Get on yer bike
Beijing style, and
remember the kitchen sink
Alison Prince
TT racing on Arran?
David Harvie
As we’ve sat in front of the box the last few days, nibbling at our crusts dunked in dripping while urging the remaining staff to wrench yet more bits of kindling from the increasingly rickety furniture, we thought a classic re-run of the old-time Tory Scandal had been flickering before our eyes – Fox, Werrity and the Parallel Universe. And then – icing on the bitter cake – along comes yet another cabinet minister, Oliver Letwin, caught repeatedly filing his correspondence and other confidential papers in the rubbish bins of public parks.
At first, we had the fluffy picture of apparently dopey Tory chums (albeit that one of them was secretary of state for defence), inevitably embroidered with vague innuendo and initial admissions that friendships may have been ‘overstepped’. Rather quickly, however, our knowing smiles faded and the image became much more uncertain and somewhat sinister, with allegations of secret arrangements – lubricated with large wads of cash – with a variety of right-wing, sometimes foreign-based ‘defence-related’ individuals, companies and supposed charities. Accountability was nowhere to be had. Suddenly, the questions raised have become deeply serious. Are other ministers adopting the technique of subverting the accepted democratic routes by operating a private intelligence and policy structure with no civil service knowledge or oversight? It is interesting to note that the Atlantic Bridge (the right-wing group set up by Fox to unite British and American Conservatives and foreign policy hawks) was disbanded two weeks ago – just in time to ensure that its trustees cannot be subjected to public scrutiny. But of course, democratic accountability is an increasingly loose concept in these days of privatisation, ‘arms-length external organisations’ and the lobbying industry.
As the mainstream press seems only recently to have realised, the party conferences have become a farce, with lobbyists and corporations having their grubby hands on the levers. David Cameron appeared to object to this situation in a speech he gave 18 months ago, when he forecast the activities of the lobbyists as being ‘the next big scandal waiting to happen’. He referred to ‘the lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear. We don’t know who is meeting whom. We don’t know whether any favours are being exchanged. We don’t know which outside interests are wielding unhealthy influence’.
Well, prime minister, ‘facts are chiels that winna ding’, so you know what to do next.
How are we to regain our
competitive edge? By
studying philosophy
Eileen Reid
The reintroduction of philosophy as a compulsory component of arts
degrees would banish sloppy thinking and re-ignite rigorous discussion
of ideas across all subjects.
Unfortunately contemporary culture lacks the ability and taste for rigorous discussion of ideas and ideals. This seems to be the case, not just with world-wearied adults, but also with students. Gone are the days of alcohol-fuelled debates putting the world to rights in the wee small hours. The domination of ‘critical thinking’ and ‘critical theory’, the offspring of post-modernism and identity politics, has for the most part masqueraded as philosophy in academia.
The reintroduction of philosophy as a compulsory component of arts degrees would banish sloppy thinking and re-ignite rigorous discussion of ideas across all subjects. As Wittgenstein put it, ‘making the connections between things perspicacious’, is critical, and especially poignant in a culture bombarded with information.
This may sound impractical and too prescriptive, but the employability of UK philosophy graduates in computing is well documented, and the US has caught on. It was recently reported in the Philidelphia Inquirer that, in an era in which chronic unemployment seems to demand hard skills, students are turning to philosophy that they say prepares them not for a job, but for the multiple jobs they expect to hold during their lifetimes. ‘It’s teaching me to see the big picture and to think about things in a different way,’ said a student. ‘Not only can I do the math and figure out how to design something and build something, but I can see it in the context of a business plan.’ Who would have thought philosophy is the key to a good business plan?
But it is not only in universities that young people can study philosophy. Scotland has a philosophy Higher, but unfortunately most who present are from private schools. This is unfortunate because all children display a natural affinity with basic philosophical thinking and creativity. Children in Clackmannanshire have been introduced to philosophy in the classroom and have the opportunity to explore philosophical issues and the most fundamental questions about life. A similar kind of project took place in primary schools in Inverclyde, with the added innovation of combining philosophy and art. Such classes instil critical thinking skills by encouraging them to discuss, in a guided fashion, their views and beliefs. The method of guidance is designed to make children think about why they hold the beliefs that they do and explore the reasons behind their beliefs. In effect, children are taught critical analysis and how to conduct a rational discussion.
In general, philosophy makes for better learners and tends to produce inquiring minds. Philosophy also produces the kind of skills that underpin the new Curriculum for Excellence. It is these profoundly critical features that led to philosophy’s removal from the curriculum of Scotland’s schools in the 19th century because of its perceived threat to religious faith, and Hume’s removal from academic life. What a fitting tribute to Hume and the Scottish Enlightenment to re-introduce it.
Eileen Reid is head of widening participation, Glasgow School of Art, writing here in a personal capacity.
