A Speech on the Life of Christopher Hitchens - Stephen Fry | Intelligence Squared

In this event from our archive, Stephen Fry is joined by a number of guests to reflect on the life of Christopher Hitchens. Here, Fry performs a speech celebrating Hitchens' life and achievements, and what made him the figure he is known as today.
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[@marklwatson]

If there is one man who I shall miss on his passing more than Hitch, it's Fry. Both of them are, in their own ways and in many similar ways to the other, absolute heroes of the mind.

[@jamespayter6948]

True, but I still find it difficult to accept Fry's support for the monarchy (not that it matters one iota what I accept of him or not). The monarchy is a disguting manifestation of all the horrid things the UK is capable of, and a flag for all the flag-shaggers to attach themselves to.

[@GlennC789]

Stephen Fry didn't leave much on the table. Any one of us would be lucky to have things like that said after we die. He was also fortunate to be able to say all those things while being truthful, which makes for high praise for both.

[@alansimpson596]

I have few heroes but Christopher tops them all. I still watch and listen to his talks.

[@detectiveh7399]

He's very much missed

[@PSUK]

Christopher was my hero too. Along with Anthony Bourdain. How’s that for contrast?

[@TheWchurchill4pm]

He was the one who taught me not to worry about how the truth might offend people

[@starboy1100]

Bravo!

[@TroyRubert]

We've never needed him more than we do now.

[@davidnewland2461]

Troy having a strong voice isn't what we need now we need true Americans to stand up and be counted not pseudo patriots real Americans that have faith in the constitution and American institutions those of us that can need to take a public stance against those swine that are intent on tearing down every edifice that has borne the pressures on this country.

[@TroyRubert]

@@davidnewland2461 We tried that for the last ten years, and we’ve lost more than ever. We must heed General Sun Tzu’s advice.

[@jupitermoongauge4055]

Can't have him. Only his example. We've got to do it for ourselves.

[@TroyRubert]

@@nothinghere1996 cry harder.

[@TroyRubert]

@@nothinghere1996 🥱 cope mate.

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

"Cultural desert of celebrity worship". Fry has just described our present era in five words.

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

So grateful for his life

[@breenm3]

O

[@richardc6269]

Thank you immensely for your gratitude n kindness Mr. Fry. Knowledge frees all!!

[@john.premose]

People like Stephen Fry still worship the Enlightenment in a mythological way. We know better these days, the Enlightenment was only for the elite capitalists and it was mostly rubbish from a modern perspective

[@callumlong17]

RIP Hitchens. He is sorely missed.

[@DiamondMcNamara]

We Christians are modest people; we do not want much, only ETERNAL LIFE.. LOL

Well said Stephen!! I miss the Hitch!!

[@TheLivirus]

Hitchens was such an inspiration! Still is.

[@ReiverBlue1971]

A guide and mentor of rationality and one of the few people I truly respected and still admire

[@adam_p99]

I think about Hitch on a daily basis. Either because of quoting him, or thinking about something I learnt from one of his books.

[@tomace4898]

Stephen and Hitch were brothers in arms. A stunning tribute to a great man who, silly as it seems, I miss as much as Stephen does. And I never met Christopher Hitchens.

[@scottcates]

I hung on every word of this video and eventually turned on the thankfully accurate captions in order to absorb as much as this as possible. I thought that it would be nice if Hitch were somehow more thoroughly recognized for his efforts and talents. Sainthood would have certainly been beneath Hitch but Hero fits the bill perfectly. Christopher Hitchens is my Hero of the Mind now. Thank you for indulging my infatuation with Hitchens and adoration of Fry.

[@CarrboroMIW]

I grew up in an atheist household, in the South, in the 1950s (Trifecta!!) I will always, always be glad that I had the opportunity to thank Mr Hitchens, in person, for standing up to (and wiping the floor with) people who had scared me until well into adulthood. I was lucky enough to encounter him at the 7-11 store midway between our homes in DC; I was standing (not to say "looming") behind him in the check-out line, aware that a rather smaller-than-I-am man in a most excellent Panama hat, was using a platinum Amex card to purchase two bananas and three packs of Marlboro Reds. Trying not to be trop gauche or intrusive, I said, 'excuse me, sir, may I ask if you are Christopher Hitchens?" To which he replied, "well, that depends, doesn't it?" What followed was a 10-minute conversation on the sidewalk, he with his bananas and Marlboros, me with my store-bought cookies and Kools and feeling like a star-struck teenaged girl-fan. I will never forget it, I will always be grateful, because it freed me from a lifelong existential fear and I do my best to carry his legacy forward.

[@Mic-healDay]

You are missed Christopher.

