Niall Ferguson joins Alex Levy to discuss an array of topics, including his newest book "The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook".
Hey everyone, today’s episode is with Niall Ferguson:
Niall Ferguson is a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford, and a senior fellow of the Center for European Studies, Harvard.
He has written fifteen books, including: The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook; The House of Rothschild I and II;The Ascent of Money and, The Great Degeneration.
We had a very interesting conversation, we touched on many relevant topics, including his thoughts 3 years into Trump’s presidency, role of institutions in a “Techie” era, hate speech in the framework of the first amendment and his most recent book “The Square and the Tower”.
Even though this interview was recorded back in March of this year, the conversation is still very relevant for today and gives a lot to reflect on.
Please enjoy this edition of Through Conversations with Niall Ferguson!
--------------------------------------
His latest book is The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World: 10th Anniversary Edition
Website: http://www.niallferguson.com
Twitter: @nfergus
Watch his talk at Ciudad de Las Ideas 2016
--------------------------------------
HIGHLIGHTS
(0:51) Intro
(1:37) Thoughts 3 years into Trump’s presidency.
(4:35) China and US.
(8:28) Role of institutions in a “Techie” era: can we draw a line in the sand between tech and government?
(12:51) ...What happens when Facebook shuts down?
(17:50) "The Degeneration of institutions" and finding the middle ground between complex regulation and corruption in free markets.
(22:40) Hate speech in the framework of the first amendment.
(29:00) The migration of a culture born in college campuses to politics.
(32:20) Niall’s take on his approach to free speech, Ayaan's courage to speak her mind.
(36:00) Conclusion about universities and what needs to be done.
(39:20) “The Square and the Tower”
(43:49) Closing remarks.
--------------------------------------
Thanks for tuning in for this edition of Through Conversations Podcast!
If you find this episode interesting, consider subscribing to it. Also, you can share it with anyone who comes to your mind.