Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Shahnameh – The Book of Kings – is a great work of Persian literature. What pessimism and proto-antinatalism can be found in its pages? I speak with Mani to find out!
Check out Antinatalism in Iran (my previous interview w/ Mani): youtube.com/watch?v=blU_sFPRC9M&t=2551s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~INFO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📧 | Contact Me: lawrenceant@protonmail.com
🔥 | Support my work with a one-off donation or monthly support for added perks: ko-fi.com/lawrenceanton
My projects:
🗯️ | Rebutting common natalist arguments: antinatalisthandbook.org
✅ | Increasing your impact as an antinatalist: antinatalistadvocacy.org
Get your favourite antinatalist clothing:
👕 | Anti Natalist Social Club T-shirt: a12497-55.myshopify.com/products/anti-natalist-social-club-tee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TIMESTAMPS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Shahnameh (The Book of Kings)
09:27 - Pessimism in Shahnameh
32:19 - Proto-Antinatalism in Shahnameh
46:31 - Zurvanism
57:28 - Further Reading
01:01:37 - Outro
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LINKS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General links:
• Introductory video to Shahnameh: youtu.be/cuEGVSiybFE?si=HvDrFPyVrfmGRFsS
• Shahnameh: amazon.co.uk/Shahnameh-Persian-Kings-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143108328 Archive: archive.org/details/shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings/mode/1up
• Epic and Sedition – A Case of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh: amazon.com/Epic-Sedition-Case-Ferdowsis-Shahnameh/dp/1933823054
The Ant's Gift: A Study of the Shahnameh (Shahrokh Meskoob): amazon.co.uk/Ants-Gift-Shahnameh-Literature-Translation/dp/081563708X
Blade Runner trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=eogpIG53Cis
Zurvanism links:
• Zurvanism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurvanism
• Encyclopedia: iranicaonline.org/articles/zurvanism
• Spirit of Wisdom (or Menog-i Khrad): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menog-i_Khrad English: archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.153242/page/n6/mode/1up
• The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism (R. C. Zaehner): amazon.co.uk/Dawn-Twilight-Zoroastrianism-R-Zaehner/dp/1842121650
• Zurvan – a Zoroastrian dilemma (R. C. Zaehner): amazon.com/Zurvan-Zoroastrian-R-C-Zaehner/dp/0819602809
• Persian Mythology (John R. Hinnells): amazon.com/Persian-mythology-John-R-Hinnells/dp/0600030903
Fatalism in Persian Epics (Helmer Ringgren): cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/abs/fatalism-in-persian-epics-by-helmer-ringgren-pp-133-uppsala-university-arsskrift-1952-13/78072F9E0CCF64FD33C01DF172AA4A2A Archive: archive.org/details/fatalisminpersia0000ring/page/n143/mode/2up
Mehdi Akhavan-Sales: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehdi_Akhavan-Sales
Outro Music // The Last Time - Kayou. // Provided by @LofiGirl
Shahnameh – The Book of Kings – is a great work of Persian literature. What pessimism and proto-antinatalism can be found in its pages? I speak with Mani to find out!
Check out Antinatalism in Iran (my previous interview w/ Mani): youtube.com/watch?v=blU_sFPRC9M&t=2551s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~INFO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
📧 | Contact Me: lawrenceant@protonmail.com
🔥 | Support my work with a one-off donation or monthly support for added perks: ko-fi.com/lawrenceanton
My projects:
🗯️ | Rebutting common natalist arguments: antinatalisthandbook.org
✅ | Increasing your impact as an antinatalist: antinatalistadvocacy.org
Get your favourite antinatalist clothing:
👕 | Anti Natalist Social Club T-shirt: a12497-55.myshopify.com/products/anti-natalist-social-club-tee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TIMESTAMPS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Shahnameh (The Book of Kings)
09:27 - Pessimism in Shahnameh
32:19 - Proto-Antinatalism in Shahnameh
46:31 - Zurvanism
57:28 - Further Reading
01:01:37 - Outro
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LINKS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General links:
• Introductory video to Shahnameh: youtu.be/cuEGVSiybFE?si=HvDrFPyVrfmGRFsS
• Shahnameh: amazon.co.uk/Shahnameh-Persian-Kings-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143108328 Archive: archive.org/details/shahnameh-the-persian-book-of-kings/mode/1up
• Epic and Sedition – A Case of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh: amazon.com/Epic-Sedition-Case-Ferdowsis-Shahnameh/dp/1933823054
The Ant's Gift: A Study of the Shahnameh (Shahrokh Meskoob): amazon.co.uk/Ants-Gift-Shahnameh-Literature-Translation/dp/081563708X
Blade Runner trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=eogpIG53Cis
Zurvanism links:
• Zurvanism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurvanism
• Encyclopedia: iranicaonline.org/articles/zurvanism
• Spirit of Wisdom (or Menog-i Khrad): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menog-i_Khrad English: archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.153242/page/n6/mode/1up
• The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism (R. C. Zaehner): amazon.co.uk/Dawn-Twilight-Zoroastrianism-R-Zaehner/dp/1842121650
• Zurvan – a Zoroastrian dilemma (R. C. Zaehner): amazon.com/Zurvan-Zoroastrian-R-C-Zaehner/dp/0819602809
• Persian Mythology (John R. Hinnells): amazon.com/Persian-mythology-John-R-Hinnells/dp/0600030903
Fatalism in Persian Epics (Helmer Ringgren): cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/abs/fatalism-in-persian-epics-by-helmer-ringgren-pp-133-uppsala-university-arsskrift-1952-13/78072F9E0CCF64FD33C01DF172AA4A2A Archive: archive.org/details/fatalisminpersia0000ring/page/n143/mode/2up
Mehdi Akhavan-Sales: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehdi_Akhavan-Sales
Outro Music // The Last Time - Kayou. // Provided by @LofiGirl
