Report comment

Please fill in the form to report an unsuitable comment. Please state which comment is of concern and why. It will be sent to our moderator for review.

Comment

A very interesting question, Anon. I guess largely because I'm 76, and in my youth nearly all mention of 'conscience' seemed imbued with the idea that it had been installed/instilled in you by some authority other than yourself, which 'free will' allowed you to defy while putting you in what society (or the church) deemed 'the wrong'. In those days, the general view (apart from philosophical discussions on the Third Programme) of what was morally wrong seemed always to emanate from Christianity (often enough reinforced by saying other religions were similar). I was brought up in an RC household and primary/secondary schools. Before I left, it already seemed to me that questions about doctrine were not always answered with the rationality teachers insisted on for other matters. I gave up any religious belief or practice. We do not have 'a sense' of rationality; whence comes the 'sense' of morality?
Since 'moral correctness' is a social construct, then politicians can abide by it. However, it has become more and more evident over my lifetime that people become politicians for advancement of self rather than of the interests of most people, because that would oblige them to pursue policies that would 'hurt' the, richer, minority.
I always taught my (post-school) students to avoid asserting 'everyone, always, nothing, nowhere etc', unless they had evidence, so I will simply say that it has become extremely difficult now to identify a politician who would always vote for the interest of his/her constituents if that would be detrimental to self or Party. In fact, self-interest trumping democracy is official policy, as stated by Ted Short, Leader of the House of Commons (Referendum Act debate 1975) “Although one would not expect Hon Members to go against the wishes of the people, they will remain FREE to do so”.
Maybe tumbrils outside the Palace of Westminster would be the only way to end this but, given the "people's mentality" that Brexit has revealed, how long before more of the same were voted in?

Your details

Cancel