Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
John Gray and Jonny Thomson discuss how the idea of human progress in ethics and politics is a myth.
Do you agree with John Gray, or is this an overly pessimistic view of humanity?
With a free trial, you can watch John talk about his life and philosophy NOW at iai.tv/video/the-life-and-philosophy-of-john-gray?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description
Why does every generation assume the future will be more civilized than the past? John Gray argues this belief in progress is both false and dangerous—a secular myth that blinds us to the recurring conflicts of history. In this interview with Jonny Thomson, he explains why science and technology accumulate but gains in ethics and politics are fragile, unwinding every few generations. The future, he warns, is not destined to be better than the past.
In partnership with Big Think.
#philosophy #politics #humanity
John Gray, hailed as "Britain's best philosopher," is a leading critic of liberalism and the Enlightenment. He has long challenged the belief in inevitable progress, predicting both the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of populism.
Jonny Thomson is a columnist at Big Think, bestselling author and founder of Mini Philosophy. He is the bestselling author of three books — Mini Philosophy, Mini Big Ideas, and Mini Psychology — which have been translated into 22 languages, with a fourth, The Art of Enough, forthcoming. He sits on the Executive Board of the British Philosophy Association.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://iai.tv/video/the-idea-of-progress-is-a-dangerous-lie-with-john-gray
0:00 Intro
0:31 Why are you considered 'modernity's greatest pessimist'?
7:42 What role does human agency play in the human story?
11:58 If history is inevitable, what are the mechanisms behind that inevitability?
20:15 What for you is 'the good' within the context of human progress?
26:29 Is there a utilitarian need for myths or stories?
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
John Gray and Jonny Thomson discuss how the idea of human progress in ethics and politics is a myth.
Do you agree with John Gray, or is this an overly pessimistic view of humanity?
With a free trial, you can watch John talk about his life and philosophy NOW at iai.tv/video/the-life-and-philosophy-of-john-gray?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description
Why does every generation assume the future will be more civilized than the past? John Gray argues this belief in progress is both false and dangerous—a secular myth that blinds us to the recurring conflicts of history. In this interview with Jonny Thomson, he explains why science and technology accumulate but gains in ethics and politics are fragile, unwinding every few generations. The future, he warns, is not destined to be better than the past.
In partnership with Big Think.
#philosophy #politics #humanity
John Gray, hailed as "Britain's best philosopher," is a leading critic of liberalism and the Enlightenment. He has long challenged the belief in inevitable progress, predicting both the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of populism.
Jonny Thomson is a columnist at Big Think, bestselling author and founder of Mini Philosophy. He is the bestselling author of three books — Mini Philosophy, Mini Big Ideas, and Mini Psychology — which have been translated into 22 languages, with a fourth, The Art of Enough, forthcoming. He sits on the Executive Board of the British Philosophy Association.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://iai.tv/video/the-idea-of-progress-is-a-dangerous-lie-with-john-gray
0:00 Intro
0:31 Why are you considered 'modernity's greatest pessimist'?
7:42 What role does human agency play in the human story?
11:58 If history is inevitable, what are the mechanisms behind that inevitability?
20:15 What for you is 'the good' within the context of human progress?
26:29 Is there a utilitarian need for myths or stories?
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
