Johan Norberg on why civilisations rise, flourish and fall

Johan Norberg's latest book, Peak Human: What We Can Learn from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages, is a sweeping account of seven civilizations that flourished through openness, curiosity, trade and innovation. Drawing on examples from Athens, Rome, the Abbasid Caliphate and the Dutch Republic, Johan explores what creates a golden age and what causes its decline. He discusses the ideas of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the role of free speech and political satire in ancient Athens, the scientific achievements of the Islamic world and the entrepreneurial spirit that transformed the Dutch into one of history's most successful societies. Despite wars, political turmoil and the pandemic, Johan argues that we may be living through the greatest age in human history. While he worries that societies continue to repeat old mistakes, he believes it is still far too early to give up on mankind.