Archive · 30 Jan 2026
Amitav Ghosh on Wealthy Apocalypse Preparations
Amitav Ghosh, a famous writer, gave a speech about how very rich people are preparing for the end of the world.
He talked about how these people, whom he calls the 'cognitive elite,' believe they can survive big disasters like climate change or pandemics.
Ghosh thinks this shows that these elites don't care much about the poor and believe they can escape problems while others suffer.
He also talked about how stories and imaginations shape our views on the future and how literature can help us understand these big issues.
Ghosh ended by asking who we would rather be with in a crisis: a tech billionaire or someone who knows how to live off the land.
Amitav Ghosh discussed how the ultra-wealthy are preparing for apocalyptic scenarios, viewing it as a practical possibility.
He described the 'cognitive elite' as those who believe they can survive civilizational crises, often with little concern for the global poor.
Ghosh differentiated between 'catastrophists,' who expect sudden, violent disruptions, and 'gradualists,' who believe in managing crises through policy and technology.
He critiqued the idea that wealth and technology can ensure survival, arguing that true resilience lies in community and ecological knowledge.
Ghosh emphasized the role of literature in shaping our understanding of climate politics and the future.
- Who
- Amitav Ghosh, novelist and essayist
- What
- Lecture on apocalyptic thinking among the ultra-wealthy
- When
- Delivered at BML Munjal University
- Where
- New Delhi, India
- Why
- To explore the cultural and political implications of elite apocalyptic preparedness
- Speaker
- Amitav Ghosh
- Event
- Memorial lecture at BML Munjal University
- Lecture Title
- Intimations of Apocalypse: Catastrophist and Gradualist Imaginings of the Planetary Future
- Key Concepts
- Cognitive elite, apocalyptic thinking, catastrophists, gradualists
- Notable Works
- The Great Derangement, The Nutmeg’s Curse
