E96: Cycles of Civilization with Samo Burja and Rudyard Lynch

Today on Moment of Zen, we're airing a discussion between Samo Burja and Rudyard Lynch - two intellectual heavyweights tackling the idea that civilizations may have inherent differences that can alter our understanding of the course of history and politics. Both Samo and Rudyard are hosts of Turpentine shows, Live Players and History 102, respectively. This is a fascinating discussion on threads that bridge Silicon Valley with ancient civilizations like Babylon, the impact of Abrahamic religions, and the idea that societies go through cycles that may upend our current assumptions CHECK OUT: Live Players: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188 History 102: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 — 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: turpentinenetwork.co — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast — SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. 🚀 Elevate your investment game with Altea by Alts.co. Discover vetted deals in unconventional asset classes, network with captivating individuals, and indulge in exclusive travel experiences. Ready to invest in pro sports teams or film financing? Apply now at https://www.alts.co/zen and redefine your investment journey. — LINKS: Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ Whatifalthist YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/Whatifalthist — FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg @samoburja @whatifalthist @turpentinemedia — TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:40) Beginning of Discussion on Civilizational Differences (02:46) Abrahamic vs Non-Abrahamic Societies (07:29) Classical Civilization vs Modern Western Civilization (11:16) Literacy Rates in Ancient Rome (14:48) Pre-modern Feminism and Ancient Greek Society (20:06) Sponsors: WorkOS | Alts (22:08) Continuation After Sponsor Break (26:39) Cycles of Civilization and Political Theory (30:04) Deforestation and Environmental Changes in Ancient Civilizations (32:08) Sponsor: Squad (33:12) Spengler's Theory of Civilizational Rise and Fall (36:53) Archaeology and Museums in Ancient Babylon (38:09) Societal Decline in Ancient Civilizations (40:11) Modern China as a Hybrid Civilization (42:22) New Religions in California (46:40) Machine Worship and Singularity Beliefs (51:10) Regional Differences Within America (54:11) Obscure Civilizations: Nuragic and Khmer (58:03) Wrap