Sideways

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Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives, making us see the world differently.

Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.

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Sideways: 5. The Most Selfish People on Earth

5. The Most Selfish People on Earth

BBC Radio 4 - Sideways, 5. The Most Selfish People on Earth

Matthew Syed examines the work of the controversial anthropologist Colin Turnbull.

Matthew Syed examines anthropologist Colin Turnbull’s claims that he discovered "the most selfish people on earth". From 2021.

On the spacecraft Voyager, hurtling through deep space sits a golden record, filled with the music of planet earth. 

It is a cultural gift for unknown extraterrestrial life forms. If an alien species discovers this unique double LP, they'll be greeted by the singing of the Mbuti people of the Congo recorded by the anthropologist Colin Turnbull.

Matthew Syed examines Turnbull's seemingly utopian experiences in the forest with the Mbuti and contrasts them with his utterly bleak account of the Ik people of Uganda. The Ik were, according to Turnbull, a "loveless" people devoid of culture, brutal and totally uncaring. He labelled them "the most selfish people on earth".

Turnbull argued that the Ik offered a stark warning to westerners. This allegedly nightmarish society was, according to Turnbull, the way the west was headed.

Matthew hears from Turnbull's critics who say he misunderstood the Ik and uses Turnbull's work to ask a profound question - is mankind fundamentally rotten and selfish at the core, or do kindness and compassion lie at the beating heart of human society?

Producer:  Mike Martinez

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2021.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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