect the essential Christian beliefs.

#10467

• Mentioned in 4 episodes

The Broken Constitution

Noah Feldman

In 'The Broken Constitution', Noah Feldman provides a compelling narrative of Abraham Lincoln's constitutional choices during the Civil War. Feldman argues that Lincoln deliberately violated the founding principles of the U.S. Constitution to save it, transforming it from a compromise pact into a sacred text embodying the nation's highest ideals. The book explores Lincoln's actions, including the suspension of habeas corpus and the Emancipation Proclamation, within the context of his time.

#14851

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

The three lives of James Madison

Noah Feldman

Noah Feldman's 'The Three Lives of James Madison' offers a comprehensive look at Madison's evolving political philosophy, highlighting his roles as the father of the Constitution, a partisan leader, and the first wartime president. The book delves into Madison's intellectual growth and his contributions to shaping America's constitutional government. Feldman examines Madison's collaborations, contradictions, and the lasting impact of his work on American politics.

#23320

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Cool War

Noah Feldman

Cool War: The Future of Global Competition by Noah Feldman examines the unique dynamics of the U.S. -China relationship, highlighting both the economic interdependence and the geopolitical tensions between the two nations. Feldman argues that this relationship is distinct from the Cold War due to its economic entanglements, which create a 'Cool War' scenario where cooperation and conflict coexist.

#22327

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Scorpions

Noah Feldman

Scorpions delves into the lives of Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, and Robert H. Jackson, four justices who shaped the modern Constitution during the tumultuous periods of the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. The book highlights their complex relationships with each other and FDR, as well as their distinct judicial philosophies that continue to influence constitutional thought today.

#22836

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

What We Owe Iraq

Noah Feldman

In *What We Owe Iraq*, Noah Feldman argues for a more ethical approach to nation-building, emphasizing the need to prioritize the interests of the governed population. Drawing from his experiences as a constitutional advisor in Iraq, Feldman discusses the challenges of providing security and promoting democracy in occupied territories. He advocates for a humbler approach that avoids paternalism and supports local self-governance.

#25045

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Divided by God

Noah Feldman

In *Divided by God*, Noah Feldman examines the historical and legal complexities of church-state relations in the United States. He identifies two main camps: legal secularists and values evangelicals, and proposes a framework to balance symbolic religious expressions with a stronger financial separation between church and state. The book delves into historical episodes to understand current controversies and suggests a path forward that respects religious diversity while maintaining the separation of church and state.

#40688

The common law

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

In *The Common Law*, Holmes posits that law is not a science based on abstract principles but a body of practices responding to particular situations. This work significantly impacted sociological jurisprudence and legal realism, arguing that law is invented rather than discovered. Holmes' approach emphasizes the law's adaptability to societal needs, making it a foundational text in American legal history.

#30460

Democracy and the market

Adam Przeworski

This book examines the challenges of transitioning from authoritarian regimes to democracy and from command economies to market economies. It uses game theory to model the decision-making processes of political actors and explores the interdependence of political and economic transformations in Eastern Europe and Latin America. The author discusses the potential outcomes of these transitions, including the establishment of stable democracies or the emergence of new dictatorships.

Harvard Polymath Noah Feldman — Deep Focus for Hyper-Productivity, Learning 10+ Languages, Predicting the Future with History, the Possibilities (and Limitations) of DAOs, Lessons from the Iraq Invasion, Designing the Supreme Court of Facebook, the Virtue of Scholarship, and the Wild Life of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. | Brought to you by Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Headspace easy-to-use app with guided meditations. More on all three below.

Noah Feldman (@NoahRFeldman) is a Harvard professor, ethical philosopher and advisor, public intellectual, religious scholar and historian, and author of 10 books, including his latest, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America.

Noah is the founder of Ethical Compass, which helps clients like Facebook and eBay improve ethical decision-making by creating and implementing new governance solutions. Noah conceived and designed the Facebook Oversight Board and continues to advise Facebook on ethics and governance issues.

Feldman is host of the Deep Background podcast, a policy and public affairs columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, and a former contributing writer for The New York Times. He served as senior constitutional advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and subsequently advised members of the Iraqi Governing Council on the drafting of Iraq’s interim constitution.

He earned his A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard, finishing first in his class. Selected as a Rhodes Scholar, he earned a DPhil from Oxford University, writing his dissertation on Aristotle’s Ethics. He received his JD from Yale Law School and clerked for Justice David Souter of the US Supreme Court.

He is the author of 10 books, including Divided by God: America’s Church-State Problem — and What We Should Do About It; What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation Building; Cool War: The United States, China, and the Future of Global Competition; Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR’s Great Supreme Court Justices; and The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President.

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