Join George Monbiot, a Guardian columnist and activist, conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, Labour MP Stella Creasy, and MP Kwasi Kwarteng in a vibrant debate on the ideological clash between left and right. They tackle the hypocrisy often found in leftist claims of virtue and discuss the historical struggles of the left against wealth concentration. The conversation also dives into critiques of modern leftist thought, the implications of wealth inequality, and the necessity for political accountability and compassion in a divided society.
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Wealth Concentration
George Monbiot argues that escalating wealth concentration is inherent to complex societies.
He explains this using Thomas Piketty's concept of patrimonial capital and economic rent.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Old Nichol Slum
Monbiot cites the Old Nichol slum, where residents paid exorbitant rents despite terrible conditions.
Landlords, including MPs and churchmen, became wealthy through this exploitation.
insights INSIGHT
Left's Role
Monbiot believes the left effectively breaks cycles of wealth accumulation.
He cites the social democratic era, with high taxes and social safety nets, as evidence.
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In 'Out of the Wreckage', George Monbiot presents a vision for a new society that emphasizes cooperation and community over individualism. He argues that by reorganizing democracy and economic life from the bottom up, people can reclaim control and build a better world. The book offers a hopeful and practical approach to political transformation, drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology.
Thatcher's Trial: Six Months That Defined a Leader
Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng
This book by Kwasi Kwarteng explores Margaret Thatcher's unique leadership qualities during a tumultuous period in 1981, marked by high unemployment, public financial crises, and unrest within the Conservative Party. Thatcher's ability to reassert her authority through a cabinet reshuffle defined her as a pivotal figure in British politics. The book examines her leadership style, emphasizing personal moral responsibility and her impact on modern conservatism.
Fools, Frauds and Firebrands
Sir Roger Scruton
In *Fools, Frauds and Firebrands*, Roger Scruton delivers a sharp critique of modern left-wing thinking, analyzing key figures such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Jacques Derrida, and Slavoj Žižek. The book explores the evolution of the Left and its current state, questioning the foundations of resistance to its agenda without religious faith. Scruton's critique is both provocative and erudite, offering a comprehensive assessment of the New Left's philosophical and political contributions.
How to Be a Conservative
Roger Scruton
In this highly personal and witty book, Roger Scruton explains how to live as a conservative despite the pressures to exist otherwise. He draws on his own experience as a counter-cultural presence in public life to argue that while humanity might survive without the conservative outlook, it certainly won't flourish. The book examines the principles and values that underpin conservative thought, including civil society, the rule of law, freedom, morality, property rights, and the role of the state. Scruton also discusses the influence of conservative ideas through the careers of politicians such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Disraeli, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher, and analyzes the relationship between conservative politics, capitalism, and free markets in the UK and the US[1][3][4].
The political Left often purports that it has society’s best interests at heart and that it works for the good of all. Yet according to conservatives, it is precisely that self-regard, that attempt to monopolise virtue, which exposes the hypocrisy of left-wing ideology. In this archive debate from 2018, we gathered Labour MP Stella Creasy, environmental campaigner, journalist and author, George Monbiot, Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng, and the leading philosopher of conservative thought, the late Roger Scruton, who sadly passed away in 2020, to discuss the issue of right vs left. Our host for the discussion was the journalist, broadcaster, visiting lecturer and Professor in the Humanities Council at Princeton University, Razia Iqbal.
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