Yasheng Huang is a professor at MIT and the author of many books, including his most recent work, “The Rise and Fall of the EAST”.
I reached out to Professor Huang because, after reading his book, I wanted to learn more about Chinese history.
In this episode, Yasheng and I discuss:
Imperial China v. The Roman Empire; Keju; The origin of Civil Service Exams; Purges: Hard and Soft; Meritocracy v Aristocracy; Enlightenment Thinkers; The American Founding; Stalin and Mao; Xi Jinping; Autocratic “Stickiness”; Liberal Democracy; Global Economics; Anthony Fauci; Robert F. Kennedy; Public Health; COVID; Planning for Future Pandemics; Tiananmen Square; Taiwan; Donald Trump; Student Protests;
And much more!
I hope that you enjoy this chat.
Links to Professor Huang’s content:
X: @YashengHuang
Book: The Rise and Fall of the EAST - https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300281934/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-east/
Links to my content:
X: @DanielEFinneran
My sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, and mindfulness content. Search “Pneuma meditations” on any podcast streaming platform.
If you enjoy these conversations, please share them with family and friends!
Thank you.
What is Finneran's Wake?
Finneran’s Wake – where the ART OF CONVERSATION lives.
Here, no topic is untouchable, no idea inadmissible, and no one too heretical to be heard.
As the great French essayist Montaigne once said, “To my taste, the most fruitful and natural exercise of our minds is CONVERSATION. I find the practice of it the most delightful activity in our lives”.
It certainly is the most delightful activity in my life. I want it to be so in yours as well.
To that end, I humbly welcome you to my channel.
Here, we'll exercise our minds together. Here, we'll practice this delightful activity as friends. We'll engage, now and forever, in the art--the highest and most human art--of conversation!
With affection,
Daniel