You Tube Theology

How should we understand the moral status of colonialism? More specifically, how should we understand the moral status of the British Empire and the liberal democratic states it gave rise to (e.g. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand)? In this UBC PPE Conversation, Lord Biggar offers a substantive inquiry into the moral status of the British Empire and Canada. He also reflects on the complex ethical task of evaluating such historical projects. He does not shy away from discussing controversies such as Canada's Indian Residential Schools or the legacy of Canada's first Prime Minister John A. Macdonald. Nigel Biggar is a member of the U.K. House of Lords and Baron of Castle Douglas in the Stewartry of Kirkudbright (appointed Jan 21 2025). He is also Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, where he directs the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life. He holds a B.A. in Modern History from Oxford University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Christian Theology from the University of Chicago. He previously held chairs at the University of Leeds and Trinity College Dublin. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours List. He books include The Hastening that Waits (Oxford University Press 1996), What's Wrong With Rights? (Oxford University Press 2020), and Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning (William Collins 2023). You can order a copy of Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.ca/Colonialism-Moral-Reckoning-Nigel-Biggar/dp/0008511632 The event was made possible with generous support from the Macdonald Laurier Institute and the UBC Okanagan chapter of Heterodox Academy. This video is part of an ongoing "UBC Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Conversations" series. If you are interested in studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at UBC's beautiful Okanagan campus, please visit our webpage and consider applying for our PPE program: https://you.ubc.ca/ubc_programs/philosophy-politics-okanagan/