(Kenneth Minogue, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of
London)
Kenneth uses the works of Hobbes in many parts of his presentation.
Political activity is from one of view, a theatre – it trades upon the illusions people have.
Illusion is about playing with realities. What we see with our eyes are not necessarily true and cannot necessarily be trusted. It must be tested by experience. Seeing is therefore not believing. It is, rather, the beginning of learning.
Hobbes was unhappy with people going to universities and thinking that what they learnt was all there is to understand. Knowledge is supposed to create ‘hunger’, not satisfaction.
According to Hobbes:
- “Wisdom is much memory”.
- Freedom is “the silence of the law”
Freedom is not only moral, but it also entails duties and responsibilities.
Kenneth also suggested that it may be a good idea to check out Timur Kuran on preferences falsification.
Question to self:
- Can we trust politicians, including (or should I say, especially?) those who do politics under the name of a religion?
- How do we deal with the issue of some people creating the illusion that they are trustworthy (e.g.: by being religious) just to get or maintain political influence?
Filed under: Freedom & Liberty
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