“The optimist underestimates how difficult it is to achieve real change, believing that anything is possible and it's possible now. Only by confronting head-on the reality that all progress is going to be obstructed by vested interests and corrupted by human venality can we create realistic programmes that actually have a chance of success.”

English philosopher and journalist

Julian Baggini is an English philosopher, journalist, and writer. He is known for writing about philosophy for a general audience, and for co-founding The Philosophers' Magazine. He has written more than 20 books on philosophy, as well as works on atheism, secularism, and national identity. He has also contributed to newspapers and magazines, and serves as a patron of Humanists UK, which promotes secular humanism.