Exploring the Historical Significance of Argument

Rory Stewart explores the strange human phenomenon of arguing and why it matters so deeply to our lives.

Argument became the way in which we answered the deepest questions of philosophy, established scientific rules, and made legal decisions. It was the foundation of our democracies and the way in which we chose the policies for our state.

Rory grew up believing that the way to reach the truth was through argument. He was trained to argue in school, briefly taught classical rhetoric and he became a member of parliament. But the experience of being a politician also showed him how dangerous arguments can be, and how bad arguments can threaten our democracies, provoke division and hide the truth.

In this episode, Rory explores why speaking and arguing well were seen for millennia as the key to a good education and the cornerstone of civilisation.

Producer: Dan Tierney.