Are we in the midst of a historical upheaval, where old structures or orders appear unable to control events or respond to challenges, or are we just witnessing random events? From events in France, to Brexit, to Turkey and American politics, we have symptoms while the underlying causes have yet to emerge.

Most historical upheavals have a trigger, but they are often the result of complex societal pressures which build slowly over time. This was the case with the Russian Revolution, the French Revolution, the Reformation, the Iranian Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the Fall of Rome. In the pre-stage of the upheaval, many could see signs of disquiet and dissatisfaction, but few would have realised what was to come.

The current time has a feel of an evolution from one era to another. History shows that such evolutions rarely pass easily or swiftly, even if the end destination might be better.

Over time, thinkers will develop schools of thought about the underlying causes of what has been going on around us. Some will emphasise the economic over the political, social, cultural or technological, and vice versa. For the moment, we can simply agree that there is an immense amount of uncertainty, which is fuelling crises of identity.