When we see so much hypocrisy around us, it’s because we have it in ourselves. And when politicians reveal to us what we are by exposing it in that way, we withdraw our allegiance.
—Roger Scruton
We all want a better world, and we seemingly make progress, with more technology and less prejudice. Yet ideals and utopias are strangely difficult to imagine, let alone achieve. Is it that we just lack imagination or are leaders inherently corrupt? Or is there something impossible in the very idea?
In this new debate from the Institute of Art and Ideas, conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, former UK Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, and theologian Phillip Blond confront the future (The BBC’s Mary Ann Sieghart hosts).
This video was produced by The Institute of Art and Ideas and is republished here with permission. It was filmed at HowTheLightGetsIn 2016 alongside 200 other debates and talks, all available for free at IAI TV. Their new podcast, Philosophy for our times, is available here.
