Ep. 211: Generational differences and civil liberties with Neil Howe

In late 2013, some of us at FIRE started noticing a change on
college campuses. Students, who were previously the strongest
constituency for free speech on campus, were turning against free
speech. They began appealing to administrators more frequently
for protection from different speakers and using the language of
trauma and safety to justify censorship.


What changed?

Neil Howe may have an answer. He is a historian, economist, and
demographer who speaks frequently on generational
change. His most recent book, “The Fourth Turning is Here,”
was published last year. Howe argues that history has seasonal
rhythms of growth, maturation, entropy, and rebirth and that
different generations take on different attributes reflecting
their place in the cycle.


Joining Howe and host Nico Perrino for the conversation is FIRE
President and CEO Greg Lukianoff, co-author of “The Canceling of
the American Mind."


Timestamps


0:00 Introduction


6:10 Neil’s intent with his book, “Generations”


13:12 Pattern in American history


17:08 The nomad archetype


25:00 Covid and the younger generation


27:28 Do people shape events?


35:35 Gen-Xers and Millennials


41:45 The Fourth Turning


50:24 William James’ “The Moral Equivalent of War”


57:08 Are Gen-Z actually Millennials?


58:10 Dominant generations


01:06:40 How do generational cycles impact civil liberties?


01:10:57 Summary of Millennials


01:18:15 Peaceful periods lead to greater inequality 


1:19:16 Outro


 


Show Notes 


Neil Howe’s Substack, “Demography Unplugged”


Greg Lukianoff’s Substack, “The Eternally Radical Idea”