John Gray (LSE)
Encyclopedia
John N. Gray is a British political philosopher and author, formerly School Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics
.
Gray contributes regularly to The Guardian
, New Statesman
and The Times Literary Supplement
, and has written several influential books on politics
and philosophy
, including False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism
(1998), which argues that free market globalization is unstable and is in the process of collapsing, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
(2003), which attacks philosophical humanism
, a worldview which Gray sees as originating in religious
ideologies, and Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia
(2007), a critique of Utopian thinking in the modern world.
Gray sees volition
, and hence morality
, as an illusion, and portrays human
ity as a ravenous species engaged in wiping out other forms of life. Gray writes that 'humans ... cannot destroy the Earth, but they can easily wreck the environment that sustains them.'
, reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), completing his B.A., M.Phil. and D.Phil.
He formerly held posts as lecturer in political theory at the University of Essex
, fellow and tutor in politics at Jesus College, Oxford
, and lecturer and then professor of politics at the University of Oxford
. He has served as a visiting professor at Harvard University
(1985–86) and Stranahan Fellow at the Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University
(1990–1994), and has also held visiting professorships at Tulane University
’s Murphy Institute (1991) and Yale University
(1994). He was Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and Political Science
until his retirement from academic life in early 2008.
and for exploration of the uneasy relationship between value-pluralism
and liberalism
in the work of Isaiah Berlin
.
An advocate for the New Right
in the 1980s and then of New Labour in the 1990s, Gray now sees the conventional (left-wing/right-wing) political spectrum of conservatism
and social democracy
as no longer viable.
More recently, he has criticised neoliberalism
, the global free market
and some of the central currents in Western thinking
, such as humanism
, while moving towards aspects of Green thought
, drawing on the Gaia theory
of James Lovelock
. It is perhaps for this critique of humanism that Gray is best known.
Central to the doctrine of humanism, in Gray’s view, are the inherently Utopian beliefs that humans are not limited by their biological natures and that advances in ethics
and politics
can accumulate or that they can alter or improve the human condition
in the same way that advances in science and technology have altered or improved living standards.
Gray contends, in opposition to this view, that history is not progressive, but cyclical. Human nature
, he argues, is an inherent obstacle to cumulative ethical or political progress. Seeming improvements, if there are any, can very easily be reversed: one example he has cited has been the use of torture
by the United States
against terrorist suspects.
Furthermore, he argues that this belief in progress, commonly imagined to be secular and liberal
, is in fact derived from an erroneous Christian
notion of humans as morally autonomous beings categorically different from other animals. This belief, and the corresponding idea that history makes sense, or is progressing towards something, is in Gray’s view merely a Christian prejudice.
He argues that the idea that humans are self-determining
agents does not pass the acid test of experiencecitation needed. Darwinist thinkers who believe humans can take charge of their own destiny to prevent environmental degradation are, in this view, not naturalists, but apostles of humanism
.
He identifies the Enlightenment
as the point at which the Christian doctrine of salvation
was taken over by secular idealism and became a political religion with universal emancipation as its aim. Communism
, fascism
and ‘global democratic capitalism
’ have all led to needless suffering, in Gray’s view, as a result of their ideological allegiance to this religion.
, Will Self
and John Banville
, the theologian Don Cupitt
, the journalist Bryan Appleyard
, the political scientist David Runciman
, the investor and philanthropist George Soros
and the environmental scientist James Lovelock
.
His 1998 book False Dawn
was praised by George Soros
as 'a powerful analysis of the deepening instability of global capitalism' which 'should be read by all who are concerned about the future of the global economy.' John Banville
praised both Black Mass
and Gray's Anatomy, saying that 'Gray's assault on Enlightenment ideas of progress is timelier than ever'.
