The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1996

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Part 1, Chapter 5

Part 2, Chapters 6-9

Parts 2-3, Chapters 10-12

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Key Figures

Prophet

The prophet archetype is born in a first turning, or a high era. Highs are upbeat eras when large institutions are seen as powerful and effective, and individualism is weak. In highs, a new civic order implants and the old values regime decays (124). Prophets grow up in a post-crisis high with the indulgence of parents and society. They come of age and enter young adulthood during awakenings as narcissistic crusaders, develop into moralistic midlifers in an unraveling, and emerge as wise elders during the next crisis. The most recent prophet generation was the Boom Generation, or Baby Boomers, born between 1943 and 1960. Famous examples of the prophet archetype include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, W.E.B. Du Bois, Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, and Tony Blair.

Nomad

The nomad archetype is born in a second turning, or an awakening era. Awakenings are passionate eras of spiritual upheaval when the old civic order comes under attack and the social discipline of the high suddenly seems unfulfilling. Nomads grow up as underprotected children during awakening eras, when adults focus more on their own spirituality (84). They come of age during unravelings as alienated young adults, develop into pragmatic midlife leaders during a crisis era, and emerge as tough elders in the next high. The most recent nomad generation is the 13th Generation, or Generation X, born between 1961 and 1981. Famous examples of the nomad archetype include Harry Truman, George S. Patton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Barack Obama, Princess Diana, Michael Jordan, and Kurt Cobain.

Hero

The hero archetype is born during a third turning, or an unraveling era. Unravelings are downcast eras when institutions become weak and distrusted, but individualism is strong. Heroes grow up as protected children in unraveling era, come of age as heroic young team-workers during a crisis, develop into hubristic and energetic midlifers in a high, and emerge as powerful elders coming under attack in the next awakening. The most recent hero generations are the G.I. Generation, born between 1901 and 1924, and the Millennial Generation, born between 1982 and 2005. Famous examples of the hero archetype include John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney, John Wayne, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lady Gaga, Kim Jong-Un, and LeBron James.

Artist

The artist archetype is born during a fourth turning, or a crisis era. A crisis is a decisive era of secular upheaval, when the values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one (124). Artists grow up as overprotected children during a crisis, come of age as sensitive young adults in a high, develops into indecisive midlife leaders during an awakening, and emerge as empathetic elders in an unraveling (84). The most recent artist generations include the Homeland Generation, or Generation Z, whose beginning birth year was 2005, and the Silent Generation, born between 1925 and 1942. Famous examples of the artist archetype include Theodore Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, Sigmund Freud, Joe Biden, Martin Luther King Jr., Elvis Presley, and Colin Powell.