#56 Calum Nicholson: Boomers are Frozen in Fortune & Society is Blinded by Science

Concepts with Shawn Whatley

Boomers have a worldview "frozen by fortune, not forged in fire." Through no fault of their own, the boomer generation remains blind to aspects of current reality from their experiences growing up in the post-WWII era. That era has ended.

For more on this, check out Dr. Nicholson's guest post on Peter Boghossian: The Boomerang

Our discussion tackles Trump, scientism, climate change, 'masculinity crisis' (Calum says it's an immaturity crisis), and much more. Links below and AI summary follows at the bottom:

Co-edited book: Climate Migration: Critical Perspectives for Law, Policy, and Research

Check out Calum's Substack: Notes from the Isthmus

You can find more of his work at the Danube Institute:

Calum's Linktree

AI Summary

Join Shawn Whatley as he interviews Dr. Calum Nicholson, a lecturer at the Cambridge PACE program and director of research at the Danube Institute, about the significant cultural shifts from the boomer generation to today. They delve into the differences in material security perspectives across generations, the role of science in society, the impact of neoliberalism, and discuss Dr. Nicholson's thoughts on climate change and the social sciences. Additionally, Dr. Nicholson provides insights into Hungary's unique cultural and political landscape, offering a comparative perspective on the Anglosphere and Central Europe. This engaging conversation is an eye-opener on various societal and philosophical questions. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments below!

00:00 Introduction: The Boomer Generation and Cultural Shifts

00:42 The Crisis of Masculinity and Immaturity

01:04 Science and Society: The Role of Scientism

01:47 Interview Introduction: Dr. Calum Nicholson

02:21 The Boomerang: Impact of the Boomer Generation

04:44 Diagnosing Cultural Changes: Symptoms vs. Pathology

08:42 The Influence of Popular Culture: From Comic Books to Presidents

19:09 Generational Differences: Deep Waters vs. Shallow Waters

26:24 Neoliberalism and Its Cultural Impact

38:33 Climate Change and Social Science

45:28 Challenging Social Science Presuppositions

46:41 Science and Society: A Philosophical Inquiry

48:27 The Concept of Climate Change

53:22 The Role of Science in Society

57:34 COVID-19: A Case Study in Science and Policy

01:11:48 The Uncanny Valley of Political Empathy

01:14:39 Understanding Hungary's Unique Perspective

01:20:58 Concluding Thoughts and Future Work