Main content
The Usefulness of Pessimism
John Gray on why regular fits of collective insanity are part of what it means to be human.
John Gray argues that the power of the imagination fuels the worst kind of politics.
'Nobody', he argues, 'is in overall charge of events. There are patterns in history, but particular human events are mostly random. We prefer an illusion of order to the brute fact of chaos.'
But, he says, pessimism may be the key to changing our fate.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Last on
Sun 10 Dec 2023
08:48
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
More episodes
Previous
Next
Broadcasts
- Fri 8 Dec 2023 20:50Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 10 Dec 2023 08:48Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Podcast
-
A Point of View
A weekly reflection on a topical issue.