[@mogznwaz]

I miss Hitch so much and often wonder what he’d have made of the insanity we’ve experienced in the last few years

[@georgedonnellan36]

He would've been silenced.

[@tonyjackson7322]

Christopher was and always will be a Legend..

[@Jeremyramone]

Thank you very much for sharing this, much appreciated.

[@paulmartin7967]

You dont have to agree with the Hitch to admire him. ... Great oratory by Fry.

[@pcbacklash_3261]

Sadly, Christopher is one of my heroes I never got to meet. He left this world far too soon. That said, I've been writing a book for years, and knew even before I'd composed the first sentence that on the first page will be a dedication: "For Hitch." Hopefully, that book will be published next year, and I can only hope that he would have been proud. Miss you, Hitch.

[@Malpheron]

What's you book about? Is it about how we fight back against those who might try to curtail our free speech?

[@Terrestrial_Biological_Entity]

Tell me about your book

[@pcbacklash_3261]

​@@Terrestrial_Biological_Entity It's a theological book, addressing a HUGE gaping hole existing in Christianity. I won't be any more specific, because I'm terrified someone will beat me to the punch (in fact, I'm flabbergasted someone hasn't already written it!). I'm hoping to have the rough-draft finished this year (currently just under 300 pages), and publish it next year. Incidentally, to Malpheron: I'm sorry I didn't reply to your earlier message, but I never received a notification. Hope that answers your question as well.

[@alexanderohman506]

@@pcbacklash_3261 have you gotten your book published now?

[@pcbacklash_3261]

@@alexanderohman506 I'm still working on the rough draft, though making steady progress. Sadly, I'm a bit on the lazy side. I DO work on it every day, but not as much as I should.

[@nowthenzen]

Thanks!

[@conorplunkett7398]

A great man.

[@hansjansen1889]

Thank you so much for remembering him....

[@howardskeivys4184]

Here here. Well said Steven. My thoughts exactly, but expressed far more articulately than I ever could. I sincerely believe he was one of the most influential provocateurs of his time. I wish he were still amongst us today to offer some straight talking wisdom on the current declining state of western civilisation. I’d love to witness a lively debate between Hitch and Jordan Peterson.

[@johnkerr1113]

stephen fry said it all when he mentioned the 'cultural desert of celebtrity worship'..... shallowness to the power of 10.....like many i still listen to Hitchens debates and often the one with Fry at IQ2 abiut the Catholic Church.... watched that maybe 20 times?... hitchens and fry might sound like a comedy duo but a tour de force in debate with inept opponents I have to say...

[@howardskeivys4184]

@@johnkerr1113 👍

[@johnkerr1113]

@@howardskeivys4184 HNY

[@heathermatthews1323]

Hutch would probably have Peterson in tears.

[@howardskeivys4184]

@@heathermatthews1323 👍🍻

[@wasabinguyen]

He is certainly sorely missed. The Hitch.

[@jansoules7912]

Beautiful

[@Thulgore]

I wish Christopher and George Carlin would have met and had a talk.

[@shelleyscloud3651]

God I wish he was around to see all ‘this’!!!!

[@jorgletchler1980]

he shouldn't have died 😹

[@willemvandoesselare7959]

God ?

[@neiltristanyabut]

what god?

[@robertbentley3589]

Well said Mr. Fry.

[@josephbelisle5792]

Its hard not to miss Mr. Hitchens if you have a decent mind and a mind for decency. I only know him from his printed works and his debates. But i do believe that for anyone missing him or giving him any sort of praise, he would rather you used your effort and energy to hone your own mind and speak out for rational thought and human decency. In a video about him someone posted a response that I think sums up what he would like to see as his legacy. A bit trite but it really conveys his message. 'Be the Hitch you want to see in the world'. Yes pay your respects as respect is due. But dont see him as unique. None of us can be him. But we can work hard to be voices of reason. Voices against the ill people do to others. Its something all of us can do. Stand on the shoulders of great people and push farther for reason and human decency.

[@navneetgupta3600]

I would give everything to have a podcast between Hitchens and Patrice O'Neal

[@WombatGamesChannel]

In what year did he give this speech?

[@briancase6180]

I miss Hitchins profoundly. He's much needed now.

[@Minoltalphafan]

Only the good die young. We miss him dearly.

[@michaelswinburne4350]

“A true point said badly is a lie.” If a writer ever needed motivation to get off the couch.

[@simondoAF]

A hero of the mind.

