Tom Holland on History, Christianity, and the Value of the Countryside
Conversations with Tyler
00:00
Classical Luddism
- The Roman and Greek elites were wary of technological advancements.
- They feared technology would disrupt the social order by putting the lower classes out of work and leaving them idle.
- This Luddite perspective is illustrated by anecdotes about emperors suppressing inventions like unbreakable glass and labor-saving cranes.
- While possibly apocryphal, these stories reveal a prevailing suspicion of technology's potential to destabilize society.
- This cautious approach may have contributed to the lack of widespread industrialization in the classical world, despite the presence of advanced inventions.
Transcript
Play full episode
