Peter Slezak: Western Civilisation - Is it Doomed?

SUMMARY:
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I’m thrilled to share this spirited lecture from Dr Peter Slezak, given at the Roundtable forum in September 2007 as part of the Safety of Life/bioethics series. Slezak takes on a huge, provocative question — 'Is Western civilisation doomed?' — and offers the surprising reply: 'I hope so.' He moves through big themes with energy and many slides: the Enlightenment project, the legacy of Ancient Greece, the birth and fragility of democracy, and uncomfortable truths about colonial victims who haven’t enjoyed our rule of law. Slezak quotes Peter Gay on reason versus barbarism, trolls both smug self-congratulation and the louder atheists (even mentioning Christopher Hitchens), and encourages us to flip the frame from 'us' to 'them' — the rest of the world. The talk is thoughtful, challenging and intentionally unsettling. If you care about political theory, bioethics, history or the future of liberal democracy, this one will make you think — and I’d love to hear your reactions in the comments.

RUMBLE DESCRIPTION:
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Here’s an energising and challenging talk from Dr Peter Slezak recorded at the Roundtable forum in September 2007 (part of our Safety of Life series on bioethics). Slezak returns to the series with a bold, slightly mischievous thesis: 'Is Western civilisation doomed?' His short answer — 'I hope so' — is designed to unsettle and provoke. Over a slide-heavy, wide-ranging presentation he ties together the Enlightenment ideal, lessons from Ancient Greece, the fragile foundations of democracy, and the moral blind spots of modern liberal societies.

Slezak is not dismissive of liberal democracy; rather he pushes us to interrogate its limits. He calls out self-congratulatory narratives, reminds us of colonial and imperial victims excluded from our rule of law, and quotes Peter Gay on the tension between reason and barbarism. There are wry asides about 'frothing' atheists and a nod to Christopher Hitchens — all part of a broader effort to question simple narratives and widen the moral frame from 'us' to 'them'.

This talk is ideal for anyone interested in political theory, history of ideas, bioethics and the ongoing debate about what civilisation should mean. Expect thoughtful provocation, historical sweep and plenty of slides to follow his reasoning. If this talk stirs you, hit like, subscribe for more Roundtable lectures, and drop a comment below — do you agree with Slezak’s hope that Western civilisation might be 'doomed' to change? Let’s discuss.

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