A Conservative philosopher last night criticised the “orthodoxy” of ideas on the Left spectrum of British politics, which he believes to be the result of academic “frauds” during the 1980's.
Speaking at an event for Guardian newspaper members at Islington Assembly Hall, the intellect blamed the Left’s “resentment of what others have but you haven’t” and an “‘Us’ versus ‘them’” attitude for causing a debate deficit in which “young people aren't free to disagree with orthodoxy.”
Roger Scruton, who was shot after writing his first devastating criticism of Thinkers of the New Left in 1985, claimed that he had been “made to feel like I had committed a sin” for expressing his disapproval of such French academics as Gyorgy Lukacs and Jean-Paul Sartre at the time.
Roger Scruton, who was shot after writing his first devastating criticism of Thinkers of the New Left in 1985, claimed that he had been “made to feel like I had committed a sin” for expressing his disapproval of such French academics as Gyorgy Lukacs and Jean-Paul Sartre at the time.
In the debate, which included the newspaper’s columnist Polly Toynbee and LBC radio presenter James O'Brien as Chair, Scruton argued that his criticism of “the real authorities of the day” meant “I had to retire from the public area for some time.”
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Polly, who is known for her "Socialist Democrat" views, tried to undermine his criticism by describing today’s Conservative government as “the most right-wing government we've had” since the war, adding: “we will be a different country with a different ideology”.
But her Conservative counterpart fired back that Lefty academics had “inserted the egalitarian theory deep into the Labour Party” without definitively defining “what kind of equality and about what” they aspired to achieve.
He conceded “kudos to claim equality” but emphasised that it was “their responsibility to define equality.” However, Toynbee disagreed because “If we had a poll around the room, we would have different definitions [of equality]” and “you don’t have to have the perfect goal… the majority have to agree.”
Scruton again disagreed with the other panelist’s theory by criticising the Left’s poor response to the question “what do you do with those who disagree?” He argued that the Left’s inability to appreciate the other side of an argument results in them assuming they’re always correct.
“The ultimate difference between the Left and Right is that the Left…people just assume it’s the responsibility of the state to do something,” he said. Scruton added: “Institutions do have a responsibility to maintain themselves.”
At this point Polly defended the current Labour Party as being “the Conservatives of such institutions.” She argued that rather than being Whet, “the tearing up of the roots; the radicalism is coming from Osborne.”
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| Cameron's (right) Chancellor George Osborne (left) was attacked by Toynbee |
But Mr Scruton criticised Toynbee’s anti-government poke as ignoring the Marxist academics who were “intent upon destroying the language of politics.”
“They came out of the 60’s and dominated the universities,” he said, emphasising: “students have to go into the rat race [of political life] unprepared.”
In his greatest attack of the evening, the Conservative academic stated that “where the Left had planted its flag…. is preventing free speech.” “If you start disagreeing with them, you’re in trouble,” he said.
On the rise of Isis and recent immigration policy, Polly posed the question “Where is the power?”, to which Scruton responded: “I think we were not allowed to discuss… the Sharia way of life and of Western Democracy, and if so whether we should take a step.”
Polly responded by asking whether her counterpart “think[s] we’ve gained nothing from immigration”, leaving the Conservative to argue “There’s also been a loss.”
“Thought is one of the most wonderful gifts that we have. I would look to Christ, although I do recognise it doesn't have the kudos is used to,” he said. And Scruton added: “Most ordinary people would like to build a public ideology.”
But Toynbee responded: “we have a sense of what we do collectively is better than what we do individually." “The Left impulse is far more to say that people don’t feel left out,” she said.
And the Guardian columnist emphasised later that Muslims and Isis terrorists are “very split between different areas and sects.” She argued that on the Left “different strands of opinion… can march together on one particular issue”
Scruton underlined “certain ways of challenging a person’s opinion with the intention of shutting him up,” while Toynbee described “people who adore democracy but hate the practicality of it.”
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| Toynbee (left); Scruton (right) |
