Nervous States

Democracy and the Decline of Reason

By: William Davies

Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell

In this sweeping and provocative work, political economist William Davies draws on a 400-year history of ideas to reframe our understanding of the contemporary world. He argues that global trends decades and even centuries in the making have reduced a world of logic and fact into one driven by emotions - particularly fear and anxiety. This has ushered in an age of "nervous states", both in our individual bodies and our body politic.

Eloquently tracing the history of accounting, statistics, science, and human anatomy from the Enlightenment to the present, Davies shows how we invented expertise in the 17th century to calm the violent disputes - over God and the nature of reality - that ravaged Europe. By separating truth from emotion, scientific, testable facts paved a way out of constant warfare and established a basis for consensus, which became the bedrock of modern politics, business, and democracy.

Informed by research on psychology and economics, Davies reveals how widespread feelings of fear, vulnerability, physical and psychological pain, and growing inequality reshaped our politics, upending these centuries-old ideals of how we understand the world and organize society.

©2018 William Davies (P)2019 HighBridge Company

Helpful in gaining perspective on today's issues

Good book with sound structure and relevant historical context citations throughout in order to provide a clear perspective framework for attempting to understand today's political, societal, and global issues.

Nervous States of America

Explosive insight! Davies has “hit a nerve” with this book. Knowledge and expertise are essential elements for a society and democracy to run well, but as David Hume quipped, “Reason is the slave to passion.” He diagnoses the problem with the rise of feelings in lieu of reasoning during tumultuous times. And shows how this kind of “thinking”leads to a decline in trust for science and democracies, and an increase in conspiracy thinking and authoritarianism. Essential reading for all!

Wow, I just can't believe I never read this

This is an amazing performance much needed for a very serious, yet perfectly written take on how we got here, democracy, climate, everything makes sense but the way is all put together here, is extraordinary. I'm already recommending this to everyone around me, its amazing. I loved it and suffered it, literally I cried twice.

I got here because of another book from the same author I was looking for and this seemed more global than "This is not normal" Yet, finishing this one, I just want to read the other one just now.