[@anthonyclarke5579]

"God is not great" is my bible. I sleep better having read it. I cannot guess which horse he would back in todays world but I would certainly be informed to make my own choice. I miss him. I do not know enough about Constantine Kisin but my curiosity is there having been baited by Christopher Hitchens. I owe Christopher Hitchens so much, as we all do....he made me think, made me smile, catch my breath and laugh. Thank you Christopher Hitchens.🤗

[@bretnetherton9273]

Awareness is the ONLY constant of ALL experience what could be more fundamental to reality than that???

[@michaeloconnor2603]

We need him more now than ever...my rock in understanding what my life is about...

[@Funkywallot]

Irrelevant question...I know. But what is Stephen wearing on his lapel ? Have seen it a couple of times in prominent speakers the whole year with the same as him wearing it. Cant figure it out.

[@opertinicy]

Christopher Hitchens is the GOAT of modern debate

[@DjWellDressedMan]

Christopher Hitchens woke me up to USA politics via many C-Span shows in the late 1980's and then Noam Chomsky took over.

[@AtamMardes]

"Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool." *Voltaire*

[@mariuswiiked]

Hitch was a true modern day philosopher!

[@scaryterry9027]

Hate liars. Love Christopher Eric Hitchens.😎

[@maxleighton8948]

Did anyone else mishear "someone of account" as something far different? 😂

[@BCGandyman]

Still with his Hitch at his side

[@myflatlineconstruct]

The absolute brutality Hitchens delivered in debate is still unmatched. Rare as an Orwell. The most eloquent, accredited charming opposition was reduced to jabbering fools effortlessly.

[@TheGava4]

Didn’t Fry call Hitchens brother “ a slug” ?

[@Comodusprimus]

If he did it pales in comparison to the churlish remarks P. Hitchens made of Fry.

[@LordOfLight]

Hitchens was highly intelligent, extremely articulate and devoted his entire life to impressing these facts upon everyone. In reality he persuaded no one who wasn't already persuaded, but gave great comfort to those who already agreed with him.

[@Rydonattelo]

I would love to have him now to fight the lunacy of the modern left.

[@eggizgud]

Jesus Christ, the ad after this video is of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children's.

[@duckmcf]

Here in Melbourne, Australia, I had a sports betting ad served up. My take on it is that the ‘great and powerful’ AI algorithms of the world are in fact, snake oil…

[@123fishpond]

Hopefully without the apostrophe

[@123fishpond]

In chidrens😮

[@pmathews109]

I think he would have loved to be here for the Trump years, I often listen to the right wing pretenders that have even dared to try to step into his space as intellectuals from the other side, he would have laughed them out of any room.

[@rw3899]

He might have even seen the error of his support for Bush

[@derekspitz9225]

Why is 'Eric' a comedy name?

[@ZeMole420]

RIP Hitchens

[@no-oneman.4140]

December the 15th 2011 - the day the world became a much dumber place. So missed and how we need him now.

[@Marius_vanderLubbe]

The only human being that metamorphosed from a butterfly to a slug. A sycophant that the establishment largely sneered at. He betrayed Edward Said in the most despicable manner. A man of little ballast.

[@pastelartguys3161]

Looks like someone's ox was gored. The establishment's approval has never been a goal or even a concern of the intellectually liberated. I don't have to agree with all of his propositions to appreciate his native intelligence.

[@Marius_vanderLubbe]

@@pastelartguys3161 You're speaking in anagrams.

[@steveparfitt4908]

Sadly missed. An intellectual giant.

[@barbarahamme2760]

The first Jewish man I’ve heard of named Christopher!

[@donthesitatebegin9283]

He didn't know he was Jewish until he was 38, when his Mother told him she was Jewish; therefore so was he. It passes down the Maternal line.

[@barbarahamme2760]

@@donthesitatebegin9283 What a weirdly long time to wait before telling her son of her religion. And what a particularly unjewish name to have given him. There’s never Jewish Christophers or Christines. And of course I’m aware that maternal religion passes on to offspring. Like Hitch and Fry, I too am an atheist Jew.

[@tehfourth]

I'd love to him see go head to head with Jordan Peterson. That would be a great debate.

[@taniakol]

That's an insult. Would like to see that bit of intellectual chaff get a Hitch-slap tho so he weren't so influential on the gullible.

[@johncarroll772]

Peterson has never came up against the likes of Hitchens

[@Mic-healDay]

Peterson is a blubbering idiot.

[@thahacksaw]

No need. Sam Harris already completed this task. Why bring in the A team when the B team did a perfectly good job.

[@archvaldor]

I didn't agree with Hitchens on many things but it is insulting to his intellect to put him in the same sentence as a charlatan like Peterson. Both Hitchens brothers were always intellectually honest.

[@bustedfender]

Hitchens was a brilliant mind, but could be a boorish prick. Ironically, many of his teary-eyed followers treat him like some kind of messiah and don’t allow criticism.

[@googleisshittoss]

He was merely a fundamentalist..Spent so much time slagging religion (which I don't mind) that he became everything he despised.

[@willalm830]

There was a god but it left with him

[@leiluam]

Give your hearts to Jesus Christ

[@Backpfeifengesicht45]

And give your liver to Atticus Finch, your lungs to Harry Potter and your bladder to Homer Simpson. Why give vital organs to fictional characters?

[@leiluam]

@@Backpfeifengesicht45 no good listening to English protestants, aka Johnny come latelys, spinning their yarns, & full of theories

[@Backpfeifengesicht45]

@@leiluam why are you offering a vital organ to a fictional character.

[@leiluam]

@@Backpfeifengesicht45 your daddy knows, putin snr

[@jamesbeck2654]

Pride comes before destruction, especially for not giving glory to God for our gifts 'given'

[@Codex7777]

You do yourself no favours, do you? After the beauty, compassion and eloquence, of Fry's eulogy to Christopher, your words sound even more petty a hollow than they usually do, when coming the mouth of your average, unthinking, brainwashed, religious fundamentalist. Nor does it reflect well upon your imaginary friend...

[@georgedonnellan36]

Christopher would be deplatformed if he spoke out today..??

[@pruibiebehastoet1914]

Why do you think that?

[@adrianh332]

His politics was awful and also slightly hypocritical but he was a stellar intellect and a superb public speaker.

[@seanbevan7]

Hitchens, left wing. Smh

[@jamesbeck2654]

And now he's in hell due to pride...

[@anthonyclarke5579]

At least he will be warm and with friends James. Thank you for your comments, I am sure Mr. Hitchens would appreciate them....🤭

[@Backpfeifengesicht45]

Hell is a town in Norway. Were his ashes spread there?

[@anthonyclarke5579]

@@Backpfeifengesicht45 Your geographical knowledge is to be commended and by all accounts Hell is just a little backwater village with less than 2000 souls (ha) living there. I have travelled the length and breadth of Norway but so far have managed to avoid Hell. Word has it that for entertainment the population gather to watch the wallpaper display rolling over in the DIY shop window on Saturday nights and on occasion when the road needs a repair they stand by the side of the road to watch the mobile traffic lights change colour. As for Mr. Hitchins I feel sure he would find the fact he is still being talked about at length both amusing and satisfying. Sorry I cannot answer your question Enjoy your day matey, thank you for the reply.

[@bigtorrisi]

Steven Fry's career peaked with Blackadder, he has been severely over- rated ever since, because every country needs a hero, and the UK think this is their's.

[@ActualQ]

A small petty man talking in reverence about an astronomically bigger man who would make a huge difference in the world today. Hitchens might be Fry's hero, but that would certainly be a one sided relationship today, no doubt about that. We lost Hitchens, now we are left we these petty small minded frustrated man peddling nonsense, doing exactly what Hitchens fought against. What a joke.

[@hughmacdonald3595]

Lol. Skip. Well-educated person masquerading as intelligent talking about a deceased version.

[@Andyreally]

And yet here you are…

[@hughmacdonald3595]

@@Andyreally lol. ya gotta be here to watch it

[@robertpage3195]

@@Andyreally I always find it best to ignore the negative comments. This person obviously has never listened to Christopher or Steven. That's his misfortune

[@burtingtune]

Modern day hero worshiping - all a bit sickening.

[@123fishpond]

And you are?

[@emersonduncan56]

No. Not hero worship. A genuine affection for a genuine person.

[@burtingtune]

@@123fishpond... as well known as you, but not a sycophant

[@burtingtune]

@@emersonduncan56 pass the sick bucket!

[@buridah328]

Why the need to mention race?

[@pendorran]

Nobody mentioned race.

[@buridah328]

@@pendorranwatch the video

[@qayxswedcrfv1]

​@@buridah328why dont you timestamp it? I didnt hear a mention of race either?

[@buridah328]

@@qayxswedcrfv1 how lazy of you. Listen again.

[@qayxswedcrfv1]

@@buridah328 you do realize you make an qccusation and when asked to provide verification you refuse to do so? And then call me lazy? Oh the irony xD my guy the only one bringing race into this is you... if you dont have anything to add to the conversation why even speak up?

[@trollfeckoffgoogle8612]

Let's hope Stephen ups his smoking, takes less exercise and eats more transfats and processed food👍

[@DuarteMolha]

Crhistopher would have rightfully called you out on groupthing and closing your twitter account on faux pseudomoralistic nonsense