"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg
E79: How Civilizations Cycle & Collapse | Samo Burja and Rudyard Lynch
Sep 21, 2024
Samo Burja, a political analyst and founder of Bismarck Analysis, joins Rudyard Lynch, a historical content creator from the What If Althist YouTube channel, for a fascinating discussion. They delve into the cyclical nature of civilizations, comparing ancient societies like Babylon to modern ones like Silicon Valley. The conversation explores the impact of Abrahamic religions on societal hierarchies and the historical roots of feminism. They also reveal how debt and cultural loss contribute to the rise and fall of civilizations, drawing intriguing parallels to today.
01:02:23
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Quick takeaways
- Different agricultural practices have shaped civilizations uniquely, affecting their societal structures and worldviews despite similarities in being agricultural.
- Abrahamic religions perceive time as linear while many other cultures view it cyclically, influencing societal values and structures.
Deep dives
Understanding Civilizational Differences
Different civilizations exhibit significant variances that often go overlooked. The conversation highlights that societies shaped by similar agricultural practices can still have divergent societal structures and worldviews. For instance, the inundation-based agriculture in ancient Egypt differed fundamentally from the plow-based agriculture in Europe, despite being agricultural in nature. This lack of imagination regarding how civilizations could develop is seen as a barrier to understanding the complexities of civilizations, especially in today's context of industrial societies.
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