Sir Keir Starmer promised to restore integrity to government; and after years of odious Tory corruption, the nation would have welcomed some little respite from looting and waste. But such a gift—such a pause in the depredation—Sir Keir, alas, cannot give
Category: Politics
James Mill on Evidence
In 1826, the Westminster Review, the organ of Benthamite Radicalism, published James Mill's review of a book entitled Essays on the Formation and Publication of Opinions. The Essays were written by Samuel Bailey, a Radical who shared the commitment of Bentham, and the Mills, to rational political analysis. Bailey's argument was, that since belief is … Continue reading James Mill on Evidence
The Coconut Trial
There are occasions when a single act of public authority suffices to expose our institutions as both cruel and absurd. The prosecution of Marieha Hussain, a teacher who was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, for holding a placard, is one such instance; and though Ms Hussain has happily been acquitted, it is … Continue reading The Coconut Trial
New article: Lammy’s See-Saw
There are assuredly complicated and troublesome questions in politics; but it never occurred to me that whether we should provide weapons for the slaughter of children, was one of them. In a slight, yet perceptible, movement toward something like sanity and reason, the foreign secretary, Mr David Lammy, last week announced that thirty arms export … Continue reading New article: Lammy’s See-Saw
New article: The Case of Julian Assange
James Mill on how the Few Oppress the Many
In an 1835 article entitled 'State of the Nation' for the London Review, the Scottish radical James Mill considered the progress of reform in Britain, and how society might be further improved. One of his objects was to illustrate how the ruling Few, throughout history, erected barriers to any reforms that might promote the interests … Continue reading James Mill on how the Few Oppress the Many
A Letter to The Observer
I have often regretted the lack of serious thought in our public discussion. Armies of commentators, apparently remunerated for their qualities as argumentative writers and conversers, are scarcely ever seen to produce coherent reasonings, or to attend to the most obvious objections to their views. Here I will examine, as but one specimen of this … Continue reading A Letter to The Observer
Jeremy Bentham answers Jordan Peterson
In his exceptionally popular book, Twelve Rules for Life (2018), the Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson advised his readers to "Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world." This conservative maxim, or fallacy, was answered by the great English radical, Jeremy Bentham, two hundred years ago: "Nearly akin to the cry of popular … Continue reading Jeremy Bentham answers Jordan Peterson
James Mill on Liberty of the Press
One of James Mill's contributions to the Encyclopaedia Britannica was an article on the liberty of the press. Mill sought to mark out legitimate grounds to punish speech while defending broad freedom of discussion as an indispensable security against oppression and the surest method for discovering the truth. In summary, Mill thought that libel against … Continue reading James Mill on Liberty of the Press
Bentham on Democracy and Reform
Jeremy Bentham is well known today as a moral philosopher; but his political thought, and the thought of those British radicals who considered him a teacher and inspiration, has been largely forgotten. This I consider to be unfortunate, not only because Benthamite radicalism is an enviable model of logic and clarity compared to other political … Continue reading Bentham on Democracy and Reform
Notes in the Margins of the Days 