Tim Soutphommasane chats with Jessica Au about his new book,

What are you reading now?

I tend to read a few books on the go. I’m currently going through Thinking the Twentieth Century by Tony Judt and Tim Snyder, and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I recently finished What Money Can’t Buy by Michael Sandel.

What was the research process like for

The Virtuous Citizen is based on my doctoral thesis in political philosophy, which I finished at Oxford in 2009. I had drawn on parts of the thesis in writing my first book, ‘Reclaiming Patriotism’, which was published a few years ago. But this is a more comprehensive book than that – it seeks to answer the question of what it means to be a good citizen in a multicultural society.

The research process in one sense, then, began about a decade ago. As an honours student in political science I researched ethnic politics in Sydney, but then found that I was really interested in theoretical questions about multiculturalism. That led me to begin a master’s degree in political theory at Oxford, which then led to my doctoral work, which started focusing more on citizenship and patriotism.

In concrete terms, the process for political philosophy is usually very textual and solitary – it’s essentially about reading and gathering materials, thinking and reflecting, and then finally writing and editing. With this book, the challenge was to find some principles about citizenship and patriotism, and then think through whether they made sense in the real world. The challenge was always to find good real world examples that helped to clarify some idea or principle. Quite often, examples would lead to new ideas or further refinements. And then, I’d have to make sure that the big picture made sense.

Tell us about the first time you ever saw one of your books in a bookshop.

It would have been in late 2009 in Sydney, if I remember accurately, at the State Library of NSW bookshop. It was exciting to find my name on the bookshelf. I had seen the final product of Reclaiming Patriotism before then, via my publisher. But seeing it in a bookshop made it feel more real. I was 26 years old at the time, and had just finished my doctorate – so it was a heady experience to find that part of my work was now ready for the reading public’s judgement.

What’s a question you’d like to be asked in interviews? (And your answer to it?)

Why are you such an unapologetic defender of dilettantes?

Answer: Since we can’t all be renaissance men (or women), it is only right that we embrace dilettantism. To be a narrow specialist, and have no interest in anything but one’s own field, is really to be a barbarian.

What are the books that you always recommend to people?

The essays of Montaigne and Emerson, and Machiavelli’s The Prince.

The Virtuous Citizen