Gray, John 1948-

PERSONAL:

Born 1948.

ADDRESSES:

Office—School of European Thought, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton St., London WC2A 2AE, England.

CAREER:

Oxford University, Oxford, England, former faculty member; London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England, professor of European thought. Visiting professor, Yale University and Harvard University.

WRITINGS:

Mill on Liberty: A Defence, Routledge (Boston, MA), 1983.

(Editor, with Zbigniew Pelczynski) Conceptions of Liberty in Political Philosophy, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1984.

Hayek on Liberty, Basil Blackwell (New York, NY), 1984, 3rd edition, Routledge (New York, NY), 1998.

Liberalism, University of Minnesota Press (Minneapolis, MN), 1986, 2nd edition, 1995.

Liberalisms: Essays in Political Philosophy, Routledge (New York, NY), 1989.

(Editor, with G.W. Smith, and author of introduction) John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty" in Focus, Routledge (New York, NY), 1991.

(Author of introduction) John Stuart Mill, On Liberty and Other Essays, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1991.

Post-Liberalism: Studies in Political Thought, Routledge (New York, NY), 1993.

Beyond the New Right: Markets, Government and the Common Environment, Routledge (New York, NY), 1993.

Berlin, Fontana Press (London, England), 1995, published as Isaiah Berlin, Princeton University Press (Princeton, NJ), 1996.

Enlightenment's Wake: Politics and Culture at the Close of the Modern Age, Routledge (New York, NY), 1995, published with a new introduction, 2007.

Endgames: Questions in Late Modern Political Thought (essays), Polity Press (Malden, MA), 1997.

False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism, New Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Voltaire: Voltaire and Enlightenment, Phoenix (London, England), 1998.

Two Faces of Liberalism, New Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, Granta Books (London, England), 2003, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 2007.

Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, New Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Heresies, Granta Books (London, England), 2004.

Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

British writer and academic John Gray is the type of person who examines theories until he can break them down. Writing for the Guardian, Andrew Brown quoted former New Statesman editor Peter Wilby as saying of Gray: "He's one of life's skeptics, really. Any kind of ideology—the more he looks at it, the more he decides that it crumbles apart. None of the emperors has any clothes so far as John is concerned." Politically, Gray has been notorious for changing his mind about leadership and government policies from regime to regime, beginning as a Thatcherite, then eschewing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's approach for that of Prime Minister Blair, and then finally turning his back on him in the wake of British participation in the Iraq War, something Gray spoke against wholeheartedly. As an educator, teaching politics first at the University of Oxford, and then as a visiting professor at Yale and Harvard Universities, followed by a place at the London School of Economics teaching European thought, Gray is insistent upon both the facts and his own opinions. However, he has been most forthright in his writings, producing numerous books on a variety of subjects, ranging from liberty to the meaning of liberalism, capitalism to modern political thought, the Enlightenment to modernity with respect to Al Qaeda.

Enlightenment's Wake: Politics and Culture at the Close of the Modern Age takes a look at what many feel is the resurgence of the Enlightenment, which is defined as a combination of democracy and capitalism as applied to a sensible government that includes both an economic and social balance. In Gray's view, this approach has led to the death of conservatism, and he maintains that a free market such as is prominent in this type of Enlightened version of society will eventually cause instability and an economic downswing. Eduardo Velasquez, reviewing the work for Perspectives on Political Science, remarked that the book was not appropriate for readers looking for a primer on the subject, but rather appears to be aimed at those already in agreement with Gray's thoughts. The critic stated: "For those who find little that is redeeming in the philosophy and practice that gave birth to liberal democratic regimes around the world, Gray's book is useful ammunition."

Endgames: Questions in Late Modern Political Thought is a series of essays Gray wrote concerning different political ideas and how they pertain to the modern political scene, particularly with respect to British politics. He discusses the fate of Enlightenment and that of traditional right-wing politics and everything in between, as well as including various papers and even reviews that he has written in recent years. American Political Science Review contributor Harlan Wilson remarked that "Gray's critique of neoliberalism as a doctrine is trenchant and powerful." Of the book as a whole, he commented: "If the compilation is uneven and not quite coherent as a whole, it is nonetheless of consistent interest. Most essays are polemical and aimed at a broad audience."

In 1998's False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism, Gray addresses the idea of imposing a global economy based on the Anglo-American model. He discusses the reasons why he feels that, not only will such a model not work, but if it did it would be a major economic disaster. He indicates that, historically speaking, regulation of markets has been the most natural and effective system that allows a high level of participation, whereas deregulation leads to the inevitable hierarchy that pushes out competition and causes social instability. While a free market system may work for a short period of time, it is not likely to sustain itself on a larger scale indefinitely. Gray's theories met with some forceful opposition from critics. New Statesman contributor Paul Krugman noted that Gray exhibits "an odd tendency to try to buttress his argument, not by producing evidence, but by quoting supposed authority figures." Harry Frumerman commented in Library Journal that "Gray's writing is polemical and forceful but often turgid." Brink Lindsey, in a review for Reason, remarked that Gray's effort "articulates, quite boldly and with rhetorical verve, a relatively sophisticated version of reactionary globalphobia."

Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern takes a close look at the group that is traditionally thought of as the dark, threatening enemy, offering readers an explanation of what motivates the organization's members and explaining their philosophy. He explains that, contrary to popular belief, this is not a group that dates back to ancient times or old concepts, but the result of modernization and changes in the political and economic sphere. Hugh S. Galford, reviewing the work for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, commented: "Gray's book is brilliantly and clearly written. Nonetheless, it does take some work—names, dates and ideas come fast and furious. It is also well worth the effort." A Kirkus Reviews contributor found Gray's book to be "a smart, learned, lucid, and alarming argument, occasionally overstated for rhetorical purposes."

Gray's Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia addresses the issue of political strife caused by those who advocate a religious belief or desire for a perfect, earthly paradise. He looks at Nazi Germany's Holocaust and the transformation of the Soviet Union in an attempt to create a communist society with equality for all citizens. He also takes on the more recent case of the war in Iraq and the diametrically opposed outlooks of Western powers versus those of the Iraqis whom the Americans and United Nations forces are supposedly attempting to liberate. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews attested that "Gray's prose is thick with allusion and quotation, but even thicker with erudition and provocation." The reviewer went on to remark that the book "makes a discomfiting case that Western liberal democracy just is not suitable for much of the world." Booklist reviewer Bryce Christensen declared that the book is "certain to ignite sharp debate," while a Publishers Weekly reviewer dubbed Gray's effort an "eloquent and illuminating attack."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

African Business, November, 1998, Jessie Banfield, review of False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism, p. 40.

American Enterprise, September 1, 1996, Paul Gottfried, review of Enlightenment's Wake: Politics and Culture at the Close of the Modern Age, p. 83.

American Political Science Review, September, 1997, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 722; March, 1998, Harlan Wilson, review of Endgames: Questions in Late Modern Political Thought, p. 202.

American Spectator, December, 1993, review of Post-Liberalism: Studies in Political Thought, p. 26.

Booklist, April 1, 1999, David Rouse, review of False Dawn, p. 1372; October 1, 2000, Vernon Ford, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 294; April 15, 2003, Bryce Christensen, review of Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, p. 1429; October 1, 2007, Bryce Christensen, review of Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia, p. 22.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, December, 1993, E. Stavro-Pearce, review of Post-Liberalism, p. 671; October, 1996, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 293; March, 2001, E.J. Eisenach, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 1346; October, 2003, D.H. Calhoun, review of Straw Dogs, p. 1091.

Chronicle of Higher Education, August 8, 2003, Nina C. Ayoub, "Nota Bene: Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern."

Commentary, October, 1999, Christopher Caldwell, review of False Dawn, p. 68.

Contemporary Review, August, 1993, Paul B. Rose, review of Post-Liberalism, p. 104.

Dissent, fall, 1996, George Scialabba, review of Enlightenment's Wake.

Economist, August 14, 1993, review of Beyond the New Right: Markets, Government and the Common Environment, p. 87; April 18, 1998, review of False Dawn, p. 5.

Ethics, April, 1986, Paul Franco, review of Hayek on Liberty, p. 651; October, 1991, Loren E. Lomasky, review of Liberalisms: Essays in Political Philosophy, p. 140; July, 1997, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 763; October, 1999, review of Hayek on Liberty, p. 242.

Ethics & International Affairs, April, 2001, Sanjay G. Reddy, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 159.

Foreign Affairs, March 1, 1996, Francis Fukuyama, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 141.

French Studies, January, 1997, Haydn Mason, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 112.

Hastings Center Report, July, 1996, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 41.

Historian, fall, 1998, Peter Cline, review of Isaiah Berlin.

International Affairs, October, 1998, Ralf Dahrendorf, review of False Dawn, p. 918.

International Philosophical Quarterly, March, 1998, C.A.J. Coady, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 91.

Journal of Democracy, October, 1996, Marc F. Plattner, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 169.

Journal of Economic Literature, September, 1996, review of Liberalism, p. 1414; December, 1996, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 2141.

Journal of Peace Research, January, 1999, review of False Dawn, p. 120.

Journal of Politics, February, 1991, David R. Mapel, review of Liberalisms, p. 260; August, 1997, Kerry H. Whiteside, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 959.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2003, review of Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, p. 949; July 15, 2007, review of Black Mass.

Library Journal, April 1, 1999, Harry Frumerman, review of False Dawn, p. 110.

Nation, December 22, 2003, "Gray's Anatomy," p. 39.

National Interest, spring, 1998, Adam Wolfson, review of Isaiah Berlin.

