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Ed Simon
Cultural historian and author of 'Devil's Contract: The History of the Faustian Bargain'. He teaches literature at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.
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Sep 8, 2025
• 39min
The Art of a Deal with the Devil: on Faustian Bargains from Shakespeare and Goethe to Thomas Mann and Donald Trump
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Ed Simon, a cultural historian and author of 'Devil's Contract', dives into the timeless appeal of Faustian Bargains. He reflects on how these deals represent our irrationality, as people knowingly choose self-destructive paths. Simon links the literary origins of Faust to today's political landscape, drawing parallels with figures like Donald Trump. The discussion extends to modern implications in technology and politics, raising questions about the moral dilemmas tied to our choices in the digital age.
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