His 2002 book Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
has received particular praise. J. G. Ballard
wrote that the book 'challenges most of our assumptions about what it means to be human, and convincingly shows that most of them are delusions’ and described it ‘a powerful and brilliant book’, ‘an essential guide to the new millennium’ and ‘the most exhilarating book I have read since Richard Dawkins
's The Selfish Gene
.’ Self
called the book ‘a contemporary work of philosophy devoid of jargon, wholly accessible, and profoundly relevant to the rapidly evolving world we live in’ and wrote ‘I read it once, I read it twice and took notes. I arranged to meet its author so I could publicise the book – I thought it that good.’
In 2002, Straw Dogs was named a book of the year by J. G. Ballard
in The Daily Telegraph
; by George Walden
in The Sunday Telegraph; by Will Self
, Joan Bakewell, Jason Cowley
and David Marquand
in the New Statesman
; by Andrew Marr
in The Observer
; by Jim Crace
in The Times
; by Hugh Lawson Tancred in The Spectator
; by Richard Holloway
in the Glasgow Herald; and by Sue Cook
in The Sunday Express.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb has written that he considers John N. Gray the modern thinker for whom he has the most respect, calling him "prophetic".
. Across six talks for A Point of View he reflected on a range of topical issues, including:
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Gray contributes regularly to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
and The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.-History:...
, and has written several influential books on politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, including False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism
False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism
False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism is a 1998 book by political philosopher John Gray that argues that free market globalization is unstable and is in the process of collapsing....
(1998), which argues that free market globalization is unstable and is in the process of collapsing, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals is a critique of Christianity and humanism, by the British philosopher John N. Gray.- External links :* * by Jason Cowley, The Observer, 15 September 2002....
(2003), which attacks philosophical humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, a worldview which Gray sees as originating in religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
ideologies, and Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia
Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia
Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia is a non-fiction book by John N. Gray published in 2007. Gray was at the time the School Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and in the book he further develops his critique of social progress...
(2007), a critique of Utopian thinking in the modern world.
Gray sees volition
Volition (psychology)
Volition or will is the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action. It is defined as purposive striving, and is one of the primary human psychological functions...
, and hence morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
, as an illusion, and portrays human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
ity as a ravenous species engaged in wiping out other forms of life. Gray writes that 'humans ... cannot destroy the Earth, but they can easily wreck the environment that sustains them.'
Academic career
Gray is from a working class family. He studied at Exeter College, OxfordExeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), completing his B.A., M.Phil. and D.Phil.
He formerly held posts as lecturer in political theory at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
, fellow and tutor in politics at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, and lecturer and then professor of politics at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He has served as a visiting professor at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(1985–86) and Stranahan Fellow at the Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
(1990–1994), and has also held visiting professorships at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
’s Murphy Institute (1991) and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
(1994). He was Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and Political Science
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
until his retirement from academic life in early 2008.
Political and philosophical thought
Among philosophers, he is known for a thoroughgoing rejection of RawlsianismJohn Rawls
John Bordley Rawls was an American philosopher and a leading figure in moral and political philosophy. He held the James Bryant Conant University Professorship at Harvard University....
and for exploration of the uneasy relationship between value-pluralism
Value-pluralism
In ethics, value pluralism is the idea that there are several values which may be equally correct and fundamental, and yet in conflict with each other...
and liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in the work of Isaiah Berlin
Isaiah Berlin
Sir Isaiah Berlin OM, FBA was a British social and political theorist, philosopher and historian of ideas of Russian-Jewish origin, regarded as one of the leading thinkers of the twentieth century and a dominant liberal scholar of his generation...
.
An advocate for the New Right
New Right
New Right is used in several countries as a descriptive term for various policies or groups that are right-wing. It has also been used to describe the emergence of Eastern European parties after the collapse of communism.-Australia:...
in the 1980s and then of New Labour in the 1990s, Gray now sees the conventional (left-wing/right-wing) political spectrum of conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
as no longer viable.
More recently, he has criticised neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
, the global free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
and some of the central currents in Western thinking
Western philosophy
Western philosophy is the philosophical thought and work of the Western or Occidental world, as distinct from Eastern or Oriental philosophies and the varieties of indigenous philosophies....
