Date: Sat, 19 Oct 1996 16:00:24 +0100
From: m-14970-AT-mailbox.swipnet.se (Hugh Rodwell)
Subject: Oxford shafted Maggie T, bless its reactionary heart


Justin S quotes me:

>> Nothing "unfortunate" about it. Kolakowski is a rabid anti-communist and a
>> casuist in the great Jesuit tradition. Perfectly at home in Oxford and not
>> in the least bit interested in revolutionary socialism.
>>
>> This also makes him anti-positivist, so his stuff against positivism is
>> interesting.

And comments:

>But what are we to make of the fact that Oxford is also the home of the
>greatest living Marxist historian, Christopher Hill, who was Master of
>Baliol (gasp! Jowett doubtless turned over in his grave) and of G.A.
>Cohen, arguably the greatest living Marxist philosopher--and a positivist
>in philosophy of science? As well as, at least untile recently Chicele
>Prof. of the Moral Sciences.


Oxford has one great claim to distinction. It refused to grant an honorary
doctorate to Maggie Thatcher, even though she studied there.

(She had pissed on its turf (sorry greensward) by attacking university
funding and academic freedom.)

So you were at Cambridge. Well, it was home to some of the biggest weasels
of them all -- Keynes and Joan Robinson. As well as being alma mater to
Prince Big-Ears of Cymru.

Any thoughts on the differences between British and American academic
traditions and how this might affect the role of intellectuals in the class
struggle?

Cheers,

Hugh