He’s wry. Ironic. And often, deliberately provocative despite an almost zen demeanour.
That what makes a conversation with Manu Joseph – author, journalist, commentator and all-round contrarian – so engaging. It was a conversation peppered with sharp asides on our self-delusion about our capacity for empathy; about the courage of taking on your friends rather than public figures who spread bigotry; about morality and subjectivity. “Evil seems to recruit better than good,” he noted in an insightful aside – “if good can’t tell as compelling a story as evil, it will lose.”
Asked who in the Indian firmament gets his approval he laughed and said it’s possibly the least popular man in public life. Arvind Kejriwal. “We hold Kejriwal to standards we hold no-one else to in this country. We call him an anarchist as though we’re used to Scandinavian standards of governance.”
A writer’s way of looking at the world often throws up sharp, piquant insights we’d probably miss, so even if you aren’t familiar with Manu’s books – the conversation will still throw up an interesting range of ideas.
Watch the full session here
14th April, 2019
14th April, 2019
7th April, 2019
31st March, 2019
31st March, 2019
27th January, 2019
Algebra, the Arts & Ideas Club brings together a fellowship of people who believe great cities are built not just on infrastructure but a life of the mind; who understand robust and liberal societies need the oxygen of great conversation and nuanced thinking.
At a time when we are increasingly surrounded by rage and noise, Algebra is a live and continuous space for people to come together for a genuine exchange of ideas and exposure to issues; where new seeds could be sparked, fresh perspectives formed, and intelligent connections made.
Algebra – the Arts and Ideas Club is designed to host almost 35 engagements over the year with topline thinkers and practitioners from almost every discipline that impacts human affairs: politics, economy, environment, spirituality, cinema, medicine, science, technology, music, media, literature, the arts, sports, people’s movements, et al.
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