, such as humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, while moving towards aspects of Green thought
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, drawing on the Gaia theory
Gaia hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis, also known as Gaia theory or Gaia principle, proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet.The scientific investigation of the...
of James Lovelock
James Lovelock
James Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurologist who lives in Devon, England. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the biosphere is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling...
. It is perhaps for this critique of humanism that Gray is best known.
Central to the doctrine of humanism, in Gray’s view, are the inherently Utopian beliefs that humans are not limited by their biological natures and that advances in ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
can accumulate or that they can alter or improve the human condition
Human condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
in the same way that advances in science and technology have altered or improved living standards.
Gray contends, in opposition to this view, that history is not progressive, but cyclical. Human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
, he argues, is an inherent obstacle to cumulative ethical or political progress. Seeming improvements, if there are any, can very easily be reversed: one example he has cited has been the use of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
against terrorist suspects.
Furthermore, he argues that this belief in progress, commonly imagined to be secular and liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, is in fact derived from an erroneous Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
notion of humans as morally autonomous beings categorically different from other animals. This belief, and the corresponding idea that history makes sense, or is progressing towards something, is in Gray’s view merely a Christian prejudice.
He argues that the idea that humans are self-determining
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
agents does not pass the acid test of experiencecitation needed. Darwinist thinkers who believe humans can take charge of their own destiny to prevent environmental degradation are, in this view, not naturalists, but apostles of humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
.
He identifies the Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
as the point at which the Christian doctrine of salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
was taken over by secular idealism and became a political religion with universal emancipation as its aim. Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and ‘global democratic capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
’ have all led to needless suffering, in Gray’s view, as a result of their ideological allegiance to this religion.
Acclaim
Gray’s work has been praised by, amongst others, the novelists J. G. BallardJ. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
, Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
and John Banville
John Banville
John Banville is an Irish novelist and screenwriter.Banville's breakthrough novel The Book of Evidence was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won the Guinness Peat Aviation award. His eighteenth novel, The Sea, won the Man Booker Prize in 2005. He was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011...
, the theologian Don Cupitt
Don Cupitt
Don Cupitt is an English philosopher of religion and scholar of Christian theology. He is an Anglican priest, heretic and an emeritus professor of the University of Cambridge, though is better known as a popular writer, broadcaster and commentator...
, the journalist Bryan Appleyard
Bryan Appleyard
Bryan Appleyard is a British journalist and author.- Career :Appleyard was educated at Bolton School and King’s College, Cambridge and after graduating with a degree in English, he became Financial News Editor and Deputy Arts Editor from 1976 to 1984 at The Times. Subsequently he became a...
, the political scientist David Runciman
David Runciman
The Hon. David Walter Runciman is a British political scientist who teaches political theory at Cambridge University and is a fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was educated following Eton College....
, the investor and philanthropist George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
and the environmental scientist James Lovelock
James Lovelock
James Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurologist who lives in Devon, England. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the biosphere is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling...
.
His 1998 book False Dawn
False Dawn
False Dawn can refer to:* Zodiacal light: a faint, roughly triangular glow seen in the night sky.* False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism: A 1998 book by political philosopher John N...
was praised by George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
as 'a powerful analysis of the deepening instability of global capitalism' which 'should be read by all who are concerned about the future of the global economy.' John Banville
John Banville
John Banville is an Irish novelist and screenwriter.Banville's breakthrough novel The Book of Evidence was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won the Guinness Peat Aviation award. His eighteenth novel, The Sea, won the Man Booker Prize in 2005. He was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011...
praised both Black Mass
Black Mass
A Black Mass is a ceremony supposedly celebrated during the Witches' Sabbath, which was a sacrilegious parody of the Catholic Mass. Its main objective was the profanation of the host, although there is no agreement among authors on how hosts were obtained or profaned; the most common idea is that...
and Gray's Anatomy, saying that 'Gray's assault on Enlightenment ideas of progress is timelier than ever'.
