Professor Philip Schofield hosts Social Scientist Dr Jonathan Galton, to explore his research into the perceived political tension on the progressive left between queerness and Islam. Discussing the historical and cultural context surrounding queerness and Islam, they find surprising affinities between Bentham’s writing on freedom of religion and sexual liberty, and the contemporary theological work reinterpreting Quranic verses on homosexuality today.
Dr Jonathan Galton is a Lecturer in Sociology and Social Sciences at the Thomas Coram Research Unit in the UCL Social Research Institute. The research discussed in this episode was funded through a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship.
Commissioners: Professor David Docherty OBE &
Dr Paul Ayris (Pro-Vice-Provost LCCOS: Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science, UCL)
Director:
Justin Hardy (IOE - Culture, Communication & Media, UCL)
Producer: Stevie Doran
Date: 21 October 2024
What is The Greatest Good?
UCL Press Play’s inaugural series, The Greatest Good, explores the lasting influence of the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, whose radical progressivism was the intellectual inspiration for UCL. As the first entirely secular university to admit students regardless of religion, UCL was inspired by Bentham’s principles of equality and intellectual freedom.
Hosted by Professor Philip Schofield, Director of UCL’s Bentham Project, The Greatest Good features a series of five conversations with UCL’s world-leading academics.
Website and transcripts: https://uclpress.co.uk/ucl-press-play/