In the first lecture, Dr. Biggar introduces the necessity to explain and critically examine the concept of decolonization in a nuanced way. He argues that the decolonization movement is largely misguided, resting on falsehoods about both the present and the past, particularly regarding the history of European countries with overseas empires. The lecture emphasizes the importance of this topic, as the cultural revolutionary form of decolonization threatens to undermine faith in the liberal West at a time of increasing threats from illiberal states.