If there is one thing that characterizes the Australian philosopher and writer Roman Krznaric, it is his interest in the power of ideas to make change. In his latest book, “History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity”, he examines the last 1000 years of world history to uncover insights for addressing ten pressing issues in the 21st century.
Climate change, hyperconsumerism, inequality, democracy, and the risks with AI and genetic engineering are among the topics. Krznaric highlights historical warnings but seeks out many positive examples of success as well. The book demonstrates how societies have repeatedly risen to the occasion, often against great odds, to confront and overcome challenges. And this is probably what the world needs to hear right now.
Lecture by Roman Krznaric.
Commentators: Thomas Hylland Eriksen and Ragnar Torvik
Roman Krznaric is an Australian philosopher and author of eight books. His latest book History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity was released this summer and is translated into Norwegian this autumn.
Thomas Hylland Eriksen is professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo. He is an avid communicator and public debater and author of many books on a range of subjects.
Ragnar Torvik is a professor of Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and an adjunct professor at BI Norwegian Business School. He has been a visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley.