National Review, December 31, 1989, Brad Miner, review of Liberalisms, p. 44; August 9, 1993, Robert H. Bork, review of Post-Liberalism, p. 55; November 25, 1996, David Glasner, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 69.

New Left Review, July 1, 1999, Andrew Gamble, review of False Dawn, p. 117.

New Statesman, May 8, 1998, Paul Krugman, review of False Dawn, p. 46; November 20, 1998, John Gray, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 48; February 19, 2001, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 51; December 2, 2002, review of Straw Dogs, p. 46; May 5, 2003, review of Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, p. 34; December 1, 2003, review of Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, p. 46; July 2, 2007, "Chaos Theories," p. 57.

New Statesman & Society, June 25, 1993, Stephen Howe, review of Beyond the New Right, p. 37; January 6, 1995, Carole Angier, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 37; November 10, 1995, review of Berlin, p. 38.

New York Review of Books, October 19, 1995, Michael Walzer, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 28.

OnEarth, fall, 2007, David Berreby, review of Straw Dogs.

Perspectives on Political Science, winter, 1997, Eduardo Velasquez, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 55.

Political Quarterly, October 1, 1993, Sunil Khilnani, review of Post-Liberalism, p. 481; July 1, 1996, Noel Parker, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 272.

Political Studies, March, 1990, John Horton, review of Liberalisms, p. 171.

Public Interest, winter, 2002, review of Two Faces of Liberalism.

Publishers Weekly, March 11, 1996, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 47; February 8, 1999, review of False Dawn, p. 209; August 6, 2007, review of Black Mass, p. 183; August 20, 2007, review of Straw Dogs, p. 59.

Reason, November, 1996, Chandran Kukathas, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 66; July, 1999, Brink Lindsey, review of False Dawn, p. 56.

Reference & Research Book News, November, 1998, review of Hayek on Liberty, p. 72; February, 2001, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 126; May, 2004, review of Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, p. 150.

Res Publica, winter, 2004, Mark Evans, review of Two Faces of Liberalism.

Review of Metaphysics, December, 1996, Nicholas Capaldi, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 403; June, 1997, Mark Wegierski, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 896.

Review of Politics, fall, 1996, Alasdair C. MacIntyre, review of Enlightenment's Wake.

Spectator, February 11, 1995, Raymond Carr, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 35; March 29, 1997, Bruce Anderson, review of Endgames, p. 41; March 28, 1998, William Rees-Mogg, review of False Dawn, p. 33; November 4, 2000, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 57; July 21, 2007, "Faith in the Future."

Times Higher Education Supplement, July 23, 1993, Albert Weale, review of Beyond the New Right, p. 15; October 8, 1993, Anthony Arblaster, review of Post-Liberalism, p. 24; March 3, 1995, Robert Wokler, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 22; December 1, 1995, Shabbir Akhtar, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 19; June 26, 1998, Meghnad Desai, review of False Dawn, p. 23; July 13, 2001, Roger Hausheer, review of Two Faces of Liberalism, p. 31; July 6, 2007, "Liberal Portions of Blame," p. 21.

Times Literary Supplement, February 23, 1990, Brian Barry, review of Liberalisms, p. 6; July 5, 1991, John Gray, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 3; April 23, 1993, Robert Grant, review of Post-Liberalism, p. 26; October 15, 1993, Ferdinand Mount, review of Beyond the New Right, p. 12; February 10, 1995, Steven Lukes, review of Isaiah Berlin, p. 4; May 10, 1996, Francis Fukuyama, review of Enlightenment's Wake, p. 3; April 11, 1997, David Marquand, review of Endgames, p. 3; March 27, 1998, review of False Dawn, p. 11; November 22, 2002, "Not for Posterity," p. 26; December 6, 2002, review of Straw Dogs, p. 12.

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July-August, 2004, Hugh S. Galford, review of Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern, p. 90.

Western Political Quarterly, June, 1988, Barbara M. Rowland, review of Hayek on Liberty, p. 401.

Wilson Quarterly, spring, 1996, "A Philosopher with a Difference: Isaiah Berlin."

ONLINE

Guardian Online,http://books.guardian.co.uk/ (September 7, 2002), Terry Eagleton, review of Straw Dogs; (December 3, 2005), Andrea Brown, profile of John Gray.

Logos Journal Online,http://www.logosjournal.com/ (January 9, 2008), Diana Judd, review of Straw Dogs.

New Humanist,http://newhumanist.org/ (January 9, 2008), Laurie Taylor, "Going Nowhere," interview with John Gray; Ian Hargraves, review of Straw Dogs; A.C. Grayling, "Through the Looking Glass."

Observer Online,http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/ (September 15, 2002), Jason Cowley, "Life Is Meaningless. And Yet … "; (July 10, 2005), "Look Out for the Enemy Within."

Times Literary Supplement Online,http://www.tls.timesonline.co.uk/ (August 8, 2007), David Martin, "The Disorders of Faith and the Death of Utopia."