Lineages of Modernity

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In many developed countries, confusion about the contemporary state of the world is palpable. What was once taken for granted is now being questioned, prompting a desire to understand our current situation and future trajectory. In this insightful work, leading sociologist Emmanuel Todd sheds light on our predicament by reconstructing the historical dynamics of human societies from the Stone Age to today. He moves away from attributing special significance to the economy and instead offers an anthropological perspective, emphasizing the long-term dynamics of family systems and their connections to religion and ideology. This approach contrasts the unconscious societal level with the conscious realms of economy and politics. Todd also examines the transformative impact of education, which helps explain the varied historical paths of advanced nations and their increasing divergence. This divergence is evident in phenomena such as the rise of the Anglosphere, the dual nature of Homo americanus, Donald Trump's electoral success, and the contrasting ambitions of Germany and China. Additionally, he explores the emergence of stable authoritarian democracy in Russia, Japan's new introversion, and recent turbulent events in Europe, including Brexit. Todd's analysis highlights that today's massive transformations are more influenced by deep-rooted ethnic diversity than by the homogenizing effects of globalization.