The Limits of Progress: Roy Scranton on Climate, Collapse, and Moral Clarity

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected] than half of all historical carbon emissions have occurred since 1989—after world leaders knew the risks. So why do we still believe we can innovate our way out of collapse?In this sobering and deeply philosophical conversation, Roy Scranton—former soldier, literary scholar, and author of Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress—joins Will to explore why our faith in progress may be our greatest liability. Drawing from his experience in Iraq and his study of civilizational decline, Scranton dismantles the optimistic narratives that shape American culture, from techno-utopianism to climate heroism.They discuss everything from American exceptionalism and carbon optimism to moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt’s “elephant and rider,” and the ethical case for pessimism. Scranton argues that rather than trying to save the world, we should focus on how to live meaningfully in a collapsing one—with compassion, honesty, and courage.Whether you’re a climate realist, a techno-optimist, or just anxious about the future, this episode will stretch your mind.👉 Subscribe, share, and join the conversation.Guest BioRoy Scranton is a writer, scholar, and former U.S. Army soldier whose work explores the philosophical and cultural implications of climate change. He is the author of Learning to Die in the Anthropocene, War Porn, and most recently Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress. Scranton is a professor of English at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches literature, environmental humanities, and moral philosophy.Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress (Stanford University Press) – https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781503640030 Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/Support the showKeep the conversation going.Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?Visit our website:faithfulpoliticspodcast.comBrowse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstoreSupport the show and help us keep these conversations going:patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPoliticsSubscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:faithfulpolitics.substack.comContact the hosts:Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected] Wright, Political Host: [email protected] Faithful Politics:Instagram: faithful_politicsFacebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast