In his 2004 book, How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World, the British journalist, writer and broadcaster, Francis Wheen, wrote: He identifies the Enlightenment as the point at which the Christian doctrine of salvation was taken over by secular idealism and became a political religion with universal emancipation as its aim. [11] Communism, fascism and "global democratic capitalism" are characterised by Gray as Enlightenment "projects" which have led to needless suffering, in Gray's view, as a result of their ideological allegiance to this religion. [14] Agonistic liberalism [ edit ] Gray, John (2016). Gray's Anatomy: Selected Writings (Rev.ed.). London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-198111-6. Gray, John (1995). Enlightenment's Wake: Politics and Culture at the Close of the Modern Age. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-12475-1. Gray, John (1996). After Social Democracy: Politics, Capitalism and the Common Life. London: Demos. ISBN 978-1-898309-52-9.

Gray, John (1991). J.S. Mill's On Liberty in Focus. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-01001-6. Gray, John; Pelczynski, Zbigniew, eds. (1984). Conceptions of Liberty. London: Athlone Press. ISBN 978-0-485-11236-8. John Gray at the Writers' Festival – Part 1 – The Philosopher's Zone – ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 June 2008 . Retrieved 9 August 2013. Going nowhere: Laurie Taylor interviews John Gray". Newhumanist.org.uk. 31 May 2007 . Retrieved 9 August 2013.John Gray interview: how an English academic become the world's pre-eminent prophet of doom". The Telegraph. London. 28 February 2013 . Retrieved 9 August 2013. Friedrich Hayek described Gray's 1984 book Hayek on Liberty as "The first survey of my work which not only fully understands but is able to carry on my ideas beyond the point at which I left off." [22] the truth of which can be proved only by elaborate historical investigations." 4 Traditional Critique of Mill's Utilitarianism: Its Unwarranted John Gray, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, (Granta Books 2002), p. 12. ISBN 1-86207-512-3 Greece and the Meaning of Folly: [29] Taking the myth of the Trojan Horse as his starting point, he explores what he sees as the modern-day folly unfolding in Europe.

His 2002 book Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals has received particular praise. J. G. Ballard wrote that the book "challenges most of our assumptions about what it means to be human, and convincingly shows that most of them are delusions" and described it "a powerful and brilliant book", "an essential guide to the new millennium" and "the most exhilarating book I have read since Richard Dawkins's The Selfish Gene." [24] Will Self called the book "a contemporary work of philosophy devoid of jargon, wholly accessible, and profoundly relevant to the rapidly evolving world we live in" and wrote "I read it once, I read it twice and took notes. I arranged to meet its author so I could publicise the book – I thought it that good." [15] [24] Gray, John (2021). Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-198842-9. Gray, John (1989). Liberalisms: Essays in Political Philosophy. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-00744-3.

Decades of decay

Gray, John (2016). The Soul of the Marionette: A Short Inquiry into Human Freedom. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-241-95390-7. The Revolution of Capitalism: [31] Why an increasing number of people believe that Karl Marx was right.