Contemporary thought leaders who are contributing to the discourse on societal and economic issues such as inequality, environmental degradation, economic instability, and other factors that can contribute to societal collapse:
- Jason Hickel – An economic anthropologist and author known for his work on global inequality, political economy, post-development, and ecological economics.
- Joseph E. Stiglitz – A Nobel laureate in economics who has written extensively about income inequality and the pitfalls of globalization.
- Yanis Varoufakis – A Greek economist and former finance minister known for his critiques of the European Union’s economic policies and his work on the global financial crisis.
- Nafeez Ahmed – An investigative journalist known for his work on systemic crises in ecology, energy, economics, and society.
- Thomas Piketty – A French economist whose work focuses on wealth and income inequality in Europe and the United States.
- Daron Acemoglu – A Turkish economist who has written extensively on the role of institutions in economic development and societal collapse.
- Naomi Klein – A Canadian author and social activist known for her critiques of corporate globalization and capitalism’s role in climate change.
- Richard Heinberg – A journalist and educator who has written extensively about energy, economic, and ecological issues, focusing on the challenges posed by peak oil, climate change, and economic instability.
- David Graeber – A late anthropologist and anarchist, known for his critical interpretations of capitalism and neoliberal ideology.
- Kate Raworth – An economist known for her “Doughnut Economics” model, which emphasizes balance in economic development to prevent environmental degradation and societal collapse.
- Greta Thunberg – Although not an economist, this young environmental activist has had a profound impact on the conversation about climate change and its potential to trigger societal collapse.
- Dmitry Orlov – A Russian-American engineer and writer who writes about the potential economic, ecological and political decline and collapse in the United States.
- Jared Diamond – A geographer and author of “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,” which examines why ancient societies, including the Anasazi of the American Southwest and the Viking colonies of Greenland, fell apart.
- Chris Hedges – A Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and social activist known for his books on American society, including “America: The Farewell Tour,” which explores the potential for social collapse.
- James Howard Kunstler – An American author known for his books about suburban development, urban decay, and the challenges of the coming post-oil age.