The Would-Be Philosopher-King

Michael Ignatieff, former Canadian Liberal political leader exposes his soul and confesses hubris while he heads back to school...

The Chronicle of Higher Education
Nov. 4, 2013

Ignatieff offers various explanations for his readiness to be swept up: patriotism, ambition, a longing for significance, familial obligation. All played a role, but perhaps none larger than hubris. "What's complicated about hubris is that if you knew what you were in for, you'd never do it," he says. "Blindness—and it was a moment of blindness—is the necessary condition for much human achievement."
He looks out the window onto his small balcony awash in sunlight. "So I'm divided between being glad that I was so hubristic and being appalled." He turns back to me. "I mean, who did I think I was?"

The Would-Be Philosopher-King 2Rene Johnston, Toronto Star, Getty images Michael Ignatieff left Harvard and reinvented himself as a politician. A surreal rise and dizzying fall ensued. Here he gives a speech to Canada’s Liberal Party.
Read the rest here: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Would-Be-Philosopher-King/142715/

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Published on November 07, 2013 17:35
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