Niall Ferguson On The Six Killer Apps Of Western Civilisation

Intelligence Squared

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🗓️ 24 March 2017

⏱️ 60 minutes

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Summary

Niall Ferguson is the most brilliant British historian of his generation. In this talk from February 2011, based on his book 'Civilisation: The West and the Rest', he asks how Western civilization came to dominate the rest of the world. His answer is that the West developed six “killer applications” that the Rest lacked: competition, science, democracy, medicine, consumerism and the Protestant work ethic. The key question today is whether or not the West has lost its monopoly on these six things. If it has and the Rest of the world can successfully download these apps, we may be living through the end of Western ascendancy. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So you've arrived you head to the brasserie then the terrace cocktail don't mind if I do
0:08.5	You raise your glass to another guest because you both know the holidays just beginning.
0:14.0	And you're only in Terminal 3.
0:18.0	Welcome to Virgin Atlantic's unique upper class clubhouse experience
0:22.0	where you'll feel like you've arrived before you've taken off.
0:26.0	Virgin Atlantic, see the world differently.
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1:00.5	Ladies and gentlemen, one has an overwhelming desire to stammer these days.
1:17.0	But don't worry, I'm not going to do that again.
1:19.0	I just couldn't resist it after last night's delightful grand slam by the makers of the King's Speech.
1:26.4	I'm going to talk to you tonight about a more modest production than that great movie.
1:33.0	About civilization, a television series that will begin next Sunday on Channel 4 at 8 PM and the accompanying book which will be published this week by Penguin.
1:47.0	Now Civilization is actually a French word. A Dr Johnson refused to admit it to his dictionary. He told
2:00.5	Boswell he would allow civility but not civilization, sir.
	...

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