The War Against the Past

THURSDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, 2024 Professor Frank Furedi introduces his latest book, The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for its History, and discusses it with historian Professor Jonathan Clark. Chaired by Dr Jan Macvarish, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union. A war is being waged against the Past. Whether it’s toppling statues, decolonising the curriculum or erasing terms from our vocabulary, a cultural crusade is underway designed to render the past toxic. It is condemned as enemy territory and has become the target of venomous hate. What is at stake in provoking such a strong sense of societal shame towards Western history? In his latest book, The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for its History, Frank Furedi mounts a fierce defence of the past and calls for a fight back against the delegitimization of its ideals and accomplishments. Casting the past as a story of shame has become a taken-for granted outlook permeating the educational and cultural life of western society from the top down. Its advocates may see it as a cultural imperative, but a society that loses touch with its past will face a permanent crisis of identity. Squandering the wisdom provided by our historical inheritance means betraying humanity’s positive achievements. Challenging this great betrayal, Furedi argues, is one of the most important battles of our time.