Why Golden Ages Rise—and Why They Always End | Johan Norberg with Javier Mejia

Why do some societies experience extraordinary periods of prosperity, creativity, and human flourishing—and why do those golden ages eventually come to an end?In this episode of the Economic and Political History Podcast, Javier Mejia speaks with Johan Norberg, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and author of Peak Human: What We Can Learn from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages.Norberg examines seven historical golden ages and asks what they have in common. The conversation moves from the ancient Mediterranean to Abbasid Baghdad, Song China, the Italian and Dutch republics, and Britain’s Industrial Revolution.Along the way, we discuss a central puzzle of history: why do societies that become prosperous through innovation, openness, experimentation, and economic freedom so often develop institutions and political attitudes that eventually undermine those very conditions?We discuss:• What exactly makes a historical period a “golden age”—and golden for whom?• The “Great Status Quo Filter” and why successful elites can become hostile to the innovations that made them successful• Athens, Sparta, and Rome• The intellectual and economic achievements of the Abbasid Golden Age—and its decline• Song China and its remarkable approach to technology, commerce, property rights, and urbanization• Why the Ming dynasty reversed many of those developments• Why golden ages repeatedly emerged in fragmented Europe• The Italian and Dutch republics and why they eventually lost their leadership• Britain’s Industrial Revolution and the importance of “savants and fabricants”—thinkers and tinkerers• Whether Britain’s empire and colonialism caused its rise, or whether British power was itself a consequence of economic development• The role of slavery, empire, coercion, trade, and innovation in the history of modern wealth• The warning signs that may indicate the end of our own golden age• Whether the golden age of global liberalism has already come to an endNorberg's book asks us to look at history not simply as a succession of technological breakthroughs or political regimes, but as a recurring struggle between the forces that encourage experimentation and those that seek to preserve the status quo.The final question is perhaps the most consequential: if historians look back at our own era two centuries from now, what will they identify as the moment when we chose the “Spartan path”?Johan Norberg is the author of Peak Human: What We Can Learn from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages.Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/JavierMejiaCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/javier_mejia_c/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-mejia-cubillos-64504562/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3WqEZXavqg3qstoLKwtllF?si=589f4216d414448fApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-economic-and-political-history-podcast/id1708348817