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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roger Scruton, philosopher and author of Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, discusses taste judgments, his reputation, and the disappointment with his book. The chapter also explores the concept of beauty from an evolutionary perspective and critiques Scruton's work. The podcast ends with a discussion on the differences between Western and non-Western concepts of history.

Roger Scruton discusses his latest book on human nature, exploring the reconciliation of conflicting views of evolutionary biology and individual autonomy through guilt and excuses. The podcast explores the extra dimension of human behavior that evolutionary adaptation and scientific ideas alone cannot explain. It delves into the concept of personhood, comparing Kant's ideas to the modern liberal account based on contract and consent. The podcast also examines emergent features and cognitive dualism, discussing the limitations of evolutionary biology in explaining human behavior and experiences. The chapter on freedom emphasizes the connection between responsibility, blame, and accountability, and explores the limitations of the concept of contract and consent in understanding human relationships.

Philosopher and author Roger Scruton discusses human nature, highlighting the limitations of a purely scientific account. He explores the biological explanations for our emotional response to music and the paradoxical relationship between scientific and humanistic approaches. Scruton also explores the concept of the self and the importance of recognizing the other as a self.

What really divides the left and the right? To answer this question, Intelligence Squared brought together two giants of British intellectual culture for an ideological reckoning: Terry Eagleton, literary critic and long-time hero of the radical left, and Roger Scruton, right-wing philosopher who has written on everything from economic theory to literature, and architecture to wine. What we heard was two two irreducibly different views of the world, where each tries hard to understand the other’s view.—We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared..Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices