Welcome!
We're kicking off our diagnosis of the university with Samuel Moyn, who teaches law and history at Yale. In his new book, Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Hoard Power and Wealth — and What to Do About It, Sam focuses on the urgent need to strengthen inter-generational equity. In our conversation, I asked how his argument applies to the university: Does the accumulation of status lead to scarcity? Are younger scholars breaking with their elders on politics? How have universities dealt with this?
I've admired Sam's work for many years, so it's a great privilege to have him open the podcast.
Referenced readings:
Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth—and What to Do About It, Samuel Moyn, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2026)
Capital, Karl Marx, Volume I, Chapter 25, “The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation,” Section 4.
Report of MIT’s Ad Hoc Committee on AI Use in Teaching, Learning, and Research Training (2026)
It’s Our Fault. On MANGO’s, Coconuts, and the Responsibility of a Powerless Left, Dustin Giustella, Damage Magazine (2025)
This episode is free. To continue the conversation, visit https://knowingotherwisepod.substack.com/subscribe
Music by Sirsé for Knowing Otherwise: https://sirse.bandcamp.com/
Artwork by Kira Kustova for Knowing Otherwise.
