Inside Story With Humphrey

Why is it so easy to hate and difficult to love? When societies fracture into warring tribes, we demonise those who oppose us. We tear down our statues, forgetting that what begins with the destruction of statues, often leads to the killing of people. 

In A History of Love and Hate in 21 Statues, Dr. Peter Hughes blends history, philosophy and psychology in a compelling exploration of identity and power. This remarkable book spans every continent, religion and era, through the creation and destruction of 21 statues from the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut and the Buddhas of Bamiyan to Mendelssohn, Joseph Stalin and Edward Colston.

Peter uses his expertise as a philosopher and a member of the British Psychological Society to explore extremes of human behaviour. He helps us understand how neighbours become enemies and how easily we become polarised. Through stories of statue destruction, he shows us how the temptations of tyranny are always with us and what we can do to protect our own society against collapse. He has featured on the BBC, ABC Australia and more than 40 documentaries. He writes for publications including The Huffington Post, The Spectator, Quillette, Perspective Magazine and The New Statesman.

Join Peter Hughes with Humphrey Hawksley for a Goldster Inside Story that stretches our minds and helps us understand how we come to love and hate those who live around us – 12.00pm Thursday March 24th 2022.