Show Notes
Edward Slingerland is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, where he also holds appointments in the Departments of Psychology and Asian Studies. From January to June each academic year he also serves as Visiting Professor in the Department of Religion at Dartmouth. Educated at Princeton, Stanford and UC Berkeley, he has taught at the University of Colorado, Boulder, the University of Southern California and the University of British Columbia.
In "Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization", Professor Slingerland outlines the case for drinking alcohol, how it has impacted society, shaped friendships, established romantic relationships and contributed to the development and success of the human race. Professor Slingerland argues that alcohol, the king of social lubricants, can indeed be a force for good in the world if used mindfully, carefully and in moderation. We would not have civilization without intoxication.
00:00 Intro and origin story 07:45 How alcohol created civilization 10:01 Alcohol before agriculture? 12:00 The invention of alcohol 13:21 The creativity paradox and the prefrontal cortex 16:37 Alcohol and creativity 17:12 Alcohol, the biphasal curve and the brain 21:07 Alcohol content and the dangers 25:08 Anxiety 28:00 Alcohol, the arts and ideas 30:10 David Nutt's cancellation and alcohol alternatives 36:00 The price of drinking and the costs 37:00 Is alcoholism actually cultural (Northern v Southern) 43:00 Ireland's drinking culture 49:13 Drinking, Society, Politics 54:37 Alcohol, technology and Ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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