Why liberalism has failed John Gray on civilisation, morality, and the illusion of progress

Why is the world moving away from liberalism and towards conservatism? One of Britain’s most provocative thinkers, John Gray is a political philosopher known for dismantling liberalism and exposing the illusions of human progress. Former Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, Gray has challenged orthodoxy across the political spectrum with a body of work that ranges from critiques of Enlightenment rationalism to meditations on the limits of secular humanism. He is the bestselling author of Straw Dogs, The Silence of Animals, and Seven Types of Atheism as well as a frequent contributor to The Guardian, New Statesman, and The Times Literary Supplement. Gray’s sharp insights and contrarian stance continue to shape contemporary debates on ethics, politics, and the future of humanity. Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode! To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: You can find everything we referenced here: See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

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Why liberalism has failed John Gray on civilisation, morality, and the illusion of progress is an episode from Philosophy for our times by The Institute of Art and Ideas.

This episode is 00:36:18 long.

This episode was published on Dec 16, 2025.

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