This week – at the historic National Liberal Club, London – liberals and their guests from across continents gathered as globally renowned philosopher and author, Prof. John Gray, delivered Liberal International’s 2025 Isaiah Berlin Lecture.
Expanding on the subject of his lecture, ‘Liberalism, Populism and the Sense of Reality’, and in conversation with LI President of Honour, Lord Alderdice, Prof. Gray – who worked with Isaiah Berlin for 2 decades – offered, at times, challenging propositions arguing for instance that ‘the populist movements sweeping the world are not external threats to liberalism, but the shadows cast by its own excesses.’
Drawing on the ideas of Isaiah Berlin, Prof Gray described a “hyper-liberalism” that seeks to impose universal moral norms and rational consensus, often provoking backlash from citizens who feel alienated or disrespected. From post–Cold War interventions abroad to today’s culture wars at home, he argued, liberalism’s well-intentioned overreach has at times generated the populism it now fears.
The lecture was followed by a lively discussion with Professor Timothy Garton Ash, Professor Mike Hardy, and Dr. Al Pinkerton MP, who reflected on economic inequality, generational divides, and the role of disinformation in shaping modern politics.
Prof Gray’s closing message was a call to return to genuine politics – dialogue, compromise, and empathy – rather than relying on technocratic or judicial shortcuts:
Watch the full lecture on YouTube:
