An event hosted by the Cultural Transformation programme.
Published 20 May 2019
We were delighted to welcome back best-selling author and commentator David Brooks to speak into the subject of Commitment as investigated by his newly released book “The Second Mountain” – as part of the Legatum Institute’s Road to Character series.
In The Second Mountain, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfilment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
David Brooks is one of America’s leading writers and commentators. He is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times and appears regularly on PBS NewsHour and Meet the Press. He is the bestselling author of The Road to Character; The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement; Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There; and On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense.
The Legatum Institute’s Road to Character series examines those values which most strengthen and enrich the wellbeing of people, communities and nations by inviting leading thinkers to discuss a character trait they most value. The series comprises a key part of the Legatum Institute’s Cultural Transformation programme which seeks to help the UK’s great institutions examine how they can make a significant contribution to the strength, integrity and health of our society.
Watch the full lecture here:
Listen to the full lecture:
Watch David Brooks in conversation with our CEO Philippa Stroud:
