Are we on the verge of civilization’s collapse or rebirth?

The prospect of societal collapse has been examined throughout human history. Thinkers from Ibn Khaldun to Karl Marx have argued that civilization carries the seeds of its own downfall.  

This episode asks whether we are witnessing modern-day civilization’s collapse or renewal. Will our modern-day focus on individualism, technology and comfort lead to decline or a revolutionary new beginning? Or are we living in a transitional moment where terms like “civilization” fail to capture our global reality altogether? 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments.

Featuring: 

Aurora Payal: Author, professor and digital anthropologist 

Jonathan Brown: Author, professor and scholar of Islamic studies 

Faisal Devji: Professor of global and Iimperial history 

Joseph Tainter: Author, anthropologist and historian