Terry Eagleton: An Interview

In this interview, political and social theorist, Terry Eagleton (b. 1943), shares stories of his Irish upbringing and British education, and sums up his current engagement with art theory, leftist politics, and spirituality under capitalism. With reference to Henry James, Frederic Jameson, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins, among others, this interview spans a vast landscape of literature and social theory.

The conversation frames the division between liberal humanism and tragic humanism, which Eagleton describes as the basis for his text Reason, Faith, and Revolution (2010). Peppered with profound quips, this interview offers a rich primer in humanist philosophy and a salient lesson in the necessity of living well, with each other, in the present moment.

– Faye Gleisser

Interview conducted by David Raskin in February 2009, edited in 2014.