Fintan O'Toole: The Idiocy of Greatness
From Library Talks by The New York Public Library
April 22, 2026 · 1h 0m
About this episode
Fintan O'Toole critiques the concept of greatness in politics during the annual Robert B. Silvers lecture.
In this episode of Library Talks , the acclaimed Irish writer, Fintan O'Toole, delivers the annual Robert B. Silvers lecture. The idea of greatness has infused politics across much of the globe in the last decade, from Brexit to Donald Trump's MAGA movement. In this lecture, Fintan O'Toole suggests why greatness is, after all, not so great: it is in thrall to an imagined past, it generates a constant state of disappointment, and it drains energy away from the achievement of ordinary decency.
People in this episode
Guest: Fintan O'Toole
Topics covered
- greatness
- politics
- disappointment
- ordinary decency
- Irish literature
Keywords
- greatness
- politics
- Fintan O'Toole
- Robert B. Silvers lecture
- disappointment
- ordinary decency
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The New York Public Library
Books & works: MAGA movement
Places: Brexit
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