The Myth Gap

Once upon a time our society was rich in stories. These myths united us and helped us to understand the world and ourselves.

Alex Evans of NYU’s Center on International Cooperation argues that today we have a ‘myth gap’.

He visits the RSA to contend that in this time of global crisis and transition – mass migration, inequality, resource scarcity and climate change – it is only by finding new myths that we will navigate our way to a better future. It is stories, rather than facts and pie-charts, that have the power to animate us and bring us together to change the world.

Drawing on his first-hand experience as a political adviser within British government and at the United Nations, and examining the history of climate change campaigning and recent contests such as Brexit and the US presidential election, Alex Evans explores how tomorrow’s activists are using narratives for change, how modern stories have been used and abused, and where we might find the right myths that will take us from a dark age of uncertainty towards the broad, sunlit uplands that we all seek.