Ian Buruma at Persuasion argues that if there is a problem with Enlightenment thought, it is not because of its ‘whiteness’, but because of the way claims to universalism have been co-opted in indefensible political-military conquests. This should not make us blind to what was, and remains, valuable about the ideas and culture it has […]
A Public Inquiry Without The Public? (Part I)
DDU supporter, Montmorency Sharp, reports back from attending the first of a series of inquiries held by the Oriel College Commission of Inquiry whose stated aim is to investigate the question of what should happen to the statue of Cecil Rhodes and the memorial plaque with an open mind. Alas it turned out to be […]
The Sound Of Silence
We are used to media stories of students calling for universities to act against many ‘isms’ and phobias, and often the line between their own thoughts and beliefs, and those of academic/activists is hard to discern. So it is especially heartening to see that so many Oxford students have spoken out against their institutions silence […]
The Insidious March of Critical Race Theory In Schools May Be Breaking The Law
In the wake of the BLM protests, many school heads are rushing for help to find resources which accord with contested and divisive ideas from Critical Race Theory, including the now ubiquitous ‘white privilege’. There are a growing number of diversity ‘expert’ businesses willing to help. Heads should reject this course of action and remember […]
We’re facing a tsunami of censorship
“The authoritarian tide is rising”, warns Toby Young. It’s now “open season on mavericks and dissenters”. How can we push back? If you publicly challenge any of the sacred nostrums of the social justice left and you work in a school, a college, a university, an arts company, a public broadcasting organisation, a tech company, […]
When will the trade unions speak up?
A rigid orthodoxy “demands diversity in everything but opinion”, says Paul Embery. By failing to challenge it, trade unions are making themselves irrelevant. Why aren’t our established unions protesting against the increasingly suffocating, accusatory atmosphere which infects our workplaces, oppresses workers and, at its extreme, prohibits them from expressing legitimate views or criticisms and sanctions […]