Reason and Logic

We are human beings and often make decisions based on, or strongly influenced by, emotion and feelings. But there seems to be an increasing lack of reason and logic in public debate and in public life generally. Increasingly there seems to be a frightening move towards feelings and emotion actually trumping reason and logic.

Yesterday we went to toast our local hunt as they set off on their day's sport. Since 2005 hunting foxes with hounds has been illegal so yesterday the hunt consisted of riders on horses with hounds spending the day following a scent trail across private land where the landowners had given their permission for the hunt to ride. The irony is that since the hunting ban in 2005 more foxes have been killed each year as farmers use more efficient ways of protecting their stock from the fox. The anti-hunt brigade are more driven by hatred of the type of people they think hunt than any welfare concerns for foxes. It is a victory of emotion and feeling, or prejudice and bigotry, over logic and reason.

Somebody on social media attacked me yesterday, in the most irrational and hate filled way, for attending the hunt. When I explained what I have explained above her response was to claim that may be the case but what if the dogs picked up the scent of a fox? Well the hunt pledge to take all measures to avoid that scenario which, to be honest, is a bit like telling me I'm wicked for driving a car because I might have an accident. She then made it perfectly clear that she was actually driven by an irrational hatred of the type of people she thinks ride horses and hunt. She then decided to seek out my wife and started to harass her on social media proving herself to be nothing but a bitter and twisted hate filled bigot.

To book end this example of irrational behaviour we've had an announcement this week that the state is having to take measures to protect free speech in British universities. Cultural Marxism, or political correctness, has pervaded our national life for decades now, it is just as vile as any form of socialism just a little more subtle and slow burning but equally destructive. Our education system and churches are some of the worst offenders, eagerly trying to prove their PC credentials by doing the dirty work of the far left PC brigade for them. Virtue signalling social justice warriors (aka snowflakes) are the absolute curse of the twenty-first century.

For a few years now campaigners, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, have been trying to get books banned from British universities, indeed even The Guardian, that bastion of irrational liberalism and fake news, has felt it necessary to fight this attack on freedom in several issues. After all, when the mob starts banning books and anything else they deem to be 'offensive' who says somebody won't decide it's you and your opinions next?

That British universities have to be forced to stop banning people who they disapprove of from speaking and from banning books they disapprove of is highly concerning and should worry everybody who believes in freedom, rationality and logic. If these snowflakes are so upset and scared of people with alternative philosophies and ideologies then why are they at university at all? Isn't university supposed to be about having your ideals and beliefs challenged? Isn't it about learning how to face people you disagree with or disapprove of and dismantling their arguments using logic and reason.

It seems that today's students lack the confidence and intellect to face the real world and need to run and hide in a safe space. Hardly good preparation for the rigours of the real world.