His 2002 book Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals is a critique of Christianity and humanism, by the British philosopher John N. Gray.- External links :* * by Jason Cowley, The Observer, 15 September 2002....
has received particular praise. J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
wrote that the book 'challenges most of our assumptions about what it means to be human, and convincingly shows that most of them are delusions’ and described it ‘a powerful and brilliant book’, ‘an essential guide to the new millennium’ and ‘the most exhilarating book I have read since Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
's The Selfish Gene
The Selfish Gene
The Selfish Gene is a book on evolution by Richard Dawkins, published in 1976. It builds upon the principal theory of George C. Williams's first book Adaptation and Natural Selection. Dawkins coined the term "selfish gene" as a way of expressing the gene-centred view of evolution as opposed to the...
.’ Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
called the book ‘a contemporary work of philosophy devoid of jargon, wholly accessible, and profoundly relevant to the rapidly evolving world we live in’ and wrote ‘I read it once, I read it twice and took notes. I arranged to meet its author so I could publicise the book – I thought it that good.’
In 2002, Straw Dogs was named a book of the year by J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
; by George Walden
George Walden
George Gordon Harvey Walden is a British journalist and a former Conservative Party Member of Parliament who served as the Minister for Higher Education from 1985-87....
in The Sunday Telegraph; by Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
, Joan Bakewell, Jason Cowley
Jason Cowley
Jason Cowley is a British journalist, magazine editor and writer. After working at the New Statesman, he became the editor of Granta in September 2007, while also remaining a writer on The Observer, and moved back to the New Statesman as its editor in September 2008.-Biography:He graduated from...
and David Marquand
David Marquand
David Ian Marquand FBA, FRHistS, FRSA is a British academic and former Labour Party Member of Parliament .Born in Cardiff, Marquand was educated at Emanuel School, Magdalen College, Oxford, St. Antony’s College, Oxford, and at the University of California, Berkeley...
in the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
; by Andrew Marr
Andrew Marr
Andrew William Stevenson Marr is a Scottish journalist and political commentator. He edited The Independent for two years until May 1998, and was political editor of BBC News from 2000 until 2005....
in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
; by Jim Crace
Jim Crace
James "Jim" Crace is a contemporary English writer. The winner of numerous awards, Crace also has a large popular following. He currently lives in the Moseley area of Birmingham with his wife...
in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
; by Hugh Lawson Tancred in The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
; by Richard Holloway
Richard Holloway
Richard F. Holloway is a Scottish writer and broadcaster and was formerly Bishop of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church....
in the Glasgow Herald; and by Sue Cook
Sue Cook
Sue Cook is a British broadcaster and author.-Early life:Her father, William, worked for the Commission on Industrial Relations . She has two younger brothers, and lived on Burnham Avenue...
in The Sunday Express.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb has written that he considers John N. Gray the modern thinker for whom he has the most respect, calling him "prophetic".
Quotations
BBC Radio
In August/September 2011 John Gray presented a series of talks for BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. Across six talks for A Point of View he reflected on a range of topical issues, including:
- Greece and the Meaning of Folly: Taking the myth of the Trojan HorseTrojan HorseThe Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
as his starting point, he explores what he sees as the modern day folly unfolding in Europe. - Kim Philby: Why Kim PhilbyKim PhilbyHarold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
and so many others failed to predict the future. - The Revolution of Capitalism: Why an increasing number of people believe that Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
was right. - Cats, Birds and Humans: Why the human animal needs contact with something other than itself.
- Believing in Belief: Argues if the scientific and rationalist attack on religion is misguided.
- Churchill, Chance and the Black Dog: The chance encounters that made Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
Britain's wartime Prime Minister. - A Point of View: podcast
Books about Gray
- Horton, John and Glen NeweyGlen NeweyProfessor Glen Newey is a political philosopher who was Professor in the School of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy at Keele University, Staffordshire, England. From 2012 he is Professor of Political Theory at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. He contributes regularly to the...
