February 7, 2010
Spinoza on Blair
The Chilcot enquiry rumbles on. Brown is due this week. Alistair Campbell pretended to be on the verge of breakdown this morning when Andrew Marr asked him questions he couldn’t have answered without admitting that Blair misled Parliament.
Of course it’s still Blair that commands everyone’s attention. He was the man at the centre. He is the focal point of all the big questions. Hence a lot of ink has been spilled concerning his actions.
But I can’t help feeling that the reams of print are mostly superfluous. For here is 17th Century philosopher Baruch de Spinoza’s take on things.
“Those who administer a state or hold power inevitably try to lend any wrong they do the appearance of right and try to persuade the people that they acted honourably; and they often succeed, since the whole interpretation of right and law is in their hands. For there is no doubt that they assume, due to this, the greatest liberty to do whatever they want and whatever their desires prompt them to do, and conversely, lose much of this freedom whenever the right to interpret the laws devolves upon others, and likewise if the true interpretation is so plain to all that one can be in any doubt about it.”
- Theological-Political Treatise, Chapter 17
As I’ve remarked before, less changes in politics than we often suppose.
franlydie said,
February 7, 2010 at 8:48 pm
otherwise known as “plus ca change et plus c’est la meme chose” :-)
Dave Semple said,
February 8, 2010 at 9:37 am
Well by that logic Blair has Plato on his side: “Only the rulers of city-states should have the privilege of lying.”
Paul Sagar said,
February 8, 2010 at 9:40 am
Indeed. Blair does seem to think he’s a Guardian of some sort.
Maybe he has gold in his soul?