, eds. The Political Theory of John Gray. London: RoutledgeRoutledgeRoutledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
, 2007. ISBN 0-415-36647-X.
Articles
- "After Social Democracy", by John Gray, January 1, 1996, DemosDemos (UK think tank)- History :Demos was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques, and Geoff Mulgan, who became its first director. It was formed in response to what Mulgan, Jacques and others saw as a crisis in politics in Britain, with voter engagement in decline and political institutions...
, www.demos.co.uk - "The disorders of faith and the death of utopia": an article in the TLS by David Martin, August 8, 2007
- "Enlightenment and Terror", The Thomas More Lecture, Amsterdam, 2004
- A collection of articles written by John Gray for the New Statesman magazine, New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
- A collection of articles written by John Gray for the Guardian and the Observer, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
The Guardian
- "The atheist delusion", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, by John Gray, March 15, 2008 - "Review: The Shock Doctrine", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, by John Gray, September 15, 2007 - "The death of this crackpot creed is nothing to mourn", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
July 2007 - "Look out for the enemy within", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
July 2005 - "Folly of the progressive fairytale", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
9 September 2008
The Independent
- Neoconned!: How Blair took New Labour for a ride, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
June 2007
The Observer
- Monarchy is the Key to Our Liberty, The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
July 2007 - We trusted this country. Look how it treats us, The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
February 2008
Profiles
- The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/johngray - Profile, by Will Self, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
September 2002 - Profile, by Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
June 2007
Interviews
- John Gray radio interview on the 'Philosopher's Zone', June 28, 2008
- Interview regarding Black Mass
- 'Gray on Gray' (American Political Science AssociationAmerican Political Science AssociationThe American Political Science Association is a professional association of political science students and scholars in the United States. Founded in 1903, it publishes three academic journals...
) - John Gray 'On Life' Current TV
- John Gray 'On Religion' Current TV
- John Gray 'On Environment' Current TV
- John Gray 'On Fuel War' Current TV
- John Gray 'On Hubris' Current TV
- Interview with John Gray: "When utopia takes power, it leads to catastrophe”, Barcelona MetropolisBarcelona MetropolisBarcelona Metrópolis is a magazine of urban information and thought dedicated to monitoring the evolution of the city of Barcelona.Barcelona...
, Winter, 2008. - John Gray talks to the 'Philosopher's Zone' about Isaiah Berlin
- Audio: John N. Gray in conversation on the BBC World Service discussion programme The ForumThe Forum (BBC World Service)The Forum is the BBC World Service's flagship discussion programme. It brings together prominent thinkers from different disciplines and different parts of the world to try and create stimulating discussion, informed by highly distinct academic, artistic and cultural backgrounds.-Format:Each...
Reviews of his work
- AC Grayling reviews Black Mass, New HumanistNew HumanistNew Humanist is a monthly magazine published by the Rationalist Association in the UK. It has been in print for 125 years; starting out life as Watts's Literary Guide, founded by C. A. Watts in November 1885....
July/August 2007 - Ian Hargearves, Professor of Journalism at Cardiff University reviews "Straw Dogs".
- Terry EagletonTerry EagletonTerence Francis Eagleton FBA is a British literary theorist and critic, who is regarded as one of Britain's most influential living literary critics...
reviews Straw Dogs, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
September 2002 - "F. A. Hayek and the Rebirth of Classical Liberalism", Library of Economics and LibertyLibrary of Economics and LibertyThe Library of Economics and Liberty is a free online library of economics books and articles from a libertarian view and is sponsored by the private Liberty Fund.-Content:...
, Literature of Liberty 5.4 (Winter 1982). - Jason Cowley reviews Straw Dogs
- Diana Judd reviews Straw Dogs
- Has John Gray Returned to Classical